Stuffing Is for Turkeys
With the recent release of the two latest Google algorithm updates, Panda (2011 | Places emphasis on good rankings for content rich sites with great user experiences) and more recently Penguin (Version 3 released in October of 2012 | Penalizes sites that employ black hat techniques that SPAM search engines for better indexing results), the days of keyword stuffing and low quality link building are long over.
Content is King
The best SEO strategy is a content driven strategy. If you want Google to find value in your site, your users must first find value in it. Websites that provide great information, engage users, and inspire sharing over social networks, will quickly rise to the top.
When doing SEO for your site, it’s important to ensure that these SEO essentials are either done or taken into consideration as described in Google Webmaster Tools SEO Guidelines:
- Review of site content or structure.
- Technical aspects of website development (e.g. hosting, redirects, error pages, use of JavaScript).
- Content development.
- Management of online business development campaigns.
- Keyword research.
- SEO training.
- Expertise in specific markets and geographies.
This is the foundation for building a great content rich site. Building on that foundation requires consistent output of relevant content consisting of text, videos, or other media that users find to be of value. A great approach to SEO, is to see your site from the users perspective and develop content that will keep them coming back to your site, and/or content that they will recommend to other potential users.
Analytics Tell No Tales
Using an analytical tool, such as Google Analytics, will allow you to see the type of content that is most important to your users. You will know how often users return to your site (which is a good thing in Google’s eyes) and you will also know details about your users, such as the type of technology they are using to access your site. This will enable you to continuously improve both the content, and the user experience.
The Bottom Line
SEO, when combined with a good internet marketing strategy, is a powerful combination and is essential for a growing your business on-line. As with any other aspect of marketing your business on-line, analysis, execution, and metrics are the key components in creating a successful SEO strategy.