SEO: Real Talk

Alright, let's try to break SEO down in a 100% honest way. That's what you've been waiting for, right? It's likely you only understand that SEO is the online science of getting you to rank higher on Google; you're not alone! We just did a poll of 286 business owners and only 4 could answer all of our questions about SEO correctly.

With that in mind, I decided to write this article. It'll be mostly in point-form by design, but should help you understand what SEO is, why you need it, and how absolutely ridiculous the system is. I've spoken on our podcast about just how unnecessary this whole SEO game is but we're stuck with it so here we go down the rabbit hole.

What is SEO?

SEO is a range of tactics used to help Google and other search engines learn about your business and rank you according to your relevance against certain search terms.

Why is it so Complicated?

There are 2 reasons why SEO is a head-scratcher. The first is that the rules and ethics constantly change. The second ... it's big business. Billions are spent on SEO annually.

What SEO Principles Work Now?

Here's the list:

• On-Site SEO: Optimizing your online content so that Google can read it is key. Fill in those alt tags, put keywords in your content, ensure your site is mobile friendly, and make sure your meta data is spot on.
• Reviews: Get people to review your business on Google and other popular review sites. Don't do this once though. Formulate a strategy and stay on top of it.
• Content: Spread your message everywhere, but make sure that the content is relevant to TODAY and possibly the future. One subject that is well written with graphics and video will always outperform content that is simply keyword rich.

Content

This isn’t something new, content has been an important ranking factor for a long while now. More recently, however, there has been a shift away from content that’s focused on keywords to producing material that’s more relevant and uses everyday language. Google, it seems, is not evaluating content according to individual keywords. That’s a good thing but you need to know what that kind of content looks like if you’re going to change your style and approach. Algorithm updates like Google’s AI system RankBrain place a value on relevance and optimization. An in-depth examination of one particular subject, which is easy to understand and clearly written, will outperform material that’s packed with keywords. This includes multiple images, infographics, and embedded videos. According to Cisco video will represent 80% of online traffic, so include video in your content. Keep your content relevant and in a style that we use and appreciate as human beings. If you need help there are lots of content auditing software out there to help produce the finished article

Backlinks

These are still a very important ranking factor. In recent years however, Google has got wise to these and can identify and pull out bad links. Links need to be diverse and relevant and from domains that are authoritative. If your content is well written and useful it will generate links and Google will consider it more relevant. These links are ranking signals. So, put simply, create good quality content and promote it well.

Mobile

There are technical factors which might influence your website’s ranking. These include dwell time (the amount of time a person spends on your site) and repeat visitors. More recently Google has been turning its attention towards mobile. Specifically page speed on mobile. Google has been promising to look at mobile search speed for years and now at last they’ve delivered and it’s finally here. Its recently announced speed update is a search engine algorithm that’s fixed on mobile page speed. If your site doesn’t load quickly on mobile devices you could be penalized, so take a look at it and if its slow to respond get it fixed.

Social media

When people share your content on social networks, it’s a signal to Google that it’s valuable. There is a definitive link between social shares and search engine ranking. Google continues to maintain that shares are not a ranking factor, at least not a direct one, but there’s no getting away from the fact that the highest ranking pages do have a lot of shares. 

The fact is that SEO is an ever-evolving industry. Google is pushing for rich content with good quality links, and a much improved mobile experience. Other ranking factors are important but these are the foundations to improving key elements of your website. Focus on these and don’t fall into the trap of trying to fix everything just because someone has produced yet another new list.