Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a technique for creating a page so that it appears near the top of search engine results. Many “experts” are again saying it is dead, which is what they’ve been saying for many years. And yet, there’s no question that pages with good SEO rank higher in results than those that don’t.

SEO is Evolving

It’s more accurate to say that SEO is evolving to meet the increasing sophistication of search engines. Some parts of it are no longer useful while others as still necessary. In the past, less-than-ideal Google algorithms allowed such dubious techniques as keyword stuffing or spamming to raise a website’s rankings. Those techniques will no longer work, especially if the web content is of low quality. But proper use of keywords is vital to giving good content an edge.

Search engines are now able to process real speech patterns. Many people are switching to voice commands when formulating search queries. So SEO processes must incorporate real speech patterns into their keywords. Another good practice for SEO is the use of an XML site map. This allows a site to communicate constantly with search engines as to what content it contains and makes it easier for users to find the information they need.

The use of mobile devices for searching, particularly by using voice, is far more prevalent now than in the past. Websites now require a mobile-friendly version if they want to appear in searches on tablets and phones. One difference between mobile pages and that for the desktop is that the former must load quickly if they want to rank higher in results.

Staying power is important. Search rankings are higher for sites with the most traffic, which can only be acquired over time. According to Ahref, sites don’t typically reach the top 10 of search results until they’ve been around an average of two years, regardless of how sophisticated its SEO techniques are. The longer a site has been around, the more authority is attached to its content, and the higher its value to the searcher.

Changing content is also necessary for higher rankings because it indicates that the site is evolving to meet user needs. Updating content not only with new information but the latest SEO techniques can invigorate its search rankings.

You Can’t Afford to Ignore SEO

This is a lot of information to take in about why SEO is important to your site and it only scratches the surface. But don’t worry if you don’t understand it thoroughly. Because we do. And we can raise your site’s rankings by combining the latest SEO and content strategies. Contact us today to get started.