As a new business owner, you are probably unfamiliar with all of the ins and outs of content writing. You may even be surprised to learn website content is more important than your website itself in regards to generating traffic and increasing your rankings. Unfortunately, there are very few people who are capable of taking on the responsibilities of content writer as well as running day to day business operations. This is why smart business owners will hire a digital marketing agency or content writer to handle their content writing. Regardless of how you choose to conquer this endeavor, there are SEO truths which are critical for you to know in order to be successful in the world of online marketing.

#1 Increased Voice Searches

Most of us have used their microphones at some point to do a Google Search. In fact, people use it for much more things such as texting and composing emails. Voice search is simply faster than typing on a touchscreen keyboard. According to recent statistics, people with mobile devices use voice search more than those who do not. Luckily, you don’t need to do anything different to optimize for voice search other than stay on top of SEO content on your website, which you are likely doing already.

#2 Less Focus on Keywords

Although keywords still play a role in SEO writing, topics are becoming increasingly more important for page rankings. Search engines are enhancing their algorithms to recognize synonyms and related topics. They are also rewarding websites who have multiple articles on a given subject instead of just a single post.

#3 Mobile Device Searches Continue to Dominate

You may be surprised to learn just about all of Google’s features are designed to cater to mobile devices. In fact, Google’s mobile-first index has grown rapidly in the past year. This will only continue to gain momentum in the future. If your website is not mobile optimized, you are far behind the game.

#4 Higher Rankings with an Improved User Experience

If you want to improve SEO performance, the best way is to optimize your website’s user experience (UX). This can range anywhere from user reviews to simple, personalized content. There are simple UX optimization actions such as:

• Increasing website loading speed
• Enhancing your site to make it mobile friendly
• Avoiding annoying pop-ups
• Staying away from disruptive ad placements

Optimizing for user intent is the one UX optimization which matters for SEO the most. In other words, your web page should satisfy the intent of the keyword that’s searched.

#5 User Intent Optimization

User intent can be divided into four main types; informational, comparison, transactional and navigational. Using intent optimization will allow people to stay on your page longer. They could also visit a second page on your site or even complete a goal. The best combination to use is Google Analytics plus heat map technology to test  UX. Optimizing UX is the cornerstone for effective SEO.

#6 Backlinks Are Still Important

Backlinks will continue to be vital to Google’s algorithm both now and in the future. When more than one webpage is competing with the same SEO keywords, the page with the most backlinks will grab the #1 spot.

#7 Answers Drive Google Searches

Google’s main objective is to answer questions. In fact, it wants to answer questions across as many devices as possible. In turn, sites with succinct, well-structured answers will be rewarded. Focus on answers that make visitors want more. This will also establish your brand as well as credibility.

#8 Rankings Require Patience

If you rely on the services of a digital agency, keep in mind that increasing page rankings through SEO marketing is a long-term endeavor. If you’re unable to wait a sustained period of time, don’t expect quick page ranking improvements. However, there is huge potential for success for people who are willing to put in the work and be patient with the outcome.

#9 Increased Focus on Search Engine Results Pages

SERPs are the list of pages (and advertisements) displayed in response to something typed into the search bar. It’s important that these meta descriptions for each page on your website are optimized with high ranking keywords, as well.

#10 SEO is Still Powerful

There is some false Internet information that says SEO is no longer useful because of changes in Google’s algorithms. Despite these changes, SEO is still more important than ever. It may be harder and require additional skill sets, but this is actually beneficial and puts you ahead of your competitors. In other words, if you are willing to be patient, learn and take action, you are paving your road to success.

If you want to maximize your search engine rankings by working with one of the best digital marketing agencies, contact us today! We have a professional SEO writer ready to optimize your content, with the goal of increasing your ranking results.