The New SEO
After the switch to their new algorithms, Google has made the world of SEO confusing, complex and even baffling. SEO experts claim that keywords and backlinks are all that matters. However, did you know that there are actually 200 signals being used by search engines, especially Google, to index organic content? The signals range from backlinks to keywords to social interactions.
Here are the most important factors used by Google when indexing websites:
1) Your Domain: A 6-month-old website versus a 1 year old website does not make a difference. However, a 10-year-old website will have more precedence over a 1-year-old website. More importantly, the keyword appearing in your primary domain will have more value, especially if it’s the first word.
2) Your On-Page Elements: Title tags rank highest in your on-page elements, so make sure it contains your primary keyword. Another aspect that has been proven by research is the H1 tag. Without appearing spammy or over-done, you want to make sure that the keyword is used most often in the piece of content you are optimizing. Lastly, the speeds at which the pages load are a big factor when Google is indexing your site. As a tip, test your site in Chrome, as Google makes use of this browser to test speed.
3) Your Site Updates: The rate at which you update your site allows search engines to index the time sensitivity of your information. These should be significant changes, like adding a page or section, which is why a blog is highly recommended. With regularly updated content, you are ensuring that your SEO is up to par. Well written content, without spelling or grammatical errors, will also improve your rankings.
4) Your Social Signals: If you’re still undervaluing the importance of your constant and consistent presence on social media, your SEO will be negatively affected. This is a good indicator of the brand’s popularity to online users and consumers. Social channels like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter outstrip other search engines in just the sheer volume of searches. This is essentially the new SEO: the content-driven social presence of your business in the digital world.
By: ParadigmNext http://paradigmnext.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+ParadigmNextChicago
ParadigmNEXT, Inc. is a digital agency headquartered in Chicagoland. We provide branding, identity, integrated marketing, social media strategy, art direction, web-design & development, startup incubation, commercial video production, product development, and commercial storefront development services to a wide array of clients ranging from bootstrapped startups to successful longstanding companies.