Let’s face it; Search Engine Optimization has not changed a bit, not at all. Now, don’t start giving me the names like Mayday, Panda, Scrapper, or any of those XYZ Google updates, I won’t buy it. Oh, and you don’t need to be an Internet Marketing Guru or SEO expert to be able to carry out Search Engine Optimization for your website. Unless you are looking to opt for Search Engine Optimization as a profession, you can learn the basics of SEO and you’re good to go, and the best part is, the basics you need to learn can be counted on your finger tips.
If you’re confused by all those highly technical SEO articles doing rounds on the Internet, you don’t really need to comprehend any of that technical stuff. Because at the end of the day, it all comes down to some pretty straight forward basics, that haven’t changed in almost a decade and will not change in the coming years. When I first got into online business almost a decade ago, the nitty-gritty were pretty much the same. You can bookmark this article and come back after some years, and the basics given below will still be holding the same weight. Let’s get to those evergreen basics of Search Engine Optimization.
1. Content:
When i say content, I am not really talking about the text based gibberish we see on every other website. By content I mean everything from text to images, and videos to tools or services that you’re going to provide to your users. Good, unique, and updated content was important from the day one and it will always be the most important factor. Content is the soul and spirit for any website, and no website or online business can survive for long without having good content. That’s the reason why you should invest the most in Content creation, everything else is secondary. It’s not that you can’t rank without having extra ordinary content but what’d you do with the traffic or visitors coming to your site? It’s the content that keeps them coming back and it’s the content that plays the most important role of converting visitors into customers or subscribers.
2. Links:
You might have thought that link backs have become all the rage only when search engines came into being and started counting these links as a ranking factor. The truth is that link backs were important right from the day one, since these were the only source of traffic before the advent of search engines. And there’s no way that the importance of a back link from a relevant website can diminish any time soon. Because it’s unlikely that we will see any other factors that can help search engines decide the merit of a website. And even if Search Engines decide to drop this factor (highly unlikely), a link from a relevant website will still be worth its salt.
3. User’s Experience:
I’ve seen many people discussing the User’s Experience as an important part of SEO after the Panda update? Excuse me? So, it wasn’t on your priority list before that? If that’s the case then God help your website. The truth is that User’s experience is something you have got to boost up incessantly, while keeping in line with the changing trends and technologies. You shouldn’t be waiting for an update in Google’s algorithm to know that your website should be having a mobile friendly version?
4. Networking:
Just like back links, we often make the mistake of looking at social networking or social media importance from SEO perspective. As a result, businesses start focusing more on “likes” or “Plus ones” instead of forming relationships. The truth is that social networking has got importance and advantages of its own. Good relationships with your clients, suppliers, partners, investors, or any other kind of stake holders, will always be the biggest asset for a business.
That’s pretty much all you need to know, good quality content, solid links, a focus on user’s experience, and networking, and your website will continue to do good for a long, long time.
About Arba
Great post!
I agree with everything you have said. For too long the internet has been flooded with useless, regurgitated (not sure on spelling) rubbish. I have hear many times that content is king, and I truly believe it is.
Thanks for the post Roberto.
It is all sound advice and yes the basics of this will hold true in 5, 10, 15 years, but it will also evolve over time. The world of marketing has been unraveled by the internet, and it is only in the last 3 years that one who is willing to devote the time can succeed in getting their message across.
Content, seo, networking, in that order.
Access Panels recently posted..Access panels – Not the only access products we do!
Twitter: kesari_tours
says:
Yes.. u r right..i am agree with you. The all basics you mention are enoug to get you SEO done. There is no other hard rule require for SEO.
Twitter: dealspower
says:
Content Content Content, totally agree on this. With proper commenting and optimizing your page you are sure to become a great blogger.
But the goal is to have the patience and don’t expect something overnight.
Chris recently posted..Free Redbook Magazine 1 Year Subscription
Content has played an important role in Search engine optimization. Specially with the new Panda update where Google is very strict on the duplication of the content.
Rachelle Sung recently posted..Win lottery
Twitter: AnaTrafficCafe
says:
SEO has definitely come a full circle, Roberto – everything is going back to content being the cornerstone of any blog; just the way it should be.
Ana recently posted..CommentLuv Premium
Twitter: rodperezto
says:
Completely agree with you, Anna. Luckily, search engines are evolving and at the same time weeding out the “bad guys”. :)You want better rankings? You’d better work for it, plain and simple.
Twitter: solar_ontario
says:
And don’t fake it. You can buy a thousand FaceBook likes, and it won’t fool anyone. The search engines are smarter than you are, so don’t try pulling one over on them.
Solar David recently posted..Solar Panel Installation [with photos]
Yes, while links are important content will always rule. My personal motto for marketing is “Always provide value” and I try to stick with it.
Of course, great content will also lead to better conversions, so it’s a twofer.
Daniel recently posted..Examples of Elliptical Workout Routines
Twitter: 88dbsakthi
says:
You can not build the house with out foundation,as the same way the basics of SEO is much more important for every beginers looking for.
But the user engagement as the SEO metric,focused after panda update ,is that SEO basics?
Thilak recently posted..Music Shops in Chennai
Twitter: blinkseo
says:
This a good post, and I do agree with most of what you say. With regards to technical SEO, most of this is focuses on sites that really big or not very well made, that could be serving up tons of duplicate content or blocking search engines without the user knowing for example. You’re right that most people carrying out SEO on their sites wont need to know about these things, but for a minority, thy’re pretty essential.
Twitter: tinnitusccureit
says:
Content is King, always has been and is even more so today with the Panda update. agree the user experience is what is important. Provide good content with good references and you will gain respect in your user community
jr recently posted..Where does tinnitus come from
Twitter: namaserajesh
says:
Thanks for very good post. I agree with everything you have said.
Rajesh Namase recently posted..Smart Ways to Use Facebook for Relationship Marketing
Nice and straight forward!
Twitter: emavensolutions
says:
No doubt, the quality content is the basic necessity considered by any SEO while promoting any website. But I heave heard that apart from content, there is a continuous process of Search Engine Optimization required to maintain the first page ranking on different search engines or to increase the traffic of any website.
Emavens recently posted..eCommerce Solutions
Twitter: naturallaw1
says:
I love it, Roberto. You nailed it. Back to basics….I guess another way to put it is this. Search engines are trying to determine a sites value, and it does this, or comes up with the algorithms to check those very basic natural things that would be present if a site was viewed by many.
Steve recently posted..Definitions, Natural Law part 1