5 Great Reasons Why SEO Isn't Dead!

It has become an extremely popular strategy, in the past few years, to create a piece of content with a dramatic title. The reasons why are obvious – it can really help to draw in an interested readership, particularly over social media, where click-bait titles and articles tend to thrive.

Since search engine optimisation is such a popular topic in the digital marketing world, with an entire industry based around creating content to appeal to search engines, one of the most popular statements is to declare “SEO Is Dead!", although the associated content often goes to disprove that dramatic idea.

SEO Isn't Dead – It's Just Different!

Whatever desperate content creators claim, SEO isn't dead – far from it! In fact, it is more alive than ever before; it's just misunderstood by a lot of people. The entire idea of SEO has shifted from an intense technical focus to creating extremely high-quality content which really appeals to people.

A modern SEO Agency understands that modern SEO is completely different from the optimisation strategies of the past. Instead of necessarily appealing completely to search engine algorithms, it is dedicated to appealing to users of all kinds. Fortunately, now that search engines are more intelligent than ever, creating content and pages which appeal to users is a fantastic way of increasing your rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

How Has SEO Changed Over The Years?

Of course, Google and Bing still place considerable emphasis on inbound links for measuring a website's authority, and there are several other features which search engines still focus on. However, the nature of link-value has certainly changed. Once, it was simply a matter of obtaining as many links as possible; these days, however a single high-quality link is worth much more than multiple links.

Of course, on-page factors have changed considerable as well. Many of the traditional methods still hold sway, of course, but the way they are implementedhas evolved to focus on user satisfaction rather than appealing to algorithms. Even more essential to modern SEO is the importance of social media metrics and sharing signals. The fact that people are finding enough value in a piece of content to share it through their own specific social channels can be a major indicator to search engines of all kind that it is a valuable page to present to interested searchers.

The Importance Of Great Content For Modern Optimisation

The content of a page has become more and more important over the years, and it plays an incredible meaningful role in modern search. Google itself, the biggest search engine, is being continuously updated to offer higher rankings to those sites which work to develop unique and informative content which results in positive user experiences. Although they are engaged in an ever-improving process of improving search as we know it, there are many people who think that this signifies the death of SEO as a marketing strategy, an industry and a profession.

There have been several examples of high-profile digital marketing experts leaving the industry after Google, and other search engine providers, have finally 'got it right'. However, there is still a lot of work to be done before search algorithms can really understand what a specific user wants and, until then, it is up to high-quality optimisers and marketing specialists to bring the best products, content and businesses to the right people.

From a business' perspective, the need to optimise an online presence with the goal of appealing to users hasn't really changed that much over the past few years. No matter how much more effective search engines have become at predicting which content will be the most effective for the user in question, businesses still need to take the right precautions to ensure that they are doing everything in their power to appeal to Google's definition of great, useful content.

All that has really changed then, over the past few years, is the way in which optimisers and marketers are having to optimise content to appeal to these search engines and their users. Search engine optimisation, just like the nature of any internet marketing strategy, has moved on – but that certainly doesn't mean that it has died. In fact, we'd say it's more alive than ever!

How Do We Know That SEO Is Still Alive And Kicking?

1. Content Development & Optimisation – The internet was originally designed with the concept of sharing content. Outside of online retail and eCommerce, most of the internet is still focused on people sharing information or work that they have created. The amount of content that there is out there isn't even close to decreasing; you only need to look at YouTube's statistics to see that!
   
   There are approximately 300 hours of YouTube video content uploaded every single minute, and that is just a drop in the ocean compared to the number of new websites being developed, new pages being uploaded and new blog posts and articles appearing online.
   
   Modern SEO can't afford to use content just as a means of selling a product; the content needs to be worth reading under its own merits if it is to have any hopes of competing with the thousands upon thousands of hours' worth of content uploaded every day.
   
   
2. Marketing Channels – The sheer number of different marketing channels makes search engine optimisation absolutely essential for businesses and content creators of all kinds. The ways in which one can search has also had an impact on the potency of many optimisation strategies.
   
