Search Engine Optimization - 21 Jan 2015

5 SEO strategies for 2015

The SEO world is constantly evolving. If you didn’t know, and your IT people should, there were 13 updates to the Google algorithm in 2014. And those are the big ones. There is no telling how many daily tweaks in house affected web pages worldwide. The other consideration your future SEO strategy should include is other search engines. Google will not remain the only big player. It is a smart move to consider optimizing for other search platforms as well. The next big thing isn’t new at all, it is the ongoing steady growth of mobile and smartphone use that is important in your optimization.

Optimizing your pages for locations search and mobile platforms is going to continue to be important into the foreseeable future. Just consider the difference between desktop tower owners and laptop owners of just 5 years ago. The same ratio is now true between laptop owners and smartphones. Ignoring this sector that continues to grow will be at your peril.

Here are four more suggestions for 2015:

Loading your keywords as long tail queries or conversation phrases will make the emerging tech savvy consumer far more likely to find you. The majority of modern users use search terms that are far more focused than in previous years. “Shoes” is a less likely term than either “running shoes on sale” or “men’s shoes [my town]”. The phrasing produces a more accurate result, and it connects better into Google’s current “hummingbird” Algorithm which likes terms sorted for the online actions: transaction, navigation and information.

References and links are still important to your site in 2015; that will never change, but the improvement in discerning search engines means that a few high quality links from recognized authorities in your niche are better for you than lots of individual links from lesser recognized sites. Links are related to content and once again good quality content is important to grow organic links.

Another consideration in 2015 for your overall strategy is ROI. Carefully examine your data and make sure that the money you’re spending is getting you more customers, increased total sales or increased average tickets. While it’s good to have had 30,000 more page views and maintain a higher page rank than last year, it is better to have earned an extra $20k for last month’s blog campaign.

Lastly, enlarge your circle. Getting those plus 1s from Google plus is becoming more important. The larger your circle the more likely you get found when someone initiates a search. Google is paying more attention to connections and links and is using its own social media platform to help analyze the data. If you don’t already have one, it’s time to build a G+ page.