As with everything in this world, quality trumps quantity. What you're after are targeted links and referrals full of visitors that are truly after what you offer. Your marketing strategy no doubt contains a myriad of efforts to generate these quality visits. To really be a player in SEO these days, these campaigns should involve the following:
* Organic search
* Paid search
* External links, from articles, bloggers, news sites, etc.
* Press releases and other PR efforts
* Social signals from Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, etc.
* Local map listings
* Online advertising
* Direct traffic via offline strategies
* Paid search
* External links, from articles, bloggers, news sites, etc.
* Press releases and other PR efforts
* Social signals from Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, etc.
* Local map listings
* Online advertising
* Direct traffic via offline strategies
Yes, organic search still sits at the top of the list above, but if it's your sole focus, you'll definitely waste your efforts. Failure to consider the other factors means you'll experience just a smidgen of your potential success.
Pay attention to your analytics so you can understand where your site is succeeding and failing with regards to visits and conversions. Ascertain where the bulk of your traffic truly comes from (here's a clue: it's not always from Google) and adjust the list above accordingly. It may be that local listings or even offline strategies trump search in terms of what works best for your specific needs.
The point is simple: in the last few years, page rankings have become the Holy Grail, and it's time to stop obsessing over a top page ranking. You can't begin to control rankings from a personalization perspective, so stop losing sleep over your own ranking ebbs and flows. Instead, focus on the data you can control namely traffic and conversions. If you're aces at converting high percentages of your site's visitors, you're on a winning streak. It's not a matter of being #1 for a search term, but in making your customers and visitors happy.
How has the customization of search results affected your SEO strategies? If you have any advice to share with people making the shift in focus, please share!
my motto is "Keep it simple" and "don't leave anything for tomorrow that can be done today."
Regards Gerald Crawford
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