The times are changing with SEO as Google updates its algorithm to improve the quality of the results it provides in the rankings pages. For this reason, we have modified our approach to cater to these changes, and the results have been stellar.

Continuing our post from last month about SEO and the ever-changing Google algorithm, here are two more ways you can keep up with the change and prevent your site from tanking in the rankings.

Create GREAT Content and Use Social Media to Get the Word Out

No longer should you primarily target the search engines when posting content on your website. Target humans by giving them content they can learn from, and content they want to share. A website without good content might as well not exist.  Here are some tips:

  • Add social media buttons to every post so visitors can click and share your content easily
  • Hire a social media agency like Creative Concepts to start or support your corporate blog.  Once the blog is up and running, task everyone in the office with sharing the blog with business associates, prospective clients and vendors in order to bring readers to your site.
  • Don’t treat every social media platform the same way. Each network has a specific set of strengths and “rules” the community plays by. Understand those differences and play to the strengths of each site.
  • Create a schedule for posting content to your blog and prepare content in advance so you can be consistent in posting content.  In Drupal, the Scheduler module is essential and easy to use as well as WordPress which also has future scheduling capabilities.  WordPress is also better for your overall SEO.

Keep Visitors on Your Site Longer

Time on Site, Bounce Rate and Pages Per Visit are becoming increasingly important metrics to monitor in Google Analytics. The longer you keep someone on your site, the more it conveys quality to the search engines.  Here are some tips to accomplish this:

  • Make your homepage engaging with videos, images, compelling headlines and content, and commanding calls to action.
  • A visitor should know exactly what he or she is supposed to do and what your site is about within five seconds. For this reason, your headline is essential in telling the story of your website, and the call to action should coincide with said headline.
  • Test different design variations with A/B and multivariate testing. Visual Website Optimizer allows you to temporarily change certain design elements of a page, decide what percentage of the time the test will run and measure the success of the test. Don’t just change your site design based on your opinion. Test navigation and calls to action with a testing service, such as VWO. 

These two takeaways as well as tips from our previous blog entry, if implemented effectively on your website, will render positive results. Google just requires more quality than it used to. A fair request, if you ask me.

SEO is not dead; it’s just changing for the better.

Image via moneyblognewz on Flickr

Mitch Holt
Internet Marketing Coordinator
Creative Concepts SEO partner Volacci