1. Make sure your digital content is cohesive
Let’s be honest, having cohesive digital content is not a new strategy. However, I think it’s important to have a reminder, because cohesive content is now more important than ever. Whenever I educate business owners about SEO, I start off with defining SEO and putting it in layman’s terms—SEO is all about quality content, how relevant that content is, and how frequently that content shows up. I often use the quote, “DMO is the new SEO,” to describe what SEO has evolved into. DMO stands for Digital Media Optimization. In a world where there are too many online touch points, it’s important to optimize your content across every channel to help more potential visitors find you.
Whether it’s naming files properly or incorporating hashtags or keywords, you need to consider how you can increase your brand’s visibility at all times, both on and off of your website. Make sure that your brand displays a united front across every single channel (same logo, same brief descriptions, same voice). This ensures that you’re sending a clear message about who you are, what you do, and where you do it to anyone who comes in contact with your brand.
2. Consider mobile search and desktop search
I think it’s safe to say that everyone has received the memo about the importance of mobile these days—making sure that your site is mobile responsive is now essential, not optional. And now that Google has rolled out its first mobile index, which follows the same basic principles and best practices as desktop indexes, there are slight discrepancies that need to be taken into account.
It all comes down to the user’s intent. Although there are still studies being done on user experience and behavior, it appears that people are more likely to use their mobile devices to search for products and services that are local. When a person is searching on their phone, there’s a better chance that they’re looking for something close by to go to, such as a movie, a great restaurant, or a specific type of store. Consequently, it appears that people who search on a computer are more likely to be browsing non-location e-commerce sites or doing research. In addition, people who search on mobile are more likely to call, whereas people who search on desktop are more likely to complete a form or email.
So what does all this mean? It means that you have to consider user experience for different types of devices. You need to design your website with mobile in mind by incorporating helpful features like a phone number click-through. You also need to take a look at your mobile and desktop metrics to understand how your website is performing on each device.
3. Incorporate voice search tactics
2018 has brought out great products like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomePod. These devices, along with our mobile phones, have taken the world of voice searching to whole new level. When creating content for your website, it is now vitally important that you incorporate common speech phrases and long-tail keywords.
What are long-tail keywords? They’re four-or-more-word phrases that hone into your niche and narrow down your competition. By answering specific questions with clear, precise answers, Google and other search engines are more likely to pick up that content and use it in their voice search results.
