What Are the Most Effective Search Engine Optimization Tips?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a form of online marketing that improves traffic to and ranking of online content by applying both creative and technical elements to an article, blog post, image or document. Its main purpose is to increase the visibility of your online content and number of hits on your content for every online search carried out.
SEO revolves around a large number of aspects that help your online content meet the visibility targets expected. From the structure of your content or website to the language used in your posts, to the keywords selected, and all to the way your content links to other websites on the internet, SEO is an artful process that, if undertaken correctly, guarantees you maximum returns on your online investment.
Effective SEO Tips for Your Content
- Use Short URLs
According to Google, which conducted a survey in 2009, URLs that featured more than 5 words had less hits than those that had 5 words and below. There is no scientific explanation for this, but it is believed that the interest level of an individual is no longer piqued when they read beyond the first 5 words. Select only the most relevant and descriptive keywords for your URL, as there is no need to flood it with several flashy words that no one will bother reading.
- Keep Keywords Relevant
When Google runs a search, it focuses on the specific words entered in the search term or phrase and will most often produce results with words related to the search term. It is, therefore, important for you to use the most relevant and relatable keywords and phrases in your article or website. Similarly, only use phrases or statements that are semantically connected to the main topic of your content. This not only improves the number of hits your online content receives but also the ranking it receives from Google.
- What Are Users Interested In?
As use of internet gets more sophisticated day by day and is almost vital for survival, one of the surest SEO strategies today is not only using the correct keywords in your content but also using keywords that reflect user habits and trends. Experts suggest that, based on user trends and preferences, online content is bound to have higher traffic and ranking if the keywords reflect what people are talking about, what is current in the specific sector, and what evokes emotions and need for conversation amongst online users.
- Consider Mobile Search and Browsing
By the end of 2016, mobile phones and portable computer devices accounted for over 50% of all the web browsing activities in the world. Due to this reason, Google modified its content from crawled desktop versions to mobile-first index content. This ideally means that as you develop your online content, it is mandatory to optimize it so as to meet the mobile content demand and mobile site requirements.
- Keep It Local
More internet users continue to have a growing interest in identifying content that is locally based. This means that when searching for specific services, like a pet grooming clinic, a user will be more focused on results indicating groomers closest to them rather than getting a long list of groomers located all over the world. We believe in optimizing your keywords, phrases and content to match the localized demand of the users, since it will result in higher traffic to your site and a higher ranking on Google and other search engines.
- Voice Searches Are the New Trend
Mobile phone manufacturers have upped their game in the telecommunication market, resulting in one of the latest trends in telephony, voice recognition. Mobile phone users only need to make their queries using their voices and their phones will do it all for them. With industry leaders like Siri, Cortana and Google Now taking over the voice recognition sector, it is increasingly important to optimize online content for voice search. Experts believe that in the near future, voice recognition will not just be a trend but the go-to solution for using our devices.
