The SEO industry is in a constant state of flux depending on Google’s algorithms, but that doesn’t mean that you need to revamp your entire strategy every time a new update rolls out. Instead, use the following strategies to implement a simplified SEO program that will stand the test of time – no matter what changes the search engines make.
Focus less on keyword search.
“Old school” SEO put a heavy emphasis on keyword resaerch, requiring that webmasters spend hours measuring anticipated search volume against the relative competitiveness of each query. Not only does this take an excesssively long amount of time, it’s becoming a far less viable approach as Google restricts the amount of keyword data made available to SEO workers. Instead of wasting time chasing data that isn’t readily available (or accurate, when it can be found), simplify your research process by brainstorming a list of the keywords you believe your customers are most likely to search for and building content around these phrases. Check your stats after month or so, and then either add more content for phrases that are performing well or refocus your efforts on a new set of potential search queries.
Use SEO tools effectively.
Even if fields such as page or post meta descriptions don’t have the SEO impact they used to, it’s still worth including them from a usability standpoint. If you write an extra compelling meta description that displays in your search results listing and causes a user to click through to your site (versus your competitor’s), that’s a win for your site in terms of both overall performance and SEO.
Invest in viral content pieces.
Backlinking is a continual challenge for the SEO world. While it’s important to obtain backlinks from well-regarded websites, it’s best to do so in a natural fashion. But even if you do pursue links as part of an SEO campaign, you’ll find that the backlinks that will do the most for your site’s performance are also the hardest to get. All of these challenges go away if you redirect your efforts towards producing viral-style content pieces, rather than proactively seeking link sources. For example, one well-produced infographic could go on to earn you hundreds of backlinks from great sources – with no extra effort on your part beyond the initial creation of the graphic and any early seeding of your content that you decide to do. While it’s true that you won’t “go viral” on every content piece you create, just a few wins using this strategy can do more for your site’s external SEO than weeks or months spent trolling for backlinks.
Use responsive website design.
When you use responsive website design on your site, both your desktop and mobile site versions come from the same URL – only their relative displays are altered. Contrast this with hosting two separate sites for desktop versus mobile visitors. If you have two separate websites entirely, you’ve got to run two separate sets of SEO campaigns. Using a single site that displays differently depending on the platform can cut your SEO time in half.
Outsource repetitive monitoring tasks.
Consider outsourcing some of the repetitve monitoring tasks that are a part of any good SEO campaign. When outsourcing tasks, you can work with either SEO agencies or individuals who are knowledgeable about these tasks. Be sure to do your research and understand the relative pros and cons of each option before bringing on a person or a team to assist with your SEO. Instead of ismplifying things, failing to do the proper due diligence could actually make your SEO strategy more complicated than ever.
