The face of SEO has changed a lot over the past few years, but the goal has remained the same: to rank high in the search engine results pages (SERPs). The following four steps are a good place to start in 2017.
Create Longer Content
Google’s job is to deliver quality and relevant information to their users. The best way to rank in the SERPs is to provide the quality and relevance that Google is looking to deliver. Quality content will explain an idea in a comprehensive way. Longer content of 1,500 words or more ranks significantly higher than shorter content.
How do you develop longer content? A great way to start is with keyword research, to find what keywords people are searching for. Then brainstorm on the keywords to provide in-depth and quality answers to the questions people already have.
Another tip is to include supporting quotes from articles that you uncover while researching the solutions to the questions. Linking to outside articles is actually beneficial for your website.
Be Social
An important development is that Google is indexing tweets. The more you share links to your authoritative content, the more likely you will be seen as an authority on the subject and the more likely others will follow you to read your posts and share your content in return. This is an excellent way to gain those much needed backlinks.
Advertise
While the previous two steps mentioned will definitely boost your organic search results, it’s hard to believe, but so will paid advertising. In 2012 Google reported that even for sites “claiming a No. 1 organic ranking, paid ads provided 50 percent incremental clicks (meaning, half of the top-ranking site’s visits would not have happened without the presence of paid ads)” (http://www.brightedge.com/blog/seo-and-ppc/). Granted, in terms of digital marketing, 2012 was a lifetime ago, Google’s findings have remained the same since. This means, even with effective SEO, businesses should utilize paid advertising for the additional traffic.
Think Locally
It is time to start thinking locally. In 2017, businesses should start developing content with which the local area can easily identify. Localized messaging and promotions not only have better conversion rates, but Google is more likely to recognize that business as a local authority. Businesses should create social media accounts for each of their locations (especially a Google+ account) complete with that locations contact info, pictures, and local content.
These four steps only scratch the surface of the possibilities, but they are a great place to start. One last bit of advice: if you don’t have a mobile website or at least a responsive design, start there. Google has started penalizing for not having mobile friendly sites.