3 SEO Trends for Better Google Rankings
Let’s talk search engine optimization (SEO)! Here are three SEO trends for better Google rankings.
1. Disappearance of keyword stuffing
I have a client (let’s call her Emma) who asked me if she could hide keywords on her website. Emma’s product is a silicone panty insert that hides feminine lines. She identified a controversial term that potential customers were using to search Google for solutions. Emma felt the term itself was inappropriate and didn’t want it associated with her brand. However, while she didn’t want that term on her website, Emma still wanted to show up in its search results, as her product was a solution. Unfortunately for Emma, hiding keywords on you website is called “keyword stuffing,” and it’s a no-no with Google.
There used to be a time when using white keywords on white text, or tagging an image with a bunch of keywords behind it, would work and increase your Google rankings, as Google was reading those keywords as part of the page. Today, Google actually penalizes you for including too many keywords or over-optimizing your content by trying to stuff a lot of keywords. Definitely resist the urge to try to “beat the system.”
2. Quality over quantity in link building
There used to be a time when a lot of offshore SEO companies would promise you high rankings by building a whole bunch of links to your website from low quality directories. These kind of links were often referred to as low hanging fruit. Easy directories like StumbleUpon or Bitly make it simple to get a whole bunch of links from one specific website. What we found over time is that Google is actually punishing people for using those kind of directories. It's viewed as a very negative technique to try to build too many links to your website in a short period of time. Simply put, it’s spammy. When you're partnering with somebody for link building, make sure that you ask them how exactly they’re going to be building high quality links to your website.
3. Use rich media to produce high quality content
When you produce high quality content, you're really doing two things. 1) You're increasing your website traffic by creating relevant content around what your target audience is searching for. Because you’re providing value, the people that come to your website are going to spend more time on there and your bounce rate (or people that immediately leave your site) is going to drop. Those are the kind of metrics Google is using today to determine the quality of your website. Are people coming to your website and finding what they’re looking for? Great! Are people being tricked into clicking over to your website, only to find it’s not relevant to what they were seeking? Not good. 2) You'll start attracting high quality links because people will want to share and link to your high quality content. Always be providing value!
Follow these three SEO trends for better Google rankings and you should see your search traffic jump in the next three to six months.
