SEO techniques for 2011
The ever-changing Search Engine Optimisation landscape just got a little more involved. The giant of search, Google, has 500 search algorithm changes planned for 2011.Whilst Google won't publicly announce what these changes are, they are no doubt geared towards delivering users a more "customisable" and "real-time" experience.
Google's Panda algorithm update in February 2011 saw many low-grade websites with poor content devalued in terms of their ranking as they were deemed "less relevant". This reinforces the need for websites to focus on improving click-through rates and retaining users on their sites.
Google's inclusion of Twitter updates in their realtime results, and their recent release of Google+ will no doubt further impact the effect social media plays in determining a site's SERP. Research has shown a definite correlation between good rankings and Facebook shares, likes, and comments and retweets on Twitter.
So what can you do to improve your search engine ranking?
Incorporate a social networking strategy into your marketing efforts - even if it's just a few minutes every week it pays to stay connected to your customers. Update them on Facebook and Twitter with the latest happenings in your business, new products that you've got in etc.
Think like your customer - How would your customer's find information on your site. Is your homepage engaging enough for someone to want to click through and explore the site. Do you have any calls to action on the homepage that immediately grab the attention and prompt the user to interact?
Review site statistics - Check Google Analytics for data on time spent on site and bounce rates. Try to improve these by engaging your customers with relevant content on your site.
Ask us for assistance... we now have a dedicated team for Search Engine Optimization and can work with you to develop a plan that will not only improve your search engine rankings, but also your traffic to the site, enquiries and conversions.
