Over the past couple of years there have been major changes to search engine algorithms that have created changes in SEO practices. Gone are the days of (over) stuffing keywords and search terms, along with any pixie dust or magic (apparently) possessed by many of the so-called SEO experts. Lets just go ahead and drop the (SEO) term altogether. Personally, I’ve grown really tired of hearing and seeing it in my emails.
The absolute best way to achieve search success for any desired keyword or search term is through the creation of relative content. It requires work. We’ve been referring to the practice as a “journeyman’s approach” to search marketing. We’re back to the principles our parents (hopefully) taught us about the value of hard work. In this case it really does pay off.
Content creation has become a valuable asset for any company. So much so, that all companies should consider this in their required skill set or knowledge base for the future. It should be noted that “thin” content no longer works either. We won’t go so far here to claim any set number of words to be the magic number, but just know that an article or blog of several hundred words will work much better than one of a few dozen.
Obviously there’s more to it than just writing. We didn’t write this article to teach, but to warn folks about the claims they may be receiving regarding this subject. The action that triggered this writing was a client that was approached by an “expert” to SEO a new site we just launched for them. When we create a website for a client, there is no need for them to hire an SEO consultant. Whether we create the content or use the clients content, we make sure it is designed in a way to address the search goals of the client.
One very obvious red flag of an SEO scam is when the company “guarantees” first position ranking for the company. I get the calls, too. I always ask, “For what search term are you making your claim.” For some reason that question always draws a blank. When we first moved our company to a new address we were bombarded with calls from services saying, “We just noticed, there’s an opening on the first page of Google for your company.” Again I would respond, “Really? For which specific search term are you speaking?” If that practice is not illegal, it should be. Just knowing there are probably scores of people falling for it makes me furious. It is those practices that make our jobs so tough. It is because of this, we try to avoid using the “SEO” word.
If you’ve noticed changes in where you site is ranking compared to where it used to rank, it is most likely due to the way it is being regarded by the search engines. The landscape changes daily, if not hourly. When one of your favorite keywords or search terms over time (or suddenly) becomes overused, you may have to look for terms with less competition for search. Hopefully this helps you understand why we titled this changes in SEO practices. Hopefully, it will help you avoid being taken in by those making outlandish claims about search engine position. Let us know if we can assist with your new search strategies. Contact us HERE.