Constantly changing algorithms and new developments make search engine optimization (SEO) more of an art than a science. To say the least, it can be difficult to achieve or maintain a high search engine ranking. Every time Google or another search engine makes a change to their algorithm, it can wreak havoc on the world of SEO. The field is dynamic, so business owners need to constantly monitor the latest developments in order to avoid falling behind the competition.
Outsourcing SEO Management Is a Viable Option
Many entrepreneurs and small business owners look at their abysmal search rankings and try to cobble together a solution. While there is nothing wrong with that approach, sometimes it makes more sense to outsource your SEO and digital marketing needs. This is a surprisingly competitive market with packages that are accessible to businesses of any size.
There are many benefits to outsourcing SEO work that can justify the expense. First, if time is a factor, experts are going to be better equipped to make the necessary changes quickly to ensure quick results. Another benefit to outsourcing is that you won’t be working with outdated data. While it is certainly possible to find the most current data on SEO trends by searching the internet, those who are completely unfamiliar with the field may find material that was relevant a few months ago, but is no longer going to provide the same kind of results.
The Key Is Good Content
Ranking well in search results was once possible by researching the right SEO keywords for your business. Currently, this often means long tail keyword phrases that are very specific. While keyword research is still an important part of the process, those keywords must make sense in content that is valuable for the reader.
What does this mean?
To put it bluntly, don’t just stuff your content with keywords. Your website needs fresh and interesting content that will appeal to your target audience. If your content offers nothing of substance not only will your audience drift away, but also your SEO rankings will drop, too.
In the past, some marketers used enticing and keyword-laden titles just to get more traffic to a website. They did this to increase their search rankings. Referred to as “click bait,” this practice still occurs occasionally. However, as search engine sophistication has increased it has become more difficult to fool the algorithms into believing this is high quality traffic which reflects valuable content.
One important way search engines assess valuable content is by how many other sources are linking to it. This happens organically when readers share your content or discuss it on other websites or blogs. New companies might have difficulty being discovered, which can make it more difficult for them to obtain those valuable back-links.
If this is the case with your website, offer to guest post on more well established sites. When you do, link back to your main business site and be sure to include your bio. However, some websites do not link to contributor’s sites so be sure to ask. Don’t just assume this will be allowed.
RELATED ARTICLE: FINDING THE RIGHT SEO KEYWORDS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Mobile Dominates
People have steadily been accessing the internet from their mobile devices more frequently over the past decade. We have reached a point internationally where individuals spend more time online from their phone than from their desktop computer. Because of this trend, you want to be sure that your website is designed with mobile users in mind.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to implement responsive web design. This simply means the website is responsive to the type of device from which it is being accessed. It doesn’t simply shrink to fit the viewer’s screen, which often makes the text illegible. With responsive design, the entire design actually changes to enhance the reader’s experience.
Many search engines will rank your site higher if it is optimized in this way. Especially if your company is focused on local traffic, this can be a huge benefit.
SEO is a complicated and constantly evolving field. If you’re diligent, you will master it. However, in order to succeed, plan to spend the necessary time to craft and implement your own SEO policy. If that is simply not possible, outsource the task of SEO so that you can focus on the core of your business.
