Most of those who have an awareness of inbound marketing could probably already tell you that SEO has changed – it just isn’t how it used to be.
Some would go as far as to say it’s pretty much dead – that might be a tad too dramatic for our liking, but we would say it’s slowly fading away to what it used to be.
Google, the most popular search engine in the world, has been changing their search algorithms to focus on social hype, rather than nonsense jargon rammed with keywords.
That is the type of SEO (search engine optimisation) that is ‘fading away’, if you will.
It no longer helps you to do the 'old tricks' like clogging up content with backlinks and keywords, which always made you sound like a babbling buffoon.
Now, Google only rewards those who actually put something out there that makes sense, is valuable and needed by its audience. For instance, an article will do well if it is has a responsive design for mobile and tablet - where people will access social media in 2014 - and if fans are using you and sharing content.
This flurry of social media activity makes Google see it is worthwhile and adding value to the website, in which case the website will slowly rise up relevant SERPs (search engine results pages).
If a company really wants to go the extra mile, it’s best to set up a strong social media marketing campaign and regularly update networks with relevant information. Then include a blog to your website (full of useful articles, vlogs and varying content), using the social networks to share and inform your audience of blog posts’ existence - this is the cycle of activity that Google’s new algorithms love.
More than ever before, consumers are turning to each other for recommendations on companies, brands and products, and with social media being the #1 communication tool, it is pivotal you optimise it.
Converting from an SEO method to SMO (social media optimisation) is all about shifting your focus on to the consumer, what they want to hear and how it can be best delivered – if you do this well, your audience will grow as fans share and like your material – ultimately promoting your brand for you!
Keyword: SMO, social media optimisation
Definition: “Inviting people into conversation rather than merely broadcasting a message... listening to social media chatter and acting on the results. It is a hashtag or twitter handle on every ad, and a responsive team behind that social media presence for those who respond. It is integrating multiple touch points on multiple channels so that customers get a consistent experience across all of them.” – The Guardian
SEO was the art of focusing on the technicalities behind your web presence, and tweaking them to benefit your needs.
SMO is the art of creating quality content which increases customer demand, encourages increased website traffic and benefits the audience, ultimately, benefiting you when it comes to those pesky search engine results.
