This post is part one in a three-part series on new search engine optimization methods. Check back next week for Part 2: Rich Snippets.
As time goes on, search engines are looking to an increasing number of variables when determining a website’s search engine ranking. Of course, the traditional algorithm methods are still important: PageRank, website content, keyword inclusion, etc. However, today’s websites must address a number of new methods in order to consistently rank highly.
Fostering Social Signals
The number one new method that the top search engines are looking to is social signals. In a world where billions of people are active on social media networks, search engines are now able to recognize valuable content based on social shares, likes, +1s and most “talked about” content. So what does this mean for today’s website development strategy? It requires our websites to be increasingly socially integrated with relevant content that users will be interested in sharing with their friends and followers. It also means that in addition to your internal website efforts, websites must be ever more present on a variety of social networks in order to gain high search engine rankings.
Content is King, Promotion is Queen
Without a doubt, website content must be relevant and interesting to the user. All the social integration in the world won’t save irrelevant, stale content. In addition to this, the website’s content must be strategically promoted or it will go unnoticed. Thankfully, promoting your content wisely does not require a hefty advertising budget. It does, however, require advanced planning and calculated promotion methods. A great deal of preparation goes into creating the content on a website so an equal amount of planning must go into promoting that same content. Depending on the website’s subject matter, the content can usually be promoted successfully through social media. Other websites may require a different method of promotion based on the user base. By selecting the most relevant platforms, you will ensure that your content is seen by users who are most likely to find it engaging.
In addition to selecting relevant promotion channels, you must also make sure that you are promoting at the appropriate time of day in conjunction with preselected targeted keywords. There are a variety of tools available that will help you decipher the best time of day to post and promote your content. While timing will greatly influence the success or failure of any promotional effort, keyword targeting is just as important. Utilize your keyword phrases from alternate SEO efforts and incorporate those phrases into your promotional statements and linkbacks. After all, the main objective in all this is to increase your search engine rankings.
Cyclical SEO
Successfully fostering these kinds of social signals will ultimately positively influence your search engine rankings and will cause an increase in the volume of traffic to your website. Aiming to achieve this level of social integration has a cyclical effect on the success of your website. If you create great content that contains social integration tools and promote your content on the appropriate channels, it will drive traffic back to your website while ensuring that those visitors are interested in your industry. Simultaneously, your search engine rankings will improve, which drives your organic search traffic upward.
If you are interested in additional SEO methods that can help your search engine rankings, check back for Parts 2 and 3 of The New SEO Method series.
Robmark Interactive is fully experienced in both traditional and modern SEO tactics. If you are currently seeking SEO Savannah expertise, please feel free to contact us at (912) 921-1040.