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“SEO is dead!”
SEO has been declared dead by experts for years and yet it still is one of the most popular online marketing tools in 2020.
Search engines update their algorithms daily which makes it harder and harder to secure a place at the top of the ranking. This process could be described as the end of SEO.
But it’s not that simple.
SEO politely adapts to every new Google update. With these updates Google strives to deliver relevant high-quality content to its users, based on their queries. This means that if we keep on focusing on Search Engine Optimization we’re always one step behind. We should rather be aiming on optimizing website content for the users of Google and other search engines.
In this article I am going to teach you how to implement a sustainable content strategy that focuses on the users of search engines.
#1. No Search Engine Optimization but Search Intent Optimization
By quickly analyzing the top-pages in your search results you will realize they all focus on the user. It’s not about what Google wants, but what their users want.
Have a look at these examples of different types of Search Intent:
What solution would you expect after doing one the search queries below?
✓ The cooking time of cauliflower
✓ A user friendly interface to compare smartwatches
✓ A webshop that sells running shoes
✓ The loginpage of instagram
Check for yourself on Google and you will see how pages that offer the best solution for users end up higher in the results. It’s important you understand the search intent of internet users in the current day. Consider whether a few sentences, a How-to Video or an elaborate article is the solution they desire.
When you are going for a blog article, think about your audience’s reading method. Skimmers require well-structured headings and a clear tone of voice. When writing for a more analytical crowd remember to cite sources and remain objective and informative.
But it goes without saying that just offering the right solution won’t get the job done quite yet.
#2. Unique Content
For years Google has been rewarding websites that offer unique content. Originality should be a no-brainer for every self-respecting company but still 29% of webpages contain duplicate content.
Original content isn’t just important for the indexing of your website. The current consumer is overwhelmed by all kinds of communication. A mundane message is just not going to cut it.
So don’t look at what your competition is writing, look at what they are not writing. That’s where your content opportunities are.
You can create unique content without having to write about something totally different than your competitors. By adding your own personal story to your company’s website you create an online identity that can’t be copied. Besides that it displays authenticity and transparency.
Product names can be distinguished as well. By connecting a product benefit to a current trend you can transform an existing product into a modern day desired item. Take the fake-leather belt for example. By changing its name to ‘vegan belt’ it’s no longer considered cheap & fake. Now it is an environmental & animal friendly product the modern day consumer is searching for. All of that, just by changing a name.
#3. Become an Authority Website
An authority site is a specialist in its discipline. You and I can easily spot a website that doesn’t appear to be authoritative. We rather put our trust in a site that is well-designed, clearly structured and contains current content.
Google does this differently. Google values older sites as more trust-worthy and determines if the content is truly unique.
Google ranks your site based on what others have to say about it. Web Pages are ranked based on how they link to each other. Have a look below to see how this goes.
The strength of your link profile is based on the following elements:
Important websites link to you.
Various websites are linking to you.
The alternative text used for the link is relevant to your expertise.
How do I acquire links?
The autonomous method to build a stronger link profile is by far the most sustainable and valuable way of doing this. By creating truly valuable content that invites web editors or internet users to share it or link towards it. This process can be encouraged by sharing your content on relevant platforms.
It might seem appealing to bring in a linkbuilder, someone who will attempt to get other websites to link to you or will place links on relevant forums themselves. This is an obsolete strategy that will have a short-term effect at most. With unique high-quality content you’re focussing on the future.
To build a durable link profile you will have to earn links, not fabricate them.
By now you must’ve realized that the strategy to the top of the results page might be simple, the execution requires quite some time investments.
This doesn’t mean there is no easy way to the top. According to Google, one in seven searches is for something that has never been searched before. An enormous potential of search queries for which it should be relatively easy to create a number one resulting web page. Although at this moment they’re barely being used, in the future you could be one of the first pages to have written about it.
Long story short
✓ Analyze the current search intent of your users and see how competitors are delivering to this demand.
✓ Create differentiated content. A good example is using a personal perspective.
✓ Earn links the autonomous way by sharing valuable content to a truly interested audience.