We have known for many years how important content is to any SEO strategy. Traditional marketers are even seeing its value, jumping on the search engine optimization bandwagon.
But a common misconception about SEO is that once you learn strategies that work, they will continue to work. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Progressive search trends and new devices used for search will continue to alter the ways users hunt for information on the internet. True SEO experts know that you must evolve with many changes.
Look to Google for SEO Guidance
Search engine algorithms are changing all the time, and in many cases, those changes are tied to user behavior as much as they are to technical issues. One nice thing that we have seen in recent years is that Google is being much more transparent about algorithm changes and exactly what it is looking for when deciding where a site ranks in the SERPs.
While Google will never reveal the exact ranking factors, it can guide us in making updates that can help a website out tremendously. Just this year, Google has made two big updates that further help searchers find what they are looking for quickly and easily.
Current Search Trends Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
One example of how user behavior has changed SEO is the growth of voice search. This trend has made long-tail keywords more important than ever. The growth of mobile device usage has also changed things in the SEO world.
“While Google will never reveal the exact ranking factors, it can guide us in making updates that can help a website out tremendously.”
A big change that we are seeing now is how AI is continuously evolving. RankBrain is Google’s AI. In addition to voice search and mobile usage, this machine learning-based search engine algorithm has also made long-tail keywords and context key for the future of SEO, as both provide a deeper understanding of your website content. As it is now, RankBrain can pick apart long-tail keywords, which can help you target many different variations of any keyword short-tail.
E.A.T. Is a Considered to Be a Google Ranking Factor
The E.A.T. (expertise, authority, and trust) strategy is key for any brand to grow and prosper. In order to get noticed and gain a user’s trust, it is important to prove that you are an authority in your niche. An easy way to do this is by creating content that shows your expertise.
Good content will allow for widespread exposure because it will ultimately be shared by others in your industry, creating social signals from within the niche and highlighting you as an authority.
When creating content to display your expertise, keep in mind that readers will include many people new to your niche. Keep the content similar to how you would naturally speak about it. Natural language within content does get tricky sometimes, especially when discussing a particularly difficult topic. Write as you would speak, and it can go a long way in getting more shares and generating more social signals to aid in building authority and trust.
Continuous Learning is Key to SEO Success
Part of an SEO expert’s ongoing training is monitoring what tests other experts may be doing, as well as doing some of your own to see how they may affect your site.
Sometimes an update may affect a certain niche more than others, so knowing if your niche is seeing big changes or just small changes is key and may require you to go back and alter some things you may have done on the site in the past.
A good SEO’er should always be looking for changes that may have affected their site optimization, prioritize continuous learning, and be open to adapt to change.
Start your SEO education today by reading our blog.
Tags: SEO, search engine optimization, long tail keywords, Google, Google algorithms, SERP, RankBrain, AI, SEO strategy, E.A.T. strategy, Google SEO
