Red Flags That Signal the Need for a New SEO Approach
A quick look at your website’s analytics can point to the need for a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy adjustment. Increased bounce-rates, decreased click-through-rates (CTR), and drops in search engine rankings are usually avoidable—if you have a great strategy. If your site analytics take a turn for the worse, it’s time to start addressing the bad habits that caused them. Let’s take a look at some of the bad practices that could be handicapping your search rankings and what you can do to right the ship!
1. Your SEO Strategy is Simply Outdated
Constant algorithm updates and changes in what search engines view as important means that your SEO strategy must be dynamic. With so many updates each year, an organic strategy that worked well for your brand two years ago might now cause your rankings to tank. To keep your strategy up-to-date, make sure your SEO team keeps up with industry best practices and values quick-tips that SEO professionals regularly toss out on their social media channels and blogs.
2. You Think “Thin” With Your Content
Thin content is out for the modern search engine. A short blog post stuffed with your top keyword no longer cuts the mustard for getting that coveted page 1 spot. Google now values content that’s useful to users. Does your content provide answers to their questions and information about their search topic? Great websites require quality content that is chunky and leaves no stone unturned on its subject. Take some time to scope out the competition and look at the type of content they produce. Set your standards above theirs and shoot for the moon with your content’s length and overall quality. Trust us, your rankings will thank you for it later!
3. Your SEO isn’t People-Centric
While on the topic of content, if you’re still writing to please search engines, then you’re aiming for the wrong target. Keywords will always be important for your content, but the organic use of your keywords is essential. Google is now focused on the user experience—it ranks content based on how well it caters to human readers. This push for natural and conversational content can best be seen in Google’s recent BERT algorithm update. Now more than ever, the context of what your content says matters. Google is now trying to interpret queries naturally, so when writing your content, we suggest:
- Keep it natural and relevant
- Make your content specific
- Create it for human readers
4. Your Online Engagement is Nonexistent
Consumers are no longer sold by flashy websites. If they’re going to invest in your brand, you must earn their trust. If you aren’t actively engaging with your online audience, you’re missing out on a chance to forge relationships and profitable customer brand loyalty. Some ways that you can engage and put a face to your brand include:
- Answering questions posted on social media
- Responding to positive and negative customer reviews
- Hosting a webinar
- Creating an audience poll on your social media channels
- Giving your followers exclusive offers on your latest products and services
We can’t stress the importance of making a connection with your target audience beyond your website’s homepage. Help your site become a success by getting your audience involved with its growth!
5. You Don’t Have Goals in Mind
If you don’t have SEO goals for your brand, then chances are high that you don’t even know if your strategy is working. Expectations beyond being on page one are essential. Creating goals can actually help build the foundation of an authority brand that will be Google’s natural choice for your industry. Do you want to increase sales, boost your traffic, or simply decrease your bounce rate? Get with your SEO team and set some tangible goals. If you see that you’re not meeting those goals, you can then you may need to update your SEO strategy.
