A website needs traffic in order to survive. One way to ensure that survival is to rank high on Google’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERP). But how can this be done when there are over 1.3 billion websites on the Internet? The key is having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy.
While this sounds easy enough, Google is always making changes to its algorithm, which makes it difficult to maintain a consistent traffic while ranking high on SERP. But it’s not just these algorithm changes that affect website traffic and page rankings. In light of ever-changing technology, some SEO strategies have become more important through the years. For example, having a mobile-friendly website is more crucial than ever, thanks to the staggering numbers of people who search the internet via their smartphone.
No matter what changes take place, there are a few SEO strategies that have remained constant when it comes to website traffic and rankings. It is true that some of these SEO strategies have been around for a long time, but these three will always remain tried and true.
Having High Quality Content
People have one primary purpose for searching the internet, and that’s to find information. Whether they want to read reviews for a new restaurant or learn the symptoms of congestive heart failure, it is information they are seeking.
When a website provides valuable information, the user stays on the page longer, shares the site on social media, and if it’s a blog post, they might even leave a comment. All of these actions help to boost the website’s page ranking.
Focusing on Keywords
Keywords are still relevant, but that’s only when they are used correctly. Gone are the days of keyword stuffing where certain keywords were written 20 times in a 500-page article. The most effective keywords are used naturally. A good rule of thumb is to write for humans, not for search engines.
It’s also important to do the research and use keywords that people are looking for. Using long-tail keywords is still an effective strategy, but website developers need to remember that keywords should also be compatible with voice searches.
Using Authoritative Backlinks
Backlinks have always been important when it comes to getting high Google rankings, but the best websites have always used authoritative backlinks. What does this mean? It means linking back to websites that internet users know and trustworthy. Some of the best authoritative types of backlinks include government and university websites, forums, local directories, case studies, and industry surveys.