Keep Your SEO And Content Marketing Relevant In 2018

For many, Search Engine Optimisation is a minefield. You might be thinking, “what is the best SEO strategy for my business?” Or, “how can I increase my visibility on Google?” With the world of crawlers, keywords and dwell-rates constantly evolving, it’s hard to know where to begin. So we’ve put together a list of 5 simple ways to optimise your Content Marketing in 2018.

1. Use Video in Your SEO Strategy

It’s no secret that people enjoy engaging with video, and there are many ways to capitalise on this.

Embed video in your content.

Embedding video content on your website will mean users are likely to stay longer, and this will increase your “dwell time” – one of the factors measured by RankBrain, an AI system used to determine your search engine ranking. In short, the longer people engage with your site, the higher you rank.

Place your videos on external sites.

YouTube is the second most visited website in the world and reached over 1.3 billion people in 2017. Results from YouTube also appear on a Google Search. Having your videos on YouTube will significantly increase your visibility.

2. Forget What You Think You Know About Keywords

Traditionally, search engines use keywords to analyse pages. In a practice called Technical or On-Page SEO, marketing gurus tactically sprinkle relevant keywords in headings, content and metadata to ensure crawlers find the page relevant.

However, systems are becoming more advanced.

Whilst in the past we were encouraged to write short content laced with buzzwords, the crawlers of 2018 are looking for context and length.

Systems now use Latent Semantic Indexing, meaning the words connected to the topic you’re discussing also contribute to your ranking. According to a study by Backlinko, the average word count of Google’s first page results is 1,890. This shows that longer, thoroughly discussed pieces are taking ranking precedence over shorter pieces.

This, however, shouldn’t completely disregard the importance of traditional On-Page SEO strategy and keywords. Rather, a combination of both techniques will serve you well in 2018.

3. Stay Mobile

On 26th March 2018, Google announced the official roll-out of mobile-first indexing, which involved changing their algorithm to search mobile versions of sites, not just desktop versions. Sites that are mobile-optimised are now ranked higher by Google, and with 5 billion mobile users worldwide it is more important than ever to prioritise your mobile site over your desktop version.

4. How Do I Use Featured Snippets?

Featured snippets appear above the results lists and below the ads section in their own box. Their aim is to answer the user’s question quickly.

A 2017 study by Ahref concluded that 12.29% of search queries have featured snippets, and in February 2018 Google announced that they’re developing ‘multifaceted feature snippets’ to answer complex questions.

According to Ahref’s study, a #1 ranking page without a featured snippet above it will receive an average of 26% of all the clicks. However, once a featured snippet appears above it, that #1 page only receives 19.6% of clicks. Therefore, the snippet effectively steals an average of 8.6% of the clicks, which shows it is a great way to leapfrog to the top and drive more traffic.

How do I get a featured snippet?

A key SEO strategy to get a featured snippet is to ask and then answer questions clearly on your site. State a question as a heading or a sub-heading, and then follow that with a short paragraph summarising the answer. You should then elaborate on the issue in the rest of your content.

Keywords and related words are also important when it comes to getting a featured snippet. Make your answers relevant by including the appropriate language and keywords.

Consider introducing an FAQ section to make the most of Google’s “people also ask” feature.

5. Build Links

Create a network of websites that will display backlinks to your site.

In 2018, your focus should be on getting in-content links from credible sites and sources. Quality over quantity should be your mantra.

Influencers

You should target relevant influencers to share your content and provide in-content links. When respected and well-known players in your field point to your website from theirs, it will improve your Google ranking and attract potential customers.

Social Media

Social Media Advertising crucial, but don’t be fooled that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is appropriate. Instead, really think about your intended audience, and utilise Facebook and Instagram’s inbuilt targeting systems by creating ads for different audiences.

The Next Step

The world of SEO and content marketing is constantly evolving, and trends and developments can be incredibly complex. So, rather than spreading yourself too thin, start by implementing these five tips and work up from there.