SEO’s demise has been the subject of speculation since it began. While numerous changes have taken place over the years, SEO is not dead.

In this post, you’ll learn why SEO is definitely alive, and why it’s more important than ever in 2021.

 

If SEO Is Alive, Why Does It Require Different Things?

Think back about 20 years or so. Your computer at the time is not the same as what you have today. Advancements have made features outdated and obsolete. However, no one would suggest that the computer industry is dead and burried. A similar principle applies to SEO. Remember, various aspects of SEO are no longer relevant, but SEO is an evolving entity. Details change with time, but that does not signal death.  

The SEO Tactics Which Are Dead

Just as you would not try to connect an iPad to a dial-up Internet connection, some SEO strategies no longer accomplish what they did in the earlier days. Here are five strategies that are beyond resuscitating:  

1. Keyword Stuffing

Yes, there was a time when business owners were told to focus on using a keyword in as many places as the keyword could fit. The goal was to make the keyword appear as many times as possible, regardless of how these additional keywords would impact the reader of the keyword saturated article. The paragraph you just read is an example of exactly what you no longer want to do. Google’s upcoming Page Experience Algorithm demands your content to serve a purpose to the reader.

For example: Jared owns a pet grooming company and sells organic pet products. On his website, Jared frequently posts helpful videos for pet owners, recipes for homemade organic treats, and information regarding various health issues. Google can see that his site offers helpful content. This will boost the site’s organic rankings much more than if Jared packed his website with irrelevant posts stuffed with keywords.

 

2. Focusing on Search Engines Instead of Customers

It is practically impossible to outsmart Google and other search engines. Rather than waste your time, money, and effort trying to outmaneuver the bots, take the information you get about Google’s latest updates and use it to your advantage. If you are unsure if your content is up to standard, read it to see if it answers questions a visitor might ask. Also, take an honest look to see if your content is better than the content already available.

3. Creating a Bigger Website

In today’s virtual marketplace, bigger is not always better. However, striving to be better is always your best bet. The days of cramming a website with useless content are long gone. The idea of emphasising your web pages’ quality makes perfect sense when you consider the fact that Google is not ranking your website as a whole entity. Google is ranking individual web pages based on how well they answer queries based on keywords.  

4. Building as Many Links as Possible

Link building is still a vital part of any website’s ranking. However, it is not enough to have a vast number of links in 2021. You need your links to be relevant. So, if you are still focusing on the number of your links instead of the quality of the links, stop it. Try reaching out to a solid authoritative website in your niche and work out a mutually beneficial situation with them. Links created this way will help your organic rankings.  

5. Stressing Over the Number One Spot

There was a time when being number one on the SERPs was the key to success. While it still matters, especially in voice search, which suggests fewer options, other factors strongly correlate to improved traffic. When you look at a search results page, the number one ranking web page is rarely at the top. Searchers are far more likely to see one or more paid ads, featured snippets, and other information before they notice the top-ranking site. A good plan for businesses today is to put more effort into boosting their click-through rate. To do this, create meta descriptions that answer the visitors’ questions or write some attention grabbing headlines.  

Proof of Life: SEO Statistics

The short answer to the question, “Is SEO Dead?” is an unapologetic “No.” In fact, several impressive statistics demonstrate the fact that SEO is alive and well.  

Take a Look at Local

In 2014, Google’s Pigeon update levelled the playing field for locally-based businesses to compete with national entities. By offering companies located near the user a ranking boost, Google ushered in the era of the ‘near me’ search. Local businesses that took advantage of the opportunity to turn up on SERPs found success. Searchers who wanted fast access to everything from sushi to shoelaces were pleased with their smart devices’ results pages. Since then, local SEO remains a meaningful way for smaller businesses to stay competitive with large companies. Consider the following statistics regarding local search:    

