Happy New Year! We’re back from the break, refreshed and keen to support you however we can in taking your business to the next level in 2017 and beyond. Before the holiday period, our team found ourselves fielding a lot of questions from clients about one area in particular: Search Engine Optimisation.

One of the biggest factors in relation to Search Engine Optimisation (commonly referred to as SEO) is trust. Before we look at what influences SEO, let’s have a look at what it actually is:

SEO is the technical term that relates to the strategies, tactics and techniques employed to increase the number of visitors to a website by earning a high ranking placement when people search the internet via Google and other search engines.

Of course, the higher your ranking in a search results page, the more likely people are to end up on your website. Have a think about your own searching habits - whenever you’ve been looking for something in particular, you’ve probably entered a couple of keywords and maybe a location. From there, you’ll sift through the search results to find what you’re looking for. If you’re like most people, you’ll look at the top few results right at the top of the page and won’t ever make it to page 2.

So what factors commonly influence Search Engine Optimisation? In addition to the trust factor, here are a few other areas that count when it comes to SEO.

1. How old your domain is

We’re living in what we call the Indexed Age. In other words, the age of your domain matters and if your site has been live for a long time, Google will automatically reward you with a higher ranking in comparison to newer websites. With this in mind, if you’re currently thinking of changing your domain name (your website’s URL), weigh up your options and carefully consider the pros and cons at play. Be aware that you may be throwing away precious SEO value when switching domains so consider your reason for switching carefully.

2. Your Authority Profile

This is pretty much just a fancy way of reiterating that good SEO always comes back to quality content. If you’ve got good quality links coming to and from your site, you’re well ahead.

3. Quality website content

We’ve all landed on a website and left pretty quickly because the content just isn’t up to scratch. The underlying content on your website matters. In addition to being well written in a way that is engaging and attracts your target market, it needs to include relevant keywords. When putting content together for your website, also think about Shareability and ask yourself: if I were reading this content, would I be willing to read it in its entirety and share it with others it’s relevant to?

If you’re looking to improve your Search Engine Optimisation, it’s important not to under-value just how important quality content is in terms of your overall SEO strategy. Acquiring a top ranking is unlikely to happen overnight and you need to get the right foundation in place.

Including content development in your 2017 Roadmap is essential. As is creating an action plan for updating website content on a regular basis. It’s vital that you keep your web content fresh and up to date. Don’t forget to update any content that is outdated and schedule in regular content updates so that it never slips under the radar when times are hectic.

Keep in mind that there’s nothing wrong with getting help with your content if you don’t have the resources available to you internally. Just ensure that your messaging remains consistent and in-line with your branding. Always be sure to check any outsourced content to ensure it captures the right voice for your business.

Our Woven team is able to assist you with all of your digital marketing needs. We provide digital marketing workshops and develop digital marketing plans tailored to your business’ unique needs. To discuss your Search Engine Optimisation needs and to book a digital marketing health check, contact Woven today.