SEO has evolved over the years, and today so much has changed that many like to believe that SEO is dead or will be dead in the years to come. It is easier for people to share information today but unfortunately it has also become easy to share misconceptions. According to a recent survey that was conducted by SEJ on Twitter, there are many myths surrounding SEO. For example, people believe that if they buy more Google Ads, their rankings will be better, there is also a myth that social media performance has an impact on the rankings.
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With all the commotion around the subject and given my passion for the subject, I decided to take the reins in my own hands and bring to you the new truth about SEO.
| The trend then | The trend now |
| The trend, earlier, was to target specific keywords. These keywords were diligently researched and finalized on the basis of high search volume. | The trend now is to target a wider range of keywords. The focus is now on intent and data analysis. |
| The content was also written for the search engines with a lot of emphasis on using those specific keywords. Keyword density also mattered a lot. | Over a period of time, the users got smarter. They want to read engaging content that is useful for them and not the search engines. |
| All the efforts were directed to stuff the content with as many keywords and key phrases. Even the format of content was limited to text only. | Content should not be overly stuffed with keywords any longer. If so is the case, it is flagged as junk content. |
| There was no focus on the variety of formats used to write content. The efforts were also directed towards stuffing the title tags with keywords at the cost of compromising the readability of the phrases. | The audience wants a variety of formats for their content now. They wish to see videos, memes, infographics, podcasts, white papers and images. |
| The ghost writer was quite common and popular, and they could even write search engine friendly content on behalf of the leadership. | Now, you also have to create powerful titles and meta description tags. These should appear as adverts that is an attempt to Sell your product or service. |
| Link building that had matching anchor text had good rankings. | Humanization of content is now the key. Leadership writing has more followership and popularity. |
| Domains that had primary keywords were sought after. | The entire focus has shifted to brand building. Social signals matter now. Your brand perception on LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and Facebook is what matters to get traction on your website. |
| Paid and even fake blog links worked | Amazing guest posts that are popular amongst the audience and on social media channels decide the search engine rankings |
| PR that had backlinks were popular | PR backlinks don’t matter anymore. Newsworthy PR does |
| Automated directory submissions to low quality directories was helpful | Manual submission to selected industry pertinent directories matters |
| Software that automatically commented on blogs were known to improve rankings | Blog comments do not have an impact on rankings. These are only used for getting direct traffic |
| Articles were submitted on StumbleUpon, Reddit, Yahoo Buzz and similar platforms to gain traction. | Articles submitted on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ matter for improved search engine rankings. |
Even the way we understood SEO has changed. Earlier it was only known as a strategy to get you top rankings with the use of appropriate keywords and phrases. It is now understood as a multidisciplinary activity that can help generate organic traffic with the help of a number of connected websites that are able to see relevance and quality of your website.
One of the most critical factors when you’re searching for an SEO agency who knows their job well – check out their team members. Roles like Link Builder, Copywriter or Content Writer, SEO Analyst are all gone. The evolved agency will have roles like SEO Specialist, Web Analytics professional, Social Media Specialist, Content Marketer, Graphic Designer, Video Editor, Conversion Rate Optimizer, and Industry Specialist Writer.
Are you still stuck with an old agency with old ways of working? Switch to a new age agency right away.
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