If you’ve been working with online marketing and developing an SEO strategy for your business over the years, you know that the core of your plan revolves around Google. Google is king – the behemoth in the industry. And if you make Google happy, everything else falls into place.
The trouble is Google is always working to refine their product. They call these updates broad core algorithm updates. And in Google’s own words, they say:
Google releases one or more changes each day designed to improve results. Some are focused on specific improvements. Some are broad changes.
That means as a part of your SEO strategy, you better be taking these core changes into consideration, and be continually tweaking your plans to get the optimal results.
Google’s Goal
Google receives more than 63,000 searches every second of the day. The average person conducts 3 to 4 searches per day.
That’s Google search’s entire function. Google’s goal is to provide the best user experience possible, so it’s constantly refining its product.
Of course, Google is also a company. And Google’s goal is self-serving; they want to profit from the fruits of their labor, and consistently redefine their product for purely selfish reasons.
Have you noticed your results changing in the last few months? That’s Google refining the results. They deliver what they deem the best results based on whatever the user typed in. And that means as a marketer, you conform to those changes or get left out in the cold.
Search for anything now, and you may notice:
- Organic visibility of search results is diminishing, being overtaken by Google’s platform. Paid ads, comparison shopping, even direct links to products are Google driven.
- You no longer have to click to get an answer. Many searches are answered in a window at the top of a search result.
- Many top search functions have been taken over by Google. Job postings, hotels, flights – the results are Google driven.
You’ve probably noticed this yourself. And in some ways, it’s easier to get the information you’re looking for. A standardized system does make search easier. You no longer have to wade through multiple platforms and websites looking for information. But it’s also a little more dangerous, giving you only the results Google deems appropriate based on keywords and phrases.
This might be great from a user experience, but from an SEO strategy perspective, your traffic is probably falling.
Google doesn’t have competition – not really. And that means you play by their rules … or else.
Before you get too discouraged, let’s dive into some things you should be doing now.
Long Term Planning
The problem with the SEO industry over the years is most SEO “experts” were in the business for quick money. They looked for the quickest way to move you up in organic rankings, and did only what was necessary to get you to the top.
While that may have worked for a bit, that also put you in the line of fire when a Google algorithm update hit the scene.
How long do you hope to stay in business? Are you in it for the long term? Do you wish to build exponentially for many years to come?
Then why are you working on getting fast results and playing only for today? If you’ve ever hired an online marketing company for a month and expected quick results, I’m talking to you.
If you want to play with Google for the long term, create a long term strategy. It’s easy to look at how Google’s changed over the years, and to create your own strategy based on results. Google has always wanted the best search results possible. They look for high-quality. They want a good user experience. And if you strive to provide that with your own content, you’ll be rewarded too.
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Great Content
Google tweaks are always based on refining the user experience. Give the user what he’s looking for – that’s always been their core goal.
And that means you can only get there if you have the content people want most. You write it in such a way that it’s recognized by Google when people type in a keyword or a phrase. And it’s filled with content so that when a searcher clicks and visits, they like what they see and decide to stick around for a while.
Yep, we’ve said it before: content is king.
The only way you’ll ever benefit from the Google updates to algorithms, and coming high in lots of search results, is if you have the right content in place to stay in the game with every change. That means you’ve taken a long term approach to your organic results strategy. You’re creating content that fills needs in your industry, your niche – you’re giving people what they really want, over and over again.
Build Your Brand
If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you know that marketing is a never-ending game. If you want to be in business, you’d better be marketing. And you better have multiple strategies in place.
You can include things like:
- Local radio commercials
- A booth at a local farmers market
- Content creation on your blog
- Facebook advertising
- Email campaigns
Notice the difference in these marketing methods? They reach across platforms, and touch people in different ways.
A good marketing strategy never relies on one approach. The only way to build a brand is to satisfy your visitors, prospects, and customers, over and over again.
Every prospect and customer is at a different point in the cycle. Some may have a question and are just starting to seek the answers. Some know what they want and are looking to finalize their decision. Some are sold on you; they want to buy again and again if only you nudge them and keep them in the loop.
So what are you doing to create an effect SEO strategy? How does your online marketing fit into your long term goals?
If we can help you play online a whole lot better, give us a call.
