Many search engine optimization (SEO) professionals are estimating that Panda updates will now happen on a quarterly basis. This means that every three months, new and improved SEO best practices will be a game changer. However, for many businesses (especially smaller ones), SEO isn’t a priority. It’s not going anywhere, and a fantastic 2015 New Year’s resolution is to improve your SEO strategy.
There are many changes coming to SEO in the next year, and if you don’t get on board then you’ll be left in the dregs of Google search results. Almost everyone can do better with their SEO tactics, whether it’s ditching those black hat tricks or optimizing for Amazon as well as Google. If you’re still undecided, here are a few reasons SEO will matter more than ever and why you should get on board:
1. It’s not just Google anymore
While technically SEO applies to all search engines, in the US Google is the most popular search engine so its SEO best practices are the gold standard. For example, Moz is now doling out tips for optimizing on Amazon since it’s being seen as the newest search engine (albeit a shopping search engine) that’s worth appeasing. This is especially relevant for retailers who sell on Amazon and other similar sites.
2. Your online presence might be your only presence
In the digital era where cloud tech and virtual offices are the norm, if you don’t exist online you may not exist at all. In fact, Search Engine Watch reports that nearly one third of “first results” get all the traffic. If you’re not on the first page of search results, almost nobody will find you. That means all of your web design efforts are moot.
3. Those penalties are getting steeper
There was a time when you could get away with hacks like keyword stuffing and duplicate content, but SEO algorithms are smarter than ever. If you get caught with “bad SEO” the penalty could include being ostracized to the last pages of search results, or removed from search results entirely. When a penalty is given, it’s hard to get back into good graces.
4. It’s a quantifiable approach
With SEO, you know exactly where you stand, whether or not your efforts are paying off, and you can watch your numbers improve. It’s a slam dunk when companies hire reputable SEO agencies.
Make SEO part of your business strategy in 2015, and watch the new customers roll in.