When we talk about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) we tend to speak generically about the search engines, but it’s a pretty well known fact that Google is the leader of this parade. In fact, Google is almost interchangeable with the word search; if you want an answer, Google it.
With this in mind, it’s vital that your website SEO strategy centers around what Google thinks is best SEO practices. While Google seems to change their mind and their SEO guidelines pretty routinely, we’ve cultivated some tips to help you plan your search approach.
Create Compelling Websites. Google and Matt Cutts constantly tell us they want to encourage sites to be more compelling and they want to reward these sites with higher rankings. This is a rather nebulous concept as what may be compelling to one person is the exact opposite to another. But a good question to ask yourself as you design your website and fill it with content is, “Will my target audience find this compelling?”
Say No To Spam. As soon as you (or some black hat SEOer) comes up with a way to “beat the system”, Google had already discovered it and is working on a way to prevent it. Google can, and has, blocked websites from Google searches because they are behaving dishonestly. Never fall for too-good-to-be-true promises from web companies. Craft your SEO plan to only include legitimate techniques for improving visibility and rankings.
Incorporate Original Content. This tip seems pretty obvious, but it is probably one of the most ignored tips out there. Google encourages new and unique information that informs, enlightens and entertains visitors. This plays into the compelling website concept. But many websites use duplicate (or scraped) content without even realizing it. If you’re selling a product and use the product manufacturer’s information word for word, you’re using scraped content and that’s very unwise. What about signing up for those professional groups that give you insightful blogs you can post on your site as part of your membership fee? Those are also scraped content and can hurt your website rankings.
State Your Purpose. Using clear language that says what your website is about makes it easy for the search engine spiders to categorize your website. You want to be found for the right reasons and reach the right audience. The way to do that is to be obvious in your intentions. This is where some strategy comes into play with title tags, alt attribute tags, well written headings, and a defined list of keywords for each page.
The best SEO plans out there put the customers’ and website visitors’ interests first, and that’s exactly what Google likes. The specifics and approaches to SEO change, but the underlying goal of your website should be to give your visitors what they want. Approach each webpage with this in mind and you’ll not only have very happy web guests, but you’ll keep Google happy as well.
Need help implementing any of these steps for your website? Contact Filament to help you develop a content strategy, incorporate original content for your website or provide an SEO assessment.
