Getting found in online searches is a never-ending work in progress. It all begins by trying to increase search traffic by 4X with an audit. Algorithms change constantly as do consumer habits. We have some SEO best practices to help keep your website relevant and ranking. However, if you’re not yet in the SEO game yourself, you may want to have a look at an article about seo companies that could help inform you on what SEO strategies are best for your business. If you’re a small business, you will most likely benefit from local seo services to help you keep ahead of the competition.

Quality vs. Quantity

For years there has been more of a focus on the quantity of content on a website that many have neglected to put emphasis on the quality of that content. Typically content has been recommended to include up to 1000 words. Sometimes this goal can be a struggle to reach even for the most skilled content writers. But, there has been a shift in our attention spans so reading 1000 words can be a lot to ask of some users. Try incorporating quick, informative articles into your content schedule.

Focus on High-Quality links

The pages you link to can boost a website if they also have a high ranking on Google. Lesser quality websites can drag down a good website if Google doesn’t view them favorably. When in doubt, leave it out.

Video

SEO best practices video chart

Why People Turn To YouTube.

Video is being viewed on websites by more people than are reading the articles. A short video in addition to text will increase your page views.
It is better to embed the video than to link to one, you don’t want to send people away from your website. Views of Youtube videos about products and services have increased by 65% from one year ago.

Click-Through Rate

The more users that “click-through” to a website the higher that site will rank and will receive and be found in search page results. Easy, just make your content relevant and engaging so people stay on the page once they land there. Find and use terms that your competitors use in AdWords to help your website rank better organically. They are obviously paying for those terms because they feel they are important to your customers! Google autofill and Google Suggestions are great ways to find phrases to put into your content. Let Google know you are keeping your content fresh by using numbers and dates (years) at the beginning of descriptions. Use words like “Quality”, “Top”, “Best”, “Easy” in your descriptions, also phrases like “3 ways…” or “5 tips…” are liked by Google. E-commerce sites should include the brand in the description, many people will search by brand name vs. product name.

Mobile First Design

Websites should already be optimized for mobile, this includes page load speed and the user experience. Google has been making a shift to Mobile First for some time but in 2018 it’s going to be a priority. This in part means they will index the mobile version of a website first. Google has been indexing the desktop version first, and this move will hurt even the best-ranked websites that have not made mobile their focus.

Visual content

Add embedded images to web pages. Use images of Statistics with charts and graphs. This content will draw users in and can also be found in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) under images.

Voice SearchVoice Search for SEO graph

Voice Search only works with listings that show up on the first page of search results. Voice Searches are typically in question form and are based on an action the user is ready to take. Questions should be in a header or subheader with the answer immediately after. Apple/iOS voice searches pull from apps on devices first. Meaning if a user is logged into the Yelp! app they get the business listing from them first before showing other results.

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