SEO strategies have undergone plenty of changes since they came into prominence. Websites need to be highly visible in search engine results and their owners invest in as many smart search engine optimization tactics as possible. In the past, some of the SEO strategies that worked were:

  • Stuffing content with links.
  • Using as many keywords as possible.
  • Back links and so on.

Today or at least in the recent past, people talk about white hat SEO, black hat SEO and social media SEO as well. So what works and what does not? Here is taking a look at 3 effective strategies that are still highly relevant when it comes to search engine optimization.

Content

The focus on content has not diminished. Yes it is true that a while ago, it was all about stuffing content with keywords and links – sometimes without any attention to quality. But today, content is all about quality and the focus on:

  • Originality.
  • Use of images and different kinds of visualization.
  • Long-form content and the use.
  • Long-tail keywords which are relevant.

Your content should also be optimized for mobile screens and local search too.

Here is the new thing about content though – write to engage a reader into your brand and not just to sell him or her something. When you write in order to get a person involved with your story then he stays for a long time.

You also need to make your content current. For instance, writing an article about “Ten trends of fashion to look for in 2017” makes you more interesting and more importantly, boosts your SEO strategy.

Location based searches are gaining more prominence today and Google, for one, is rewarding sites that create content that helps in local search. Get details such as address, website, contact numbers, email etc. to show up easily and you will see your website rising in visibility.

Comprehensive content is also better. Get into details – regardless of the topic you are writing on. For instance, if you are talking about product use, rely on ‘how to’ videos and screenshots and images and so on.

Links

At the beginning of time, it was about staggering amounts of links. Every website out there had links coming in from all kinds of sources. Then came reciprocal links and back links too. Link farms had a field day but all this has changed. Links are still very crucial to search engine visibility but the focus has shifted very firmly to quality.

Building links has to be treated like building connections in the real world. You have to network and you have to attract quality links simply because you are considered an expert in the industry.

Some of the ways in which this can be achieved are:

  • Guest posting.
  • Engaging in social media conversations.
  • Fixing broken links.
  • Focusing on inbound and outbound links.

There are different types of links but the best ones that you can aim for are natural links or links that have been sent your way by other website owners when you have not asked for the same. These editorial links are considered best in class!

You can also create original images, videos and infographics and send them over to other websites with a link back to your website. Internal links can link to content within your own website.

Here again, pay attention to all the links that are coming your way. They have to come from credible and high-reputation websites. It is essential for you to monitor all the links periodically.

Adding your website’s bare clickable links on other websites also adds value to your website by getting a baklink.

Keywords

Generating a list of keywords takes place when you research to find out how people are searching for products and what are the results that show up. For instance, if you are a seller of wristwatches and find that a lot of people are searching by entering the phrase “cheap watches”, would you then come up with content that reads as below?:

“Are you looking for cheap watches? If yes, then look no further for cheap watches. Our cheap watches website is the best place to buy your new cheap watches. Browse to see our choice of cheap watches from our list of cheap watches.”

Well, you have achieved keyword stuffing and lost ranking!

Today, using keywords is a sophisticated enterprise. It is important to use long-tail keywords too. People may use longer search terms than “cheap watches”. It could be ‘cheap watches for teenagers’ or even ‘inexpensive wristwatches for Christmas gifts’.

Your keyword usage should be an accurate portrayal of what you sell. Keywords have to be grammatically correct and spelt correctly too.

Google brings out changes in its algorithms every now and then and if there is one thing that has been consistent it is the focus on quality. So truly, that is one SEO strategy that will work – focus on quality over everything else.

This article is written by James from MuchGames