Changes You Should Make For Your 2016 SEO Strategy
As search engines regularly update their algorithms, you must continue to adapt your SEO strategies. If you stay up-to-date on the current best practices, you will not only receive more traffic, but your content will also be much better.
Consider Keyword Context
Not only are the keywords you select important in 2015 and 2016, but the context in which you use the keywords is critical as well. Fortunately, there are many keyword suggestion tools that will allow you to input a specific keyword and generate phrases that are the most likely to generate traffic.
Use Long-Tail Keywords
Don't forget to consider long-tail SEO. For instance, while the keyword "technology" can generate a significant amount of traffic if you secure a top spot, it is also significantly competitive. Conversely, "information technology" would be less competitive and "information technology consulting in Atlanta" would be even less competitive. To determine what long-tail keyword phrases you may choose, consider why users would be searching for your content in the first place and think of the queries users would type into the search engine.
Even if you do not have specific keywords on your website, thanks to many new updates to search algorithms, the meaning of a phrase is taken into account more so than the specific words. For instance, if someone searches for "truck repairs" and your website discusses automotive repairs in general, but not specifically referencing trucks, your website may still show up in the search results.
Seek Brand Mentions As Well As Links
Brand mentions and citations are becoming a new way that websites can improve the ranking of other websites alongside links. When a website mentions another website in-text, such as by writing "we order our widgets from Awesome Interactive," this is now counted as being similar to a link and are often viewed as being more important because they seem more authentic and are harder to manipulate.
One of the fastest ways to increase your mentions is to offer to guest blog. Rather than link back to your website in your bio, you could simply have the name of your website mentioned in your bio. Also, by producing high-quality content, you are also more likely to receive more brand mentions.
Optimize for Multiple Search Engines
While certain search engines dominate from time to time, you should optimize for all of the major search engines. Simple changes, such as a popular browser switching the default search engine from one to another, can cause a different search engine to see a spike in popularity. While you should focus primarily on the most popular search engine, optimize for the others as well.