SEO: New Rules for the Continuing Game
No doubt you’ve heard that SEO is dead, dying, or on its way out. NOTHING could be further from the truth! There have been significant changes to the rules of the game but SEO remains a vital part of your successful marketing strategy.
What’s new?
1. SEO has matured.
What began as a relatively unscrutinized methodology is now very carefully monitored. Gone are spammy, low content links. In their place are high quality, high content items that give real value while simultaneously marketing products and services. This means that your Internet presence needs to be expert, timely, and innovative. Rehashing old stuff in a haphazard way once in a while just isn’t going to cut it anymore.
2. SEO has gone social and mobile.
It’s no longer an option.
Consumers are interested in more than the basics. Peer reviews and opinions are increasingly being viewed as important facts, the same as the price. Social media techniques and sites are the way this peer information gets spread.
In addition, consumers want all this data when they need it and where they need it – at home, on the street, in the car. Thus, mobile-friendly has become an important watchword.
3. SEO has become trustworthy and personal.
Consumers want online contacts who they can rely on, contacts who they “know” and who are trustworthy. As a result, SEO has moved from anonymity to identification and from unreliability to trustworthiness. This includes expert authors who consumers can believe in and articles/webcasts/videos with high quality content which give real value to readers, listeners, and watchers.
What’s the bottom line?
The bottom line is that SEO is an evolving, organic marketing entity. While some SEO-savvy companies are doing it all themselves, most businesses are finding that it makes sense to invest in professionals, such as those who keep themselves tuned to the pulse of what’s happening.
Considering that…
- 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine.
- 70-80% of users ignore the paid ads, focusing on the organic results.
- 33.3% of all searches will come from mobile phones by the end of 2013.
- 50% of mobile phone searches (travel/restaurants/autos) convert to purchases.
It becomes transparent that a solid investment in expert, high quality SEO is a MUST have of every business’ successful marketing strategy.
Is your business playing to the best of its ability in this important game?