SEO in 2018 and beyond
As you may know, Google runs algorithms and these have many factors, over 200 actually! All these factors don’t just update individually either. They update continually and over time, so it makes ranking factors shift constantly.
While the rules of the SEO game are constantly changing, search engines are aiming to constantly improve the search results. What this means is that of the 200+ factors, some change shape, some are removed and some are added.
Naturally, though there are trends to follow and Google actively promotes what it wants website owners to be doing.
SERP – Search Engine Results Page
You need to forget the thought that you have to rank number one to get as much traffic as possible! The SERP is changing and you should have noticed this if you have recently looked for something on Google. There are so many factors (as mentioned) that go into producing the results you see for any given search.
Organic results
It is getting harder and harder to convince Google that your website has the best content for your ideal audience. Your content and your organic SEO needs to be professional, comprehensive and it needs to be up to date. Organic SEO covers many areas and it is not just about picking a few keywords and measuring if you are on page one with them or not!
For example, the SEO work that we do at My Sassy Business has no limit on key terms at all. Instead, we cover everything that is relevant to your business and your brand.
As searchers become wiser they are less inclined to click on a paid ad as they are sceptical of the advertiser. This doesn’t mean that Adwords is not effective it just means that it can be expensive if you are to be doing it exceptionally well. Something to keep in mind!
Google My Business
It is essential that you have your listing up and verified in Google My Business. It is the most powerful directory that you can have your business in. If you are a local business you may already be on here and getting reviews and more. It is not just for local business, national and international business need to be here too. You can do posts on your listing as well, just like social media but it appears as a result in your Google My Business listing.
Voice search is happening
Google reports that 55% of teens and 40% of adults are using voice to search daily. Here is where organic SEO matters again as your content and key terms need to become more conversational.
Speed of your website
Ensuring that your website is loading as quickly as possible is essential for good results in Google. The expectation is results in under 3 seconds, Google has publicly stated this is a ranking factor.
- One of the largest factors in the speed that your website loads is it’s hosting environment. Cheap or free hosting can really hurt your results.
- Make sure that your website’s platform is professional to help with the user experience
- Ensure that your images are not too large or videos are running in the background and stalling the loading time.
Secure your website
All website should be getting an SSL certificate on their website – This creates encrypted communication between your website and the internet browser and in the results of a search the website will show as secure. Without this certificate, your website will show as not secure. Google will also be offering a ranking boost to secure websites.
Mobile is major
For almost 3 years now this has been a major ranking factor, there should be no excuses for not having a mobile responsive website in 2018. With more than half of all the searches with Google coming from a mobile device!
Backlinks and linkless Backlinks or mentions
Backlinks are pretty much a thing of the past as far as SEO is concerned. They are still relevant, but they must be true and must be genuine! Important, however, is the mention of your business without a link as this is an off-page signal of equal weight.
So, if you want to extend your organic reach, My Sassy Business can offer you an affordable SEO package or create a specific package to suit your needs.
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