Many people argue that the ever changing Search Engine algorithms killed SEO. Few others claims SMO is the killer of SEO. But what is really happening out there? As you know the complex world of search engines updates forces SEO experts to redefine the practices of SEO frequently.Since no one really knows conclusively how to optimize a website to make it 100% search engine optimized to make it appear first in SERP, the SEO methods will change continuously based on experiments and outcomes.
Why they say “SEO is dead, long live SEO!”
If you’re talking about the SEO tactics used over 2 years ago, then you can say the SEO is dead. But in reality SEO is not really dead, but the SEO process and techniques are changing. The most important SEO process is to adjust with all the new search engine algorithm changes and continually test your web properties (sites, blogs etc) to see what improvements are working and what are not. As per experts, algorithms used by the Google search engine change constantly, with around 500 times in a year.
SEO will never die, but the SEO methods, techniques that provide greater visibility for websites in search engine will change from time to time. This is because search engine algorithms and the signals that affect search results change constantly. That is why the effective SEO method of yesterday is irrelevant today. It is all about how fast you are able to adjust with these new changes and how fast you can implement them in your website. When you don’t keep pace, then effectively your SEO methods become dead and ineffective.
SMO and SEO
The new buzz word is “SMO” that is Social Media Optimization. As we discussed earlier, search engines, especially Google, uses Social Media signals as one of the several signals that influence the SERP. Without doubt, Social media signals are increasingly impacting the search results. The biggies such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter all promotes social sharing. So social media based internet marketing became an integral part of today’s SEO. The social popularity and obviously authority, quality and reputation directly influence the SERP ranking.
The classic proof of social media influence on SERP is the customized search results. When you do a Google search after logging into Google service (like Google+) the SERP is greatly influenced by the content shared by your friends and network such as Google+.
On Page SEO and Off-page optimization.
On-page optimization as we know refers to factors and techniques that have an effect on your web page listing in search results page. The HTML code, content, Meta tags, keywords and mark-ups are all related to on-page optimization. Stuffing lot of keywords in the Meta tags is no longer a sustainable on-page SEO technique. But factors such as Title Tags, Alt Tags, Keyword Proximity, Internal Link Structure, content richness and uniqueness are part of OnPage Website Optimization.
Off-page optimization unlike on-page optimization is not controlled by the coding or optimization on your web page. Off-page optimization techniques include steps and techniques to improve link popularity and page rank. Social media branding is part of off-page optimization.
Categorization and Schema.org mark-up.
Google’s search engine is expecting web developers to take on greater responsibility with regard to product categorization as required in e-commerce websites and web applications. Schema.org defines markups that help you to mark up a range of item types on your pages, using a vocabulary that search engines such as Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! can all understand. Schema markup in content is important to Google and Google Webmaster tools Data Highlighter is doing just that. With Data Highlighter, you simply “tag” each data field with your mouse.
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