SEO in 2013, The Same but Different
Published on by: James H. Hobson
I'm a firm believer in the value of search engine optimization. I qualify this statement with the caveat that I refer to only ethical and user oriented SEO work. The art of SEO continues to evolve and its importance to online marketing lives on.
Good SEO vs Bad SEO in 2013
A definition of pure and ethical SEO could be "the modeling of internet based content and coding to achieve higher targeted ranking for specific search terms". My point of view on, and perhaps definition of, good SEO versus bad SEO comes down to assessing whether or not the intended results serve the interests of users.
If your website content offers value to users, and is ranked for only relevant terms, then your SEO has well served both the search engines and users. As with political power or influence, SEO is only bad when applied for self-serving and dubious purposes. To this point, the best website optimization services will remain important in 2013.
Changes to SEO in 2013
The refinements of algorithms such as what we have seen in Google Panda and Google Penguin have driven improvements in SEO practices. The application of legitimate marketing strategies and tactics are overcoming bulk spam activity. The practices of buying massive links, using blog wheels and article spinning have caught up with the black hat practitioners. In 2013 some of the best SEO practices will be being highly selective when acquiring inbound links, minimizing outbound links, using nofollow attributes on almost all outbound links, not using sitewide links, managing social media signals and on-site metrics, and creating high quality content that is shared by users.
On Site SEO Metrics in 2013
As a way of evaluating the relevance and value of content that is ranked high for a given search term Google is analyzing key on-site metrics. The click through rate from organic rankings, time spent on your site, having a modest bounce rate and other signs that your site has engaged and held user interest are very important. Providing easy to follow navigation, well structured content and offering useful and informative downloads can have very positive impact on these metrics.
Social Media SEO in 2013
Search engines are keeping an eye on social media signals. Certainly your business should have business pages on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Pinterest. Integrating links to these sites into your website is highly recommended. Using online tools to manage these accounts, share content and develop your branding are things that should be implemented in 2013. Some types of information that you can post on your social media sites are company specials, infographics, consumer tips, links to interesting news articles, and coupons.
Content Marketing for SEO in 2013
Content marketing is essentially developing informative and sometimes entertaining content which can be published online. Ideally this content will be viewed and appreciated by users who will share your information with other users. Having your content shared via link, a retweet, a "like", added to a Google+ page or even included in content curation work will provide positive results.
Video content marketing is another great part of content marketing. A well crafted video can achieve it's own place in organic search results. Additionally, a well done video can promote your brand, inform prospective customers and deliver ongoing traffic to your company website or social media pages.
As you move from 2012 SEO methods you need to become familair with 2013 SEO best practices and change or implement these new tips and tactics. There is no doubt that SEO will remain important in 2013. Knowing the SEO factors for 2013 is how you can maintain, achieve and improve your organic rankings in 2013. Persons who like this article may also be interested in learning about inbound marketing, which leverages multiple elements to delever incredibly positive ranking results.
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