SEO (search engine optimisation) is not what it used to be. Where you could once stuff keywords and pay for links, those days of simple SEO tactics are over.
However, does that mean it has become more and more difficult? Well, no, not at all. All that you need is a brand new perspective. If you are wanting to rank high on search engines for industry keywords, please take a look at the following five SEO techniques that still work like a charm today.
1. Link Building
While people did just say that paying for links is no longer a viable SEO strategy, there are still ways to build links without being penalised.
Old SEO strategies had you building links through directories, comments, email blasts, and even paid link building campaigns. Today, these strategies won’t fly, but links still count in the eyes of search engines. Admittedly, it’s going to take more work because search engines like Google want to see natural links—the kind when other people link to your website because you’re just that awesome.
2. High-Quality Outbound Links
When we talk SEO and links, we’re generally looking at incoming links, but outbound links can have an impact on your search engine rankings, too. That’s because the pages you link to help search engines determine what your site is about. Linking out to quality resources can also be an indicator of higher quality content (opposed to just linking to your own content).
It’s also worth considering that this practice adds value to your content. Therefore, more people will link back to you. Plus, linking to other pages aids in networking and outreach, which can further promote your blog and increase backlinks.
3. Site Speed and Performance
While site speed doesn’t have a ton of weight on your search engine rankings, it can definitely help. It’s also helpful because it provides a better user experience, which means more people are likely to link back to your site if they enjoy your content. Now, there’s no hard number that search engines are looking for, but Google has said that response times longer than two seconds could limit the number of URLs Google crawls on your site, which could impact your search engine rankings.
To avoid being penalised, aim to speed up your site. Sometimes this means moving from a shared server to a quicker server, but there are other tactics to try as well, such as minimising requests by combining scripts.
4. Long-Tail Keywords
Today, 70 percent of search traffic comes from long-tail keywords, so when structuring your content, consider the long-tail keywords people will search. This can be effective because keywords like “size 10 tennis shoes for sale” have less competition than “tennis shoes.” While there are fewer queries, your link may show up in front of more eyeballs by targeting low-competition phrases.
5. Active Social Media Presence
While we’ve heard time and time again that social shares don’t have an impact on search engine rankings, specific case studies and experiments beg to differ. However, even if you don’t believe that social indicators are used in rankings, an active social media presence can still help your overall SEO strategy. For one, it helps you reach more people, which means you have a better chance of earning backlinks. Social websites are also valuable networking tools—which helps you build connections that can impact your search engine rankings, such as by earning backlinks from influencers.
Furthermore, you can’t forget that your social profiles show up in search engines. So while these links aren’t pointing back to your blog, they do indicate a present brand and engaged community. If you’re thinking SEO is dead, you couldn’t be more wrong. While it may seem like it will take a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be something to fret over. Eventually, you’ll find that these SEO tactics come naturally as you write for your audience and actively engage with them.