We entered into New Year – 2014 with full of excitement and with full of Hope. The old has gone, The new has come. We have seen many changes in Google algorithm in 2013 with mixed results of good and bad for your online businesses. And now The New Year – 2014, What is your goal? What is your strategy? What is your future prediction? How you are going to face these Google Algorithm changes? What is your SEO strategy for 2014?
Here I’m going to discuss some basic strategies that works for you in 2014…
Semantic Search:
Google rolled out Hummingbird algorithm for providing a better user experience through precise and fast search results. When you’re searching information, Google shows relative and other useful searches for better conversational search.
Many websites are penalised due to new Google algorithm “Hummingbird”. So, we need to focus on how semantic search algorithm works for you and how you can get benefit from this new algorithm changes. Google want to understand what you are searching for before you type it. The new algorithm changes are for giving most relevant information to the visitors with human needs and wants.
Tip: Focus on natural human queries And Focus on the long-tail keywords as searches are going more conversational
Structured Content
Content is the King, but Content without a good structure is a King without a crown. Create rich content for the visitors not for search engines. Visitors are looking for a clear and exact information from their search. And search engines are acting like normal visitors on your website by improving their algorithms. Search Engines wants to properly understand your data to present the best search results.
You can use Schema Markup or hCard microformat for creating structured data. And submit your structured content to Google for getting more CTR from Google and even it improves your rankings.
Tip: Use structured data tool in Webmaster tools & Schema Markup or hCard microformat to Create Structured data and submit to Google.
Social Media:
Social Media is a huge network where you can share and promote your business directly with your friends and customers. The importance of social signals and their role in SEO is drastically increased from last few years. Do smart social media campaigns for generating more leads and even you can build brand awareness too.
Be in touch with your customers through social media and start conversation and encourage them to be part in your brand conversations. Keep increasing your Fans and build and maintain good relationships with them will leave good impact on them about your brand.
Read More on this>> Brand Building Strategy – How Brands Build Trust?
Tip: Build a community and a socialized brand
Websites: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vk.com, Pinterest,..etc;
Quality Link Building:
Link building is still a major tactic for improving keyword rankings. Number of backlinks never matters in SEO, but number of quality backlinks always matters for your website.
Hire a good PR agency to get your press release posted on news websites. This is really a good practice and it gives a positive impact to search engines on your website.
Build some .gov and .edu backlinks as they have more weight compared to other backlinks
If you penalized by any Google algorithm, do auditing of your site to find out unnatural and irrelevant backlinks and remove them if possible, Otherwise you can demote those links by using Google demote url tool from Google Webmasters.
Tip: Build quality backlinks(Relative to your Industry). Avoid unnatural Links(Unrelated to your niche)
Websites: Backlinks from News websites and PR sites, quality backlinks from your niche websites with a proper Anchor Text, .edu and .gov backlinks
Local SEO
As internet world is growing everyday, it is a very critical to maintain all the data at once. And targeting international market is not always good for your business when your business is having a good market locally. Target local market to improve your rankings in local search engines as even Google is also having country-wise domain to search local results.
Promote your services and products in all local social networking sites. You can Google them as “list of social networking sites in US” or List social media sites in “YOUR COUNTRY”
Submit your business in all local business listing directories. You can build your brand by allowing your customer reviews here.
Tip: Build Local presence with local listings
Local Directories: Yelp, Google Places, Yahoo Local, Yellow pages and White Pages,..etc
Mobile SEO
According to data available on Wikipedia, there are 6.8 billion mobile devices used by 7 billion people. So, we need to consider this as a good source to get some decent traffic to your website.
Create your websites mobile friendly and use mobile CSS on your website for better user experience.
Read More on this> How Mobile Site Optimization can Promote a Business to Flourish
Develop your mobile business App for better promotional and brand awareness Strategy. A business having a mobile app really makes some difference from other businesses having no mobile App.