December 30th, 2016
The new year is just around the corner, which means it's time to reflect on the successes and challenges of 2016 and plan for ways to make 2017 even better. While the importance of SEO itself is unlikely to change all that much with the new year, the best practices and strategies behind it almost surely will. Here are a few of our best search engine optimization tips for a successful 2017 and beyond.
- Get Graphic on Content - Quality, original images are crucial to making your website stand out, not just to search engine algorithms, but to actual, real-world readers and customers. It pays to have a graphic designer help you create visual content that matches your brand aesthetic and captures your demographic target's style sensibilities, too.
- Zero In on Keywords - Everyone wants to rank well on the prominent, generic keywords, but sometimes, it's in your better interest to focus on the niche services you can provide. So instead of chasing after a page-one ranking on "furniture," maybe you'd do well to target something like "modern wooden kitchen table." Manage your expectations so that they're both realistic and achievable.
- Remove Any Access Barriers - If you have a paywall or funky formatting that prevents users from accessing your content right away, how can you expect them to find your information? Nearly half (48%) of emails today are opened on mobile devices, a trend that can also be seen in search queries and Internet use in general. It's one of the older search engine optimization tips, but it bears repeating: make your website mobile-friendly, or risk losing tons of traffic.
- Write for Humans - We all know that keyword stuffing just doesn't work anymore. Not only does it make you look spammy in the eyes of Google, but it's unattractive to your actual human onlookers, too. As Google's algorithms and artificial intelligence bots improve, the better they become at picking up on good content. The more you focus on writing for a real audience, the more you may see your rankings and traffic improve.
Make 2017 your most exciting and successful year yet with these search engine optimization tips to get the ball rolling. If the future of business is on the web, make sure that you stay ahead of the curve with a smart SEO strategy that works.