Mindy Weinstein | Content, SEO |

SEO as We Know It Today

When was the last time that you Google’d your brand name? If it was not in the last month or so, then it may be time to check up on how your brand is doing. You may have been avoiding the fact that your brand does not rank on the first page of searches, but with some work you can improve your online presence. To do so, you must first understand the various factors that influence your rank on search engines. Here is some fundamental information to help guide you through the world of SEO.

Diamond in the Rough

The main goal for your brand is to create a website that will catch the eye of the consumer and give them a quality experience. This may seem simple enough, however you must also be aware of how Google is judging the website. The stronger your structure is, the better it will look to Google. First, an audit on common problems such as: broken links, duplicate content, speed, and un-optimized pages will help build a solid structure for your website to grow. These elements will also be factored into Google’s ranking system. Looking at how Google ranks your website is a constant battle, because the site may be marked down, without you even knowing. Being only one rank below your competitor, could be the deciding factor for a prospective buyer. So, it is important to always keep an eye out for it. Do not let the technicalities get in the way of a successful business.

Optimization

Don’t be stuck in the past. Many businesses, or marketing agencies that they hire, could still be using “old school SEO.” Back in the day, when SEO was new, they could optimize a page for one keyword and bring that page up in search results. They may also have artificially obtained links to inflate the page. Now, with the standards set in place, Google ensures that searchers will be able to find the websites with value. The key to being favored by search engines, is to have a customer-centered mindset. Understand the problems that customers encounter before they search for your product or service. What type of questions will they be asking in the search bar? After evaluating the language that they may use, you can work these keywords and phrases onto your website and craft an impactful message. By doing this, you can also help your website make it through the jungle of Google algorithms.

Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird… Oh My

Think of your website as a beauty pageant contestant. Your site must compete in certain categories to beat out the competition. Google ranks sites with specific algorithms, which can make or break the success of a website.

Google Panda, Hummingbird, and Penguin were the names given to parts of Google’s algorithm. Google has created this to improve their search engine and hold businesses accountable for their websites. The ranking system ensures that companies are held to a high standard for Google’s users. Many business owners are unaware of the algorithms that Google has added, because they are usually kept under wraps until after they are released. These algorithms rank a website on the quality of link, content, and search efficiency. Unfortunately, there is no rulebook to Panda, Hummingbird, or Penguin, but you can find more information about the algorithms by clicking here. Or if you feel overwhelmed, Market MindShift can answer any questions that you may have.

Content is Crucial

You may not be Shakespeare, but writing content is crucial to a website. The addition of content such as blog posts, words on a page, or videos can help your ranking on Google. Remember when I said that Google wants to show customers websites with value? Well content is a good way to become an authoritative and trustworthy source. Daily, consumers are overloaded with information that could be posted by anyone and they are very aware of that fact. So, when customers see the quality content, then they are more likely to become loyal to a brand and trust your expertise. When creating content, make sure to avoid misspelling, grammatical errors, and incorrect information. Make sure and continue to post new content on a regular schedule. Staying active with the content, will improve your Google ranking, while showing customers that you are up to date on new information. However, the content should always be valuable rather than having a lot of mediocre content. Overall, the potential benefits of creating quality content outweighs the time you may have to put in.

Eye on Mobile

In 2015, marketers were freaking out because Google announced that their algorithm would include a ranking for “mobile-friendliness.”Due to the big uproar around the subject, many people began to call it Mobilegeddon. Marketers believed that this update could tank a lot of sites. When it was released, the daunting name was quickly dismissed as a complete over exaggeration. Although it was not as serious as previously thought to be, the update increased the number of websites that are mobile-friendly. But optimizing your website for a mobile platform is only one more step to improving your customer’s experience. Think about it. Today, most people have their phones on them at all times, so this could be your greatest advantage. There are many different ways to transition your site to be mobile-friendly. Since this subject can become very complex, it would be best to research the best way to make the transition, that fits your needs.

Don’t Face SEO Alone

The technical information can seem overwhelming at first, however any determined business owner can improve their online presence. Market MindShift is here to construct and implement the steps that need to be taken to bring your business to the top. The key is to invest time into your website and consider what your potential customer will want to see. Now more than ever, the internet can be the biggest advantage for a company. So, do not let the opportunity go to waste and contact Market MindShift today.

If you want even more information on SEO, check out Ahrefs’ 200+ Actionable SEO Tips In One ‘Noob Friendly’ Guide.

If you’re unsure about popular content marketing terms, please check out the We Do Web Glossary.