So another year is almost over and SEO is still alive and kicking. Actually, it’s healthier than ever after Google has continued to weed out a load of dubious practises. So what are some of the highlights of 2013?
Google continued on its mission to clean up the web. Ongoing updates to Panda and Penguin caused grief for those sites with questionable link building and thin content.
Then on December 6, we witnesses another page rank update despite Matt Cutts hinting in October that he’d be surprised to see another one this year. Should you worry about page rank? Probably not.
Right now, you should focus on dealing with unnatural links you may have picked up. You own PR is generally calculated on the basis of the number of high PR sites linking to you. Just keep adding quality content and your should get links naturally.
Meanwhile the advent of Hummingbird enhanced the value of solution-driven content that provides actual visitor value. Clearly, the world of SEO is a better place than it was at the beginning of 2103 (Unless, of course, you’re a spammer).
What lies ahead next year?
Google will continue on its mission to provide searchers with a quality web experience. The better you align yourself to this, the more successful you’re likely to be. As always, the buzzwords are quality, relevance, and authority for both content and backlinks.
To keep the search engines happy, you should keep on enhancing the value and authority of your clients’ websites by continually adding new content. Blogging is one fine way to do as it generates user engagement through commenting.
Another ongoing wave is the use of rich snippets to enhance your listing in the SERPS. Using semantic markup lets you create detailed, engaging listings that attract and inform searchers and lead to better click though rates.
After all, the more relevant information you can include in the search results, the more likely you are to attract targeted traffic. Increased traffic and low bounce rate is a signal that your site is relevant and this can help with rankings.
Another major trend you need to be focusing on is the increasing use of mobile devices for internet access. Smart phones and tablets have long been popular for checking email and social media sites. Now more and more users are using them to shop online. Be sure you’re harnessing the power of responsive website design to provide mobile visitors to your clients’ websites with a quality browsing experience.
Continue to keep your eyes on social media. The rise of Google Plus is likely to shift the game with Google using it as one factor for gauging authority.
One thing’s for sure, next year promises more excitement and challenges so make sure you’re ready.
