Rashida
By now, we all know how important it is to optimize your online presence for search engines.
SEO is a non-negotiable marketing strategy that’s vital for businesses of all sizes in all industries in all locations.
Because of its importance, SEO is now a marketing basic. We’re aware of basic keyword research, site performance, and the long-standing ranking factors Google uses.
But to truly succeed, your SEO strategy needs to be dynamic. Google constantly tweaks the algorithms it uses to determine the search results. You’ll never be able to track all of these little changes, but understanding the latest SEO trends can help you stay ahead of the game.
Keep reading for some of the latest SEO techniques to try now.
Reddit Keyword Research
Previously, we shared several keyword research techniques you can use for your SEO strategy. However, we’ve recently heard a lot about yet another keyword/topic research channel: Reddit.
Reddit is essentially user forums on steroids. There are “subreddits” on every subject and every sub-subject you can think of. In these subreddits, people ask and answer each other’s questions, share their experiences, tell stories, and more.
Not only is this a great place to learn about others’ experiences or get honest reviews, it’s also a great place to find relevant long-tail keywords.
Here’s how you can use Reddit to find long-tail keywords and topic ideas:
- Head to subreddits where your ideal audience may be. Look in subreddits relevant to your industry or relevant to a specific topic you plan to write about.
- Not sure where to start? Search for a topic in your industry and see which subreddits show up.
- Browse through these subreddits and conversations.
- Pick out terms that appear repeatedly.
- Terms that people use and look for a lot on Reddit are likely ones they search on Google as well.
Refresh Old Content
Oftentimes, marketers get caught up in churning out new content and researching new topics. While you certainly need to keep up with content regularly, old content is a goldmine for an SEO refresh.
There are several ways you can use previous content, including:
- Better optimize it with links, headers, etc.
- Update the statistics and any outdated information.
- Improve the quality of the content and republish it as a “new” piece (especially if your audience has grown a lot since you first posted it).
- Share the content on other channels to grow your off-page SEO.
- Add a new case study or a backlinks feature.
- Re-promote it via an email newsletter.
There are several ways to determine which content to update. For one, re-visit evergreen pieces. Evergreen content includes topics that are essentially always relevant and are not dependent on current events, seasons, etc. Analyze your current evergreen content and look for areas of improvement.
Another strategy is to perform keyword analysis on your website. Check for keywords you’d like to rank higher for or need to get on the board for. If you have content relevant to those keywords already, go back and refresh it to improve SEO. You can even add sections to include relevant new keywords.
Be Aware of Google Passage Ranking
Back in 2020, Google rolled out Passage ranking. This means that certain passages on a web page can be ranked (perhaps separately) from the rest of the page. For example, if you wrote a blog post about content marketing and had one section on social media marketing, the passage on social media marketing could rank even though you didn’t optimize for that term. In that case, Google decided to index the page because of the relevant content it sees about social media marketing.
How can you optimize for Google’s Passage ranking? Focus on creating intuitive blog posts with a good user experience. Establish clear, defined sections in your post, leveraging keywords in the headings. Within each section, the topic should be focused (almost like a mini blog post). Basically, each section should be able to stand alone while still fitting with your primary topic.
Features Snippets
Featured snippets show up first for a given search, ahead of the rest of the results. The snippet is in a rectangular box and is supposed to answer the main question of the searcher.
Of course, we all want to get into the featured snippet, but it is highly competitive.
Here are some tips to put you in the best position possible to reach the featured snippet:
- Focus on long-tail keywords.
- Use questions within the writing.
- Pay attention to formatting, provide the answer first and faster. Keep the paragraphs short.
Start by looking at the feature snippets for searches relevant to your brand and content. If your content is not the featured snippet, assess the current ones. What do they have in common? Is there a certain company or site dominating the snippet results?
Take some lessons from existing snippets. Apply these lessons to your future content, but consider ways to revamp old content to better meet feature snippet criteria.
Prioritize User Experience
Every SEO strategy you use should improve the user experience. In 2022, user experience plays a huge role in what ranks high.
The current core web vitals that Google focuses on all have to do with user experience. The search engine will also consider things like dwell time, click-through rate, and bounce rate. Reducing bounce rates while increasing dwell time and click-through rate is the goal.
How can you accomplish this?
- Ensure a mobile-friendly website
- Intuitive navigation on your website
- Increase page speed
- Incorporate interactive features that engage users on your site
- Leverage quality content with functional links and easy-to-read formatting
To improve the user experience of your site, you’ll need to know where you currently stand. Evaluate the technical SEO of your site and measure current performance metrics, like speed, bounce rate, etc.
If you have a technical SEO expert, then you can work with them to improve your website experience in several ways. If not, then consider partnering with one to ensure you provide the optimal experience.
How to Stay Up-to-Date with SEO Techniques
The truth about SEO techniques is that they are always advancing based on search engine algorithms and the current competition.
In the past, shoving keywords into your content was enough. Over time, keyword stuffing became a detrimental technique, and quality content leveraging long-tail keywords became the gold standard.
The above are a few modern strategies your brand should use to stay on top of SEO, but staying up-to-date with the trends is even more important.
Here are some tips for how to stay up-to-date with SEO strategies:
Watch the Data
The data will tell you when trends are changing. Monitor your SEO data and site metrics frequently. If you suddenly notice a major change in how your site ranks or performs, then you can be sure there are some search engine changes in the air.
Read Up
Following a few key blogs and websites will help you learn about SEO changes and trends. You don’t need to spend hours a day reading about SEO to keep up with trends. But, subscribing to/following a few different resources will help you be the first to know about any big changes.
Here are a few websites that can help you learn about SEO and stay up-to-date:
Learn from the Competition
Keeping close tabs on your competitors can also help you stay on top of SEO. Monitor the strategies they are using and what appears to work vs not. If you notice them trying out something new, chances are you should consider it as well.
LinkedIn is packed with helpful resources for helping you stay on top of all things digital marketing. You can follow/connect with influencers in your industry, marketing experts, and more to get the latest, greatest SEO advice and information.
Step Up Your SEO Game Today!
Now that you know some of the modern SEO techniques, it’s time to step up your game and get your site ranking higher and higher.
Then, use some of the resources above to keep your SEO learning up-to-date and stay on top of the latest trends.
Want a little (or a lot of) help along the way? Our dedicated team at Content Cucumber can help with several aspects of your SEO strategy. Whether you’re just looking for someone to bring your content ideas to life, a completely hands-off experience, or something in between, our team can help you. We’d love to chat more about how our writing services can help you grow your brand today. Book a demo with our content specialists today!
Let’s collaborate to up your SEO techniques now!
