The internet marketplace is very volatile and for your online business to stay afloat, you have to keep adapting. There is no denying that the internet technology has revolutionized modern business but for you to leverage the benefits, you have to keep abreast of the fast-paced developments. With over 3.62 billion people using the internet, this is a platform you cannot ignore. How do you leverage this marketplace and the growing numbers of internet users?
It all starts with a search engine. According to an imFORZA Survey, 93% of online experiences start with a search engine. Simply put, your main goal as an internet marketer should be to improve the website’s ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs). The same study shows that 75% of search engine users don’t scroll past the first page of SERPs, again highlighting the importance of high ranking.
With 70% of searchers using organic links, you have to proactively work towards boosting organic traffic to your website. It is true that paid search gives results but then 70 to 80% of users ignore paid ads and instead go for organic results.
All these numbers highlight the importance of an innovative search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. The techniques that were popular a year back have most likely become obsolete owing to rapid updates in search engine algorithms. You might already have the low hanging fruit of SEO including an XMTL site map, target keywords, optimized content and title and other easy tools but these are not enough to put you ahead.
If you are planning to go online or if your website is already live, it is time to embrace a more creative approach to SEO. An innovative SEO strategy is not only more cost-effective but also more efficient. An SEO expert will come in handy to help evaluate and audit your website before using the most suitable techniques.
Here are some creative SEO approaches your SEO consultant should leverage going forward in 2017:
- Think Mobile And Go Mobile
It has been coming and finally Google has gone on to enhance user experience by rewarding mobile-friendly websites. Google is now crawling websites as a mobile user and if yours is not a responsive design, you are bound to take a hit in ranking. With mobile search having surpassed desktop, search engines are now more interested in mobile-friendly websites and this should be a priority in your 2017 SEO campaign.
- Fix Issues with 404 Pages
One reason you might be struggling with better traffic and conversion is that you have URLs that are retuning 404 error and have external links pointed to them. There are now tools to easily audit your links and you need to exploit them, Google Console being among the best.
You should check the 404 pages on your website and confirm whether they are being linked to external links. Any such errors must be fixed immediately to avoid further squandering of your link authority.
- Voice Search is the Future
In 2017, voice search is expected to explode and as an internet marketer, you have to reposition your content to make sure you tap into the craze. While Siri has been around for almost 5 years, there were many issues around voice that have prevented full adoption. There were issues with accuracy and fears about the levels of adoption by users.
However, recent studies show accuracy levels have increased by 12%, making voice a more preferred option by internet users. You site’s content must include questions and conversational queries by targeting long-tail keywords. This way, you will rank higher on voice search results, which increases traffic to your website.
- Infographics and Video
Infographics are now big in SEO and if you are not using them on your site, you are missing out big. On the other hand, visual content has become the most popular format with users. In fact, it is expected that 77% of internet traffic will be video by the end of 2017. If you don’t have video content and infographics on your website already, it is time to get down to work in order to boost traffic, lead generation, and sales conversion.
- Monitor Social Hubs for Keyword
Keywords are still crucial in SEO but how you find them and target them effectively is also changing. You should stay ahead of the competition in finding the best keywords and this means staying active on social networks. If you notice a certain conversational trend or keyword, find a way of integrating it into your content for better ranking on SERPs.
Working with a qualified SEO consultant makes your SEO efforts more effective and affordable. As the SEO landscape keeps changing, you will be able to quickly adapt and reap the benefits.
