Its 2015 already and webmasters are busy planning this year’s strategy. There are plans to be made, roadmap chalked out, new methods analyzed and much more rush hour jobs. But are the previous year’s strategies dead? Well, no! 2014 was an uneventful year for SEO but it doesn’t mean there is nothing to learn.
Search-engine optimization methods constantly evolve with time. So, with calendar now flipped a full year ahead, let us take a look at how far we have come. Some aspects have become totally obsolete while others have kept their importance. With that in mind, here’s your takeaway from 2014.
- Go mobile first, then desktop – With mobile devices taking over the globe and smartphone sales zooming past desktop, there’s no way you can ignore mobile website optimization. In fact, it is now vital that you first craft your mobile strategy and then focus on desktop users. Mobile friendly websites are given priority over other versions in almost every major search engine. In 2014, responsive websites were a norm and almost every successful business invested in having mobile SEO strategy.
- Content is King – This has been said many times over in the past many years and it still holds ground. Content is and will be the king for coming years. Last months of 2014 saw Google penalizing the paid guest blogging services and private blogging networks. This was necessary to help content remain the actual king. In 2014, content meant more than just blogs and articles. It meant infographics, videos, posts and anything that can deliver value to readers. Sharing information was at top of every search engine. Adding high quality content should be on top of your 2015 strategy. This will bring high levels of engagement into your digital strategy.
- Effective Branding – Good links will always hold their forte when it comes to securing good ranking. However, it is also recommended that you put in genuine branding efforts to establish yourself as authority. When you lead your industry, you are more likely to be shared more and valued more. This has to be done mutually to receive maximum benefits. Just don’t think of buying links. You have to put in hours of content, raise PR efforts, build awareness about your brand and reach out the market with open hands. This will not only make people like you but your competitors will see you as an authority figure. Not to forget, it will add lots to your online brand image.
- Social is not dead yet – Or should I say it has become much more important. However, the effect of content on your social platforms won’t contribute much to the rankings. But genuine positive signals are known to help improve your rankings. Google Plus is definitely one platform that will help you gain popularity and SERPs. Explore more new ways to quickly generate an audience and share content across multiple platforms. +1s will add significant juice to your SEO efforts.
With 2014 proving to be a predictable year for SEO, may be 2015 will bring in some surprises. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and see what else search engine shave in store for webmasters.
