SEO guide: tips to get you ahead of the competition

Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is constantly evolving. As the global leader in online search, Google sets the rules when it comes to website visibility. This means that website managers need to be on their toes and keep abreast of changes to Google search algorithms. We highly recommend signing up to receive the latest SEO trends from Google to keep your website working hard for your business. That’s why we’re providing this 2021 SEO guide, for website managers to take full advantage of.

To get ahead of the competition, you’re going to need to do more than just look at the latest SEO trends. SEO strategies often vary which means you’re going to need an experienced team on side to help keep your website and content performing in search engine results.

Let’s take a look at the foundation principles of SEO and consider some of the best SEO tips campaign managers are finding useful.

SEO: the basics of search optimisation

SEO is, at its core, all about making sure your website content reaches the right people. In 2021, online search is intent-based and specific. That’s why there has been so much emphasis on keyword analysis and optimisation over the years. Keywords match your content to a search engine users query, such as “What is website SEO”.

Google has altered search algorithms over the years to help make search results more helpful to its users. Emphasis is placed on websites being of genuine use and interest to the user. That means the top results for a search query should offer valuable insight, comprehensive product and service information, and a satisfying experience as a user navigates your website. The user experience, or UX, is more important than ever before.

Google has changed SEO in the sense that mobile-ready websites receive priority, and since March, if a website is not optimised to scale for different devices, it will no longer feature on a Google search engine results page. What’s more, websites with clear site maps, quality external and relevant internal links, and well-written content, all help to boost the user experience favoured by Google. Those websites purely serving walls of poorly written text, crammed with keywords are no longer scaling the heights of search results – Google is wise to website managers trying to circumvent its efforts to deliver high quality results to its search engine users.

Google is also drafting in changes to boost genuine, unique buyer guides. This is another example of the search engine pivoting more towards quality UX and moving away from keyword ‘stuffing’.

Effective SEO management means ensuring your web content is not only relevant, but that your website is quick and easy to use. These elements will work increase your online visibility and clickthrough rates.

SEO best practices in 2021

Let’s consider some big movements in SEO taking place right now. What are some SEO best practices 2021 expects of us?

Retention is key

SEO experts largely agree that modern SEO is less about hunting down traffic, and more about retaining interest. While keyword research is still vital, any good SEO guide 2021 has to offer will tell you that your UX needs to focus on retention.

This means enhancing your web content so it answers specific questions, ensuring your site is easy to navigate, and that your site content engages visitors – this is where you will track the number of pages a visitor views and how long they stay on your website. With Google pivoting more and more towards quality UX, now is the time to work on increasing returning website visitors.

Appeal to decisive internet users

Modern life is demanding. So much so that the everyday search engine user really doesn’t have time to spend working out if you’re worth shopping with. That’s why a cornerstone of modern SEO is ensuring that you keep visitors engaged on your website – if they don’t like your website or it’s content, they’ll be off in a flash – and Google will take note of this.

In 2021, that means ensuring your pages are quick to load, easy to navigate, and friendly to all devices – quality UX. Mobile users in particular – mobile now accounts for over half of all internet searches – will not wait for a slow website to load or stay on a site which makes it difficult to find what they’re looking for.

Appeal to voice search

Of all the best SEO tips 2021 has to offer, adjusting to voice search is one of the most prominent. Voice search is exploding as a result of searchers’ reliance on home devices such as Amazon Echo, and mobile search through Apple’s Siri.

Therefore, your SEO needs to not only pivot towards text-based search, but also voice search. People searching with spoken queries usually ask questions. Therefore, your content needs to reflect this shift in user preferences. It is no longer just acceptable to include relevant keywords or key phrases. You need to give quick, direct answers to specific questions people are likely to ask.

Why outsourcing your SEO matters

While SEO is something you could learn in your spare time, it is ever-changing, and always delivers results over the long-term – it can be several months before the fruits of SEO labour can be fully realised. However, these are only a couple of reasons why it makes clear sense to get in touch with an SEO expert.

Long-term search engine visibility is only ever possible through consistent SEO management. Unfortunately, SEO success is not something you can guarantee with a few taps of a screen, or a few clicks of the right buttons. You need to maintain and manage SEO through all the changes that both Google and evolving user behaviours throw at you – SEO practices should be present in almost everything you do when it comes to digital marketing.

Outsourcing your SEO strategies to Fenti means that you effectively have a team of hard-working specialists keeping your website in peak condition. Our experience in working to create, build and grow brand awareness and user engagement will ensure that you are always striking the right chords with the right people, and that you are always driving growth.

If you’d like to know more about outsourcing corporate SEO to local experts, make sure to get in touch with Fenti today.