   Of course, this sheer marketing variation only gets worse when you consider social media and its ability for users to search for news in real-time, photo-sharing, mobile and voice search, as well the new technologies and mediums which are constantly being introduced by up and coming tech companies.
   
   
3. Social Media And Search – Of course, social media is getting bigger and better all the time, with platforms like Twitter and Facebook offering more features than ever before. Social search continues to grow and become absolutely essential for users of all kinds. Ensuring that your online presence is optimised to take advantage of social media, with a dedicated social marketing campaign, is absolutely essential for today's SEO.
   
   Making your website and online presence suitable for social media is just another aspect of the best search engine optimisation.
   
   
4. The Diversity Of Optimisation – One aspect this marketing strategy that few people tend to consider is, simply, the fact online optimisation doesn't necessarily mean that the content is optimised for search in and of itself. Today, business content can be optimised for technical favours, or to drive the customer to fulfil a conversion action.
   
   The best SEO content is not just optimised to drive the user from an SERP position to the website, but to progress the reader through the website to the desired conversion. Whether you want to encourage your viewer to share your content, become aware of your brand identity or even just click on products listed within the content, online optimisation is essential for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
   
   
5. The User Is More Empowered Than Ever! – As users continue to become more tech-friendly and educated in the diverse ways of using search technology, they are becoming more and more powerful in the interaction between the user and the business. This upheaval means that all content that your company puts out now needs to be useful and informative – otherwise, your user will rush off and find another company who can provide the kinds of information that they are looking for.
   
   This is one of the main reasons that SEO has changed. More than anything else, creating great content for today's audience involves genuinely appealing to them through funny, useful, trustworthy and compelling content.
   

Mobile Search

One of the most obvious reasons (and examples) that SEO is still going strong is, simply, due to the intense amount of traffic that originates from all kinds of mobile devices. For example, Google now undertake more searches from mobile devices than they do on desktops. When people are trying to find what they need in their local area, they are still doing so on mobile devices. That means that optimising your site for local searches could potentially be the most rewarding form of online marketing to date.

From a more technical perspective, loading speed and usability on mobile devices will drastically lower the ranking of many websites if it isn't up to the highest of standards. Today, people want quick, easy and satisfying interactions above all else and there are few things which will put a user off more than a broken link or a badly-designed, unresponsive website. Loading speed is a major problem for many businesses, and all 'above the fold' content needs to appear within the space of a second or two.

Fortunately, there are a range of different techniques you can employ in order to improve your site's mobile-friendliness, including:

• Avoiding Multiple Redirects;
• Removing Unnecessary Code;
• Optimising Images;
• Use Webmaster Tools To Discover Mobile Errors;
• Avoid Flash At All Costs;
• Never, Ever, Ever Use Popups;

The best search engine optimisation tactics for mobile devices are extremely technical, and they focus heavily on the user experience above all else.

But, Really, What Is Google On The Lookout For?

Although it is very hard (in-fact, nigh-on impossible) to pin-down the very best features to focus on when it comes to your website's technical and content-based search engine marketing strategies, there still are a few things which you really need to consider:

• Social Media Signals;
• Mobile Optimisation;
• Content, Content And More Content;
• Visual-Based Design;
• Responsive Website Design;

If you're looking to create the very best website for search marketing, then you definitely need to make the most of the best in professional SEO services from the digital marketing experts at Promote.

Choose Promote, For Industry-Leading Digital Marketing Services

So, if you believe that search engine optimisation still matters, get in touch with our professional team at promote today in order to take control of your online presence.

If you're looking for an SEO agency that gets results and believes in the importance of high-quality content over anything else, then get in touch with our professional team today. Aside from SEO services, we are also able to provide unbeatable PPC marketing, Conversion Rate Optimisation, email marketing, display advertising and comprehensive social mediamanagement. Get in touch with our team today on 0118 380 1002; alternatively, you can email any questions or concerns to hi@promote.agency!