Getting ranked as high as you can by the search engines is the whole purpose of your SEO marketing strategies. It takes time and effort but, as long term investment, it will always show results and a solid ROI for your company. The challenge, right now, is how to adapt to the myriad of changes that have happened in the search game over the last year. And, as usual, that means taking a look at what the god of search, Google, has done and what it is looking for now.
The most important factor for Google is trust. It has to know that it can trust you, your SEO efforts and your company. The problem here, along with others ignited by Google over the years, is that it is hard for a new company to have any trust track record with Google. SEO strategies have been working for quite a while now but the unfortunate truth of it all is that Google makes the rules.
So, how to get the proverbial leg up on your ranking this coming year? How to be a truly relevant factor for Google?
- The first priority, as previously mentioned, is the trust factor. Google immediately judges you on how long it has known you and if you have been reliably posting engaging and helpful content over time. Also, has all of your SEO efforts worn a white hat? Are you trying to solve problems and provide added value in people’s lives? The longer Google has been searching for you, the longer it has been indexing your site and your content, the better off you will tend to be.
- In the content vein, content will always remain the king and queen of your SEO marketing plans. It is the most vital piece to your rankings puzzle. Your content is the major thing the search engines, especially Google, are looking for when someone is generating a SERP. Regardless of what anyone tells you, any marketing or SEO efforts will fail if your content is not what and where it should be. No one will offer you vital back links if your content is amateurish or downright awful. You are who you hang around with. Take the shortcuts and you will find yourself flipping burgers or parking cars soon enough.
- You must establish your authority as a reliable business as well as a leader in your profession or industry. Google looks to your rivals, and others, to see what they think of you. If others are linking to you, and Google already knows them and trusts them, then, by association, your trust number just got a big boost. As always, success takes time and a determined effort. Trying to establish a successful company is no easy thing and has never been for the faint of heart.
Just remember, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it…
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
