SEO in 2014, Fact, Fiction and Sensationalism

http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/02/11/seo-in-2014-fact-fiction-and-sensationalism.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

:: By Travis Bliffen

Working in the SEO industry, it makes me almost cringe to see the day’s long list of “the sky is falling” articles. People do not want the same old boring news; but does it have to be so misleading? No, and instead of ranting about it, here are 11 actionable SEO tips that still work in 2014 and that dispel just a few of the many sensationalized claims making the headlines today.  

#1   Let’s face it, SEO will never die. So long as Google relies upon any type of algorithm to generate search results SEO will live. As we move into the future, SEO will evolve to include other traffic generation methods and for some niches it already has, but again, it will not die! 

#2 Guest posting is not dead! Google has found a way to crack down on many link schemes over the years, the reason guest posting will survive is the fact that it takes two to make that link. You submit it and someone vouches for you with a link, which is the perfect strategy. Those being said, stay away from sites that auto-approve or are junk filled as spam is detectable by search spiders. Write something of value and you will have no problems. 

#3 User experience is crucial. Most of you realize that a great mobile and desktop user experience is critical as the percentage of mobile users continues to climb. Some businesses have failed to update their sites to be mobile friendly, if you fall into this category; the time to update is now, unless of course search traffic is not important to you. Don’t forget to pay close attention to page load speed as well. 

#4 Content creation- If you do nothing else, create content for your business and share it with others. So many companies blog non-stop on their own site gaining minimal traffic. Instead of updating your blog all the time, try reaching out to other related sites and creating some content for their site. To get the most from the link, write a follow up or more advanced article on your own site to link back to it. This will help you capture the right audience and drive higher engagement stats. 

#5 Self-promotion is key. One day your company may be a huge brand that people cannot stop talking about, until then you need to promote yourself proudly. If you are an expert, share your knowledge with others through social channels, speaking events and even controversial guest posts. Remember, at the end of the day traffic and conversions should be your goal, not just rankings. 

#6 You can live without social. Everyone is touting the benefits of social media and claiming it is the only way to gain top rankings….WRONG! Social media is a great way to get more traffic, but you can still rank without it. To further clarify, in 2013 SearchMetrics conducted a study of over 10,000 keywords and associated data. The results indicated that Google +1s and Facebook shares were the two primary ranking factors followed by backlinks at number three. Even if you do not have any social profiles of your own, adding share buttons on your website can help boost your rankings. To make a long story short, social sharing buttons are more important that being active on social sites. 

#7 Local SEO is golden. Except for the fact that it is sometimes harder, it's tough to figure out why some SEO companies are avoiding local SEO for their clients. If you have a business serving a local area and are not using local SEO the time to start is yesterday! 

#8 Closely monitor keyword data. Google has done its best to be a pain through the creation of secure search. However you can still get a ton of data about what keywords are working for your business. Using data from Bing can be helpful. You can also gather data from Webmaster tools and historic data. Including a search feature on your site will also allow you to see what users are looking for. Google has made it harder to get data but it is still available when you get creative.  

#9 Don’t be afraid of change. Google averages more than 500 updates per year. Most are small and go unnoticed and a few rock the SEO practitioners to the core. Since the very inception of SEO change has been required and moving into the future we can expect it to happen even more rapidly. Those who are not willing to adapt will fail, however making changes based upon inaccurate data and you can also fail. Read and consider your changes carefully and do not be afraid to ask for advice from others in the industry or from SEO professionals if you are a business owner. 

#10 Tiered link building still works! Tiered link building is often considered a black or gray hat method of ranking sites, but it does not have to be. While you should avoid using tiered linking as your only method, it makes a great addition to other quality link building practices. The key to effectively using this method is to create quality content and links on each level. Whether working in tier 1 or 3, spam links will hurt your main site in 2014 and beyond. Remember though, links are only one of the 200-plus ranking criteria Google uses so cover all your bases. 

#11 Matt Cutts is not on your side. Face it folks, Matt Cutts gets paid handsomely to help prevent the manipulation of search rankings. Doing so helps Google earn more money on Adwords and “improves” the organic results they offer. A recent post on SEOBOOK covers the link building methods Google has labeled “spam” and as you will see, it doesn’t leave many options. The bottom line, take what Matt says with a grain of salt. 

As the industry continues to evolve at a more rapid pace we can expect the mountains of misinformation to follow the curve. Regardless of what you may hear remember the following: would I build this link if SEO did not exist? If you answer “no” then take some time to learn more before acting and you will save yourself time and money. 

Travis Bliffen is the founder and senior SEO consultant of Stellar SEO, a St. Louis based search marketing and design firm. Travis has worked with several national and international clients to date and enjoys researching and writing in the search marketing field. He has been featured at speaking events and on industry leading websites such as Website Magazine and Search Engine Journal. Connect on Twitter or Facebook for updates and actionable tips. -

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