The search engine optimization world has always been a dynamic one, requiring online professionals to adjust as quickly as they can. The goal is always the same – to rank as highly as possible in the search engine results – but techniques and strategies have to evaluated and changed if you want to reach your goal.
With the search engines – of which Google is the unquestioned leader – regularly changing their policies, it is up to you to make sure that you adapt. It is not always easy, of course, especially since the exact details are almost always never divulged, but we have to admit that what they are doing is for the good of the user.
That being said, here is a timely reminder for you – some key SEO habits that will help you get on Google’s good side. Consider these tips a refresher, if you will.
Be original
Originality is such an important thing – online and offline – especially in this world where it is very easy to provide and acquire information. How can you make sure that you have something unique for your users? Something they will not find in another hundred other sites? While you may write about the same topic as others do – that is something that cannot be avoided – make sure that you provide something of additional value.
Be relevant
More than providing original content, you also have to ensure the relevance of your content. What good is original content when it does not mean anything to your target audience? That’s like giving a guy 10,000 spoons when all he needs is a knife to cut his steak. (That’s channeling Alanis Morissette right there.)
Clean up your web site
You don’t have to be an expert coder to work on this aspect, but a basic coding knowledge is imperative to those who want to achieve any measure of success in SEO. And when it comes to the point, there are many resources which can help you learn. It is important that you not only pay attention to the quality of your content, but also to how your site is structured. While we place more emphasis on your content being written for users (humans!), we cannot overlook the role that crawlers (bots!) play. They need to be able to access your pages efficiently. Hence, tried and tested practices such as internal linking and a clean internal URL structure should be innate to you. Take the time to check your site for these things. It will be worth your while.
About the Author
Lance Stadler has been blogging for 10 years. He has gone through so many search engine updates, and he believes in staying on the right side of the law. He also makes sure his workflow continues to be smooth by choosing the right internet service providers.
Image via StayAlien