The New SEO Rules for 2012

Started by Zekecamusio, 02-07-2012, 12:40:39

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ZekecamusioTopic starter

Manipulating organic rankings on Google has become much harder in the last 10 years. And, I'm glad it did. It used to be that all you had to do to rank #1 on Google was to put a bunch of keywords at the bottom of your pages and in your meta keywords tag. As people figure out ways to game the system, Google figures out ways to avoid falling in these traps. And again, I'm glad they do, because otherwise Google's results wouldn't be relevant.

Now, let's be realistic: black-hat techniques do work. But for a short period of time. I have a lot of websites myself that I use for experiments, but I'd never do anything risky for any of my clients or my main websites. You have to know when it makes sense to use black-hat techniques, when to use white-hat techniques and when to be somewhere in the middle.

My advice for 99.9% of you is: provide exceptional value to your users and Google will reward you for that. You'll get a lot of organic links, social shares and Google +1s, which are crucial things you need to rank #1 on Google.

The Most Important Question You Should Ask Yourself
You know you're doing things right when you can answer "yes" to this question, "if someone at Google saw this, would they think it's a good thing?" Do all your SEO with that question in mind.

Google +1 and Social Signals
In 2011 Google used tweets as a ranking factor, meaning that if you had a lot of tweets pointing to a page on your site, that was helping you rank better. Now tweets and Facebook likes/shares don't seem to have a direct impact on rankings but they do help you a lot with your rankings. This is because when people share your content, more people see it and more people link to it. In addition to this, I strongly believe that social shares will be playing a major role in SEO rankings in the future.

Another huge thing is getting +1s. Google launched their +1 button in 2011. You can see it on Google SERPs and on websites where people install the button:

So, what should you do about this?

    Install social sharing buttons on your website (I highly recommend ShareThis).
    Promote your content on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus.
    Make sure you have a lot of Twitter followers, Facebook friends/fans, LinkedIn connections and Google Plus circles so a lot of people share your content. You can do Facebook ads to get fans. You can strategically follow the right people on Twitter to get a lot of followers. Growing your circles on Google Plus is very easy. Just make sure you're actually building connections and not just adding people for the sake of having more followers. Also, keep in mind that people love free stuff, so giveaways and contests are great ways to get more followers.
    Make sure your content is amazing! Nobody likes sharing low-quality content.

Link Building
Here are some link building tips for 2012:

    Don't keyword-stuff your anchor texts. Make sure that at least 70% of your links' anchor texts are "click here", "learn more", "www.yoursite.com", "your company make", "check this out", etc. This makes your links look much more natural.
    Direct 70% of your links to your home page and 30% of your links to internal pages.
    Quality is much more important than quantity. Do great PR and hire great writers so you get editorial links from influential websites.

Panda Update
Here are a few tips to make sure your content ranks well:

    Decrease the ad-to-content ratio as much as possible.
    Create useful, unique content that adds value to the web. Don't just say what everyone else is saying using different words. There are many ways to create great content. Here are a few examples: this website created a list of the best Internet marketing posts of 2011. It's not unique content but it's extremely useful. Rand Fishkin created Whiteboard Fridays over at SEOmoz blog, which is a unique way to present information in a world where everyone blogs but very few people use whiteboards to get their points across.
    Design matters. Having a professional website makes all the difference. This is mostly because people tend to share content from beautiful websites much more than content from ugly ones.

Questions?
What questions do you have about doing SEO in 2012? I'll be happy to answer them for you.


noahbarn061784

Great! I was totally enlightened about the updates through this post. ;)


langergrp

#2
The new SEO rules emphasize the importance of providing high-quality, relevant content that meets the search intent of users. This means creating content that genuinely addresses the needs and questions of your target audience, rather than just trying to manipulate search engine rankings.

Other key aspects of the new SEO rules include:

1. Mobile-first indexing: Websites must be optimized for mobile devices to ensure a good user experience and better search engine rankings.

2. Page speed: Fast-loading web pages are favored by search engines, so optimizing page speed is crucial for SEO.

3. User experience: Search engines now prioritize websites that offer excellent user experience, including easy navigation, clear site structure, and engaging content.

4. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Content created by recognized experts and websites with high authority and trustworthiness are given preference in search rankings.

5. Voice search optimization: With the rise of voice search, optimizing content for natural language and long-tail keywords is becoming increasingly important.

6. Intent-based keywords: Instead of focusing solely on exact match keywords, it's vital to understand the intent behind search queries and create content that aligns with user intent.

7. Structured data: Utilizing structured data markup can help search engines better understand the content of your website, leading to enhanced visibility in search results through rich snippets and other special search result features.

8. Local SEO: For businesses targeting local audiences, optimizing for local search is crucial. This involves creating and optimizing Google My Business listings, obtaining local citations, and managing online reviews.

9. Content quality over quantity: The emphasis is now on creating in-depth, comprehensive, and well-researched content that provides genuine value to users, rather than churning out thin or low-quality content in high volumes.

10. E-commerce SEO: For e-commerce websites, optimizing product pages, enhancing site navigation, and improving the overall shopping experience are essential for success in search rankings.

11. Social media integration: While not a direct ranking factor, a strong social media presence can contribute to increased brand visibility, website traffic, and potential backlinks, which indirectly impact SEO.

12. Video and image optimization: Optimizing video content and images for search engines can enhance visibility in universal search results and attract users who prefer visual content.

13. Featured snippets and knowledge panels: Creating content that answers common questions in a concise, informative manner can increase the chances of appearing in featured snippets or knowledge panels, boosting visibility and credibility.

14. User-generated content: Encouraging user-generated content, such as reviews and testimonials, can enhance trust signals and provide fresh, relevant content, contributing to a positive SEO impact.

15. Technical SEO: Ensuring proper website structure, optimizing crawlability, fixing broken links, and addressing technical issues can improve overall site health and search engine visibility.

16. Core Web Vitals: With Google's emphasis on providing a great user experience, Core Web Vitals such as loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability will have a significant impact on search rankings starting in 2021.

17. Semantic search and natural language processing: Search engines are increasingly using semantic search and natural language processing to understand the context and meaning behind search queries, so creating content that semantically matches user intent is essential.

18. Secure website (HTTPS): Having a secure website with HTTPS encryption is now a ranking factor, and it also helps build trust with users.

19. Mobile-friendliness: A mobile-friendly website is not only important for user experience but also a key ranking factor, given the increasing number of mobile searches.

20. Ongoing monitoring and adaptation: SEO is an ongoing process. Monitoring performance, adapting to algorithm updates, and staying abreast of industry trends are crucial for maintaining and improving search visibility.

21. Local SEO and Google My Business: Optimizing for local search, including creating and maintaining an accurate Google My Business profile, is crucial for businesses with physical locations or those targeting specific geographic areas.

22. Accessibility: Ensuring that your website is accessible to users with disabilities not only broadens your audience but also aligns with search engines' emphasis on inclusive web experiences.

23. Quality backlinks: Building high-quality, relevant backlinks from authoritative websites remains a key aspect of off-page SEO, contributing to a website's authority and trustworthiness.

24. User engagement metrics: Search engines increasingly consider user engagement metrics such as click-through rate, dwell time, and bounce rate as signals of content quality and relevance.

25. Multilingual and international SEO: For businesses targeting global audiences or multiple language markets, optimizing for multilingual and international SEO can significantly expand reach and visibility.

These elements provide a more comprehensive understanding of the new SEO rules and how they can be effectively incorporated into an overarching SEO strategy. Staying up-to-date with these evolving best practices will help website owners and digital marketers navigate the ever-changing landscape of search engine optimization.

stevejess

I the one of the SEO that why i know about how to link build..
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Dennis Zocco

I never thought that there is an upgrade of seo rules for 2012. I thank you for the updates.


sutha

I want to ask. Is Google Places usefull for SEO??

meganiams84

Recently, I have read that Google doesn't gave much weight on the +1 yet..
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oraclegreen

Quote from: sutha on 08-15-2012, 00:18:19
I want to ask. Is Google Places usefull for SEO??

It will be useful it you are localizing your target traffics and SERP
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anandiphone

Thanks for the interesting thread. Enjoyed reading it.
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harsinha0018

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