What Effective SEO Really Means
The relevance and value of effective Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) are by no means waning. SEO continues to evolve as a concept, though it remains as crucial as ever.
But what exactly does effective SEO mean from a current perspective? What are the core components of a viable SEO strategy today regarding what the major search engines and web users are looking for?
Far from fleeting SEO trends, the staples of an effective organic search strategy are as follows:
User Intent
The major search engines are increasingly developing technology that focuses more on user intent and context than ‘hard’ keywords. The key to leveraging this aspect of SEO lies in building the deepest possible understanding of the buyer’s journey and creating content with underlying search intent in mind.
Quality Content
Content remains King, but it is no longer enough to churn out generic content to expand your website. Everything you publish needs to showcase your knowledge and expertise through factual, meaningful and valuable content. Therefore, the primary purpose of every post you publish must be considered, along with the value it offers the recipient.
Images and Visual Content
Search engines will continue to prefer sites that feature unique, attractive and engaging visual content. Images and videos remain the preferred form of content for most demographics, but they are particularly important to younger age groups. Going forward, the inclusion of quality images and video content will play an increasingly important role in on-page SEO.
Mobile User Experience
Mobile web traffic continues to outpace conventional desktop traffic in many major markets worldwide, a disparity that is set to continue as the sophistication of mobile devices grows. Consumers are entirely turning their backs on conventional computers as it becomes unnecessary primarily to use desktop or laptop PCs to access the web. As a result, Google, in particular, is placing greater emphasis than ever before on the importance of an outstanding mobile UX.
E-A-T
Mass distrust among consumers and the growing prevalence of online misinformation amplify the importance of E-A-T. Expertise, authoritativeness, and trust must be nurtured through relevant, accurate, meaningful content that is of genuine value to the recipient. In the era of E-A-T SEO, long-form content and in-depth articles are finally seeing their day in the spotlight.
Authority Linking
Authority linking is about more than curating as many high-profile backlinks as possible. Google and the other major search engines are now placing increasingly heavy emphasis on high-authority outbound links, not to mention the value of an effective internal linking strategy.
Localisation
Local search continues to prove a priority for Google, giving local businesses unique opportunities to propel themselves to the rankings. Far from simply selling products and services at affordable prices, those who perform best in regional search listings demonstrate genuine local knowledge, provide valuable local information, and focus their SEO efforts near-exclusively on their immediate locality.
Sustainability
Last up, Google has pledged to support businesses that commit themselves to sustainability. Enhancements are being added to Google’s search system to incentivise sustainable shopping habits and reward businesses that champion eco-friendliness and carbon neutrality—not simply those who stake claim to being ‘green’ but those who can back up their claims with convincing evidence.