SEO: it’s more than just keywords
In an ever-changing digital world, SEO continues to be a hot topic. We reach a point where we think we’ve got it sussed and the algorithm changes.
Ultimately, SEO is what leads a company’s online marketing. Appearing on page one of a search engine drives traffic to your website, it’s then down to you to make sure your content is giving consumers the information that leads them to make a purchase or enquiry.
How do you know if your website is SEO friendly? We’ve highlighted a few of the current trends and you’ll see why it’s about more than just keywords…
Mobile websites
One of the biggest changes to SEO this year is Google’s mobile-first index. Since it was introduced, the mobile version of your website is what Google looks at first to include in its index and to determines rankings. So take note, the lack of a mobile-friendly experience could impact negatively on the rankings of your website.
Customer reviews
Did you know? 90 per cent of consumers now look at reviews before making a decision about a business or product. When customers write reviews, it instantly becomes user-generated content, because the chances are they’re using your keywords. Highly rated sites like TripAdvisor are also ‘trusted sites’, which Google ranks higher, so those reviews will appear in searches. Your reputation is in the hands of your customers, so making sure they only have good things to say has never been more important!
Voice search
It’s not new, but voice search is growing at an incredible rate. According to Google, 72 per cent of people who own a voice-activated device such as Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, use them as part of their daily routine. So, they’re not just a fad. Voice search can’t be optimised for keywords, because voice search is based on a whole sentence or question. SEO strategies need to be adapted for voice-activated searches. Quality website content is absolutely vital here, using long-tail keywords for example, which are longer and more specific phrases that consumers are likely to use.
Video content
Search is becoming more sophisticated and Google is clever enough to differentiate good content from bad. Video content plays a big part here because, as we know, it increases engagement. Videos keep customers on your website for longer, which Google then sees as quality content and ranks you higher.
Check out this article in The Drum to read more about the future of SEO and if we can help you improve your website's rankings, get in touch.