Content Attributes
We’re only halfway through the year, but there’s already a lot of movement in the SEO scene. This is especially true as we’ve been getting new information through webinars hosted by experts like John Mueller during the quarantine period. Your friendly neighborhood search experts at New Age Digital, a digital marketing agency based in Manila, share what they know so far.
Backlinks
Backlinks are the foundation of a solid SEO strategy. The more backlinks you get from credible, websites, the more credible Google considers you to be. It’s not always so easy to get these referrals though, so be sure to streamline your outreach strategy. The two things to consider are relevance and authority. The referrer must be relevant to you, and you should be relevant to their audience. At the same time, aim for websites with high domain authority scores.
High-quality content
Over the years there’s been much debate over what constitutes good content. Some experts think good content should have a specific number of words; 500, 800, 1000, and recently 2000 words. While longer content sometimes performs better, Mr. Mueller clarified that word count does not directly affect ranking. It does, however, affect other ranking factors such as context.
Good content, therefore, answers a user’s query and aides Google in doing so by providing it with context and the proper, relevant information. If you’re content clearly answers what’s being asked, then Google will rank you better. Topical authority, depth, and accuracy all add value to your content.
Search intent
Like a strict father would ascertain your intentions for his only daughter, so should you clarify your audience’s search intent. If you know your user’s search intent, you can tailor your strategy to help them find you more easily. Do this as early as keyword research. Is a particular search query informational, navigational, or transactional? With this information at hand, you can create content that meets their needs.
User experience and mobile-friendliness
If your user experience is trash, users won’t bother to stay on your site. What’s worse is that Google will be aware of it, and this will likely hurt your rankings. Here are things to watch out for:
- A quick page load speed
- Easy navigation and good organization
- In-depth, relevant, and interesting content
- Non-intrusive ad placement
- User-centric, responsive design
Everybody and their mother is on a mobile device. Over 60% of all searches are on mobile. It’s a given that you ensure that your site is mobile-friendly. Google Console can tell you if you have issues with the mobile-friendliness of your website.
HTTPS/Site Security
HTTPS adds to site security by adding encryption to data between the browser and server. It’s considered a lightweight ranking factor, but it’s still important to get on it because it’s easy to do. Besides, security is one of the first thighs users consider before clicking on a link.
Search Engine Optimization is a constantly evolving field in the digital space. As people want quicker, more efficient ways to find what they want and need, SEOs must stay on their toes to deliver. Be sure to keep up with updates and implement these steps to your SEO strategy, in a way that will work for you.