Make the Most of Mobile

Mobile search, voice and otherwise, shows no signs of slowing any time soon. If your web page is mobile-friendly, you’ll take advantage of increased rankings and better conversion rates. Consider the following statistics regarding mobile search:

• SEO has a 20% greater opportunity for traffic on electronic devices than PPC
• Around 65% of searchers use a mobile device during an “I want to buy” moment
• 87% of those using smartphones conduct at least one search each day
• Over 40% of mobile users will leave your site if it takes longer than three seconds to load

 

Significant Search Engine Statistics

Search engines play a considerable part in our daily lives. The fact that search engines exert a good deal of influence in users’ lives demonstrates that SEO is far from dead. These telling statistics help to make that point:

• 39% of purchases began with relevant searches
• Google handles more than two trillion searches each year
• Sites on the first search engine results page receive more than 90% of organic traffic, and the first results claim 33% of this traffic
• 62% of Google desktop searches result in an organic click, 2.8% with a paid click, and 35% get no clicks
• 11.8% of clicks from a Google search of to YouTube, Google Maps, Google Search, or other Google products

 

SEO with Benefits

There are numerous benefits of SEO for small businesses. These include, but are not limited to:

• Numerous studies show that organic search results convert to sales more than other tactics
• SEO is measurable, and Google has a collection of tools to help businesses chart their success
• SEO offers a good ROI and delivers increased traffic
• Good SEO helps build your brand by enhancing your reputation as a trustworthy company
• The correlation between a good user experience and Google’s coming update highlights the continued need for SEO

Take-Away Tips for Today’s SEO

Since SEO’s viability is clear, here are five tips to help your SEO improve right away.

1. Gear your research towards topics and not just keywords – This is a vital move to make because as search engines continue to evolve, relevant issues will become increasingly important.
2. Adjust your content – If your business focuses a large percentage of the marketing budget on social media, you will want to create content that will gain traction on social media.

   For example: Lisa has a nail salon and specialises in trendy and creative nail art. If she were gearing her website towards search engine bots, she would have content that emphasised keywords, links, and descriptions. While her information would be accurate, social media buzz would likely be non-existent. However, if Lisa posts instructional YouTube videos explaining techniques and products, as well as Instagram posts with detailed how-to images, the odds are good that her content will gain traction.

    

3. Remember to promote – The absolute best content will not do much for your company if no one notices it. This is why promoting content and creating content are natural partners. Here are five quick ways to promote your company and its content without spending a single penny.

   • Contribute to online communities in your niche
   • When you share, be sure to mention your sources
   • Answer questions that appear on forums
   • Schedule posts to share on social media, take it a step further and build interest in your upcoming post by teasing details ahead of time
   • Comment on relevant blogs offering valuable insights
4. Think long-term – Some business owners become frustrated when they have to wait for SEO campaign results. Unfortunately, SEO takes time before you see improvements in rankings and traffic. Maintain your patience and avoid knee-jerk reactions, which could undo your progress.

5. Edit and relaunch old (but relevant) content – Frequently, all that your content needs is a make-over to be fresh and eye-catching again.

   • Try adding updated information or images to posts that have value but have lost their lustre
   • Use well-written content as the basis for informational videos
   • Turn ho-hum statistics into vibrant infographics
   • Gather related blog posts and reconfigure them into an e-book that you can offer as a gift to new customers
   • Edit a good video into brilliant images for Instagram

 

Is Your SEO Dead?

As you can see, there are still many benefits of a strong SEO campaign. Although many things are different, SEO is not a static set-it-and-forget-it proposition. If you lack time to devote to SEO, consider working with an agency with a proven track record of success. Contact our team for a free strategy call today.   About the author: Based in Perth, Digital Hitmen is a leading Australian digital marketing agency whose mission is to provide brands with impeccable digital execution and guaranteed results. Our team of experts will expand your brand’s digital footprint, increase traffic, and convert that traffic into sales. We work tirelessly to remain the most innovative and results driven digital marketing agency in Australia.