I often get emails from existing or prospective clients asking about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and fresh content. SEO has become a mysterious concept that only Google fully knows the ins and outs. The search algorithms are changing almost on a daily basis and constantly being adjusted to new technologies and trends.
Answering this question is very tricky given the nature of SEO. One thing to keep in mind when thinking about the concept of SEO is that it is not a one-time implementation. There is no such things as ‘this website is optimized, now it will always show up on top of the search results’. SEO is an ongoing effort that needs a dedicated person (or a team depending on the size of your website, the industry you are competing in etc).
Like I mentioned in the beginning, the algorithms are changing constantly, which means that a website that is on the first page of search results today may not be there tomorrow. In this unpredictable landscape, it is more important to focus on what you can control, and that is the quality and focus of the content on your site.
No matter how much the algorithms change, good content will always help with SEO. Here are some pointers to help you get started.
People are always searching for answers to different questions on search engines. If you identify the questions they are asking with respect to your industry and generate content that addresses those questions, you can capture that audience in the search stage. Note that this is not a hard-sell technique, but purely providing information to users in order to build a relationship and trust. The information you provide could be in blog form, video, imagery or podcast. You can decide what the best medium for your specific audience is.
You can generate content to promote new offerings, products and/or services. This could be social media content or a new landing page on your site. The more information, the better so that users can engage with your brand in different ways.
Most importantly, generating fresh content will show Google that your website is relevant, up to date and not stale. One thing you can be sure of is that Google demotes websites that are not updated regularly. It assumes that if you have nothing new to say to your audience on the Internet, you are not relevant to them anymore. And this piece of the SEO puzzle is critical.
It is impossible to cover every aspect of SEO in one article (and frankly it is virtually impossible to know every aspect of it) but as the saying goes these days, ‘content is king’. Even if you can create fresh content once a month for your website, it is still better than not doing anything. Having said that, it is about quality, not quantity. Your content needs to be concise and focused on your domain that you are operating in. Some things to keep in mind when you are creating content are:
