4 New SEO Strategies for the New Year – How to Thrive in 2014

by Lasso Up | 12/30/13 | SEO

As we draw the curtain on 2013, the approaching new year means it’s time to plan our SEO strategies for the coming year. Staying ahead of the ever-changing calendar is crucial during transitional periods, and looking to the future with an innovative eye will keep you ranked ahead of the competition. Here are a few New Year’s strategies that will help you hold on to your place on page one: 1. Focus on content marketing As essential as content marketing already is to successful SEO, Google will be taking steps to make it even more significant in the coming year. So get into the spirit of the season, because those who give will be well primed to receive. Content that aims to educate, illuminate, and otherwise aid Web users is content Google wants to encourage, so the search engine will reward the selfless and punish the greedy more than ever in the coming years. As a way to ensure you have Google’s good graces on your side, avoid publishing site content that only serves to self-promote. Google wants you to scratch your industry’s back, not that hard-to-reach itch on your own. 2. Give in to Google+ Google+ is a lot like that joke your uncle tells after each Christmas dinner – the embarrassing one about your aunt that makes her mad and makes everyone else uncomfortable. The joke that no one has ever laughed at, ever. Well, just like your uncle (and let’s admit, Google shares a lot of strange qualities with your uncle, especially when he’s had a few) Google just can’t give up Google+. In fact, though Google+ might be Google’s biggest embarrassment, Google is strapped to its success–the whole situation is quite Sisyphean.This year is no different. In fact, it’s worse. Google wants someone to laugh at that joke. So instead of resisting, be the one who laughs first. Be regularly active, use Google authorship as best you can, and amp up your Google+ presence. Google will show you its benevolent and grateful side in the form of improved rankings. 3. Improve your social life The extent to which social media bolsters SEO has yet to be fully discovered. This year, we learned a good deal about how essential social sharing can be (especially on Twitter and Facebook), and the trend will continue next year. Make sure you’re using social media outlets for more than self-aggrandizement or advertisement (remember tip #1). This will actually improve your standing amongst users who really prefer to be marketed to in a less overt fashion and please Google. Share links, images, infographics, and ideas that enhance the online experience. This kind of content generates more shares, and Google sees shares as indications you’ve provided useful and quality content. Share as though your company’s reputation were at stake–because essentially, it is. 4. Optimize for mobile Last but certainly not least, mobile optimization is going to play a huge role in 2014, with regard to both rankings and business success. Even if you achieve a permanent page-one ranking, your business will be hampered if you don’t go mobile. As phones improve–and they’re improving virtually overnight–mobile users will expect site compatibility Remember when your business decided a Web page was essential to maintain relevance? The step-up to mobile is equally important. So, while you’re making a list of navigation and usability improvements for the Web for the new year, don’t overlook this crucial step. Especially since Google is making strides in mobile search development and will be using mobile compatibility to assess your page rank. Here at Lasso Up, we’re focused on Responsive Web Design as a way to provide an optimal user experience on all devices, sizes and operating systems. 2014 is going to be a great year for SEO, and staying ahead of the game will ensure it’s also great for your company. Just remember to avoid wasting your time with tactics known in the SEO underground as black hat, and focus instead on quality content, back links, and social sharing. Have a Happy New Year!