6 Big Changes in Online Marketing Since Its Inception

Programmers, web-designers, and online marketers remind me of Wall Street brokers — forever glued to the screen, watching the scene like a hawk, ready to make its move when the time is right. That takes dedication and is truly admirable.

Today, these online marketers the world over rely, heavily, on SEO for ensuring the websites they are responsible for reach first page search engine results. Without high-level rankings, businesses flounder, and they are unable to gain new clientele.

2015 was Doomsday for a lot of businesses. Google, the top search engine, changed the way it ranked websites as well as their algorithms. This change eliminated keyword stuffers, article spinners, and marketers who put page ranks above their users and hits.

Let's take a look at some of those changes that seem likely to take place later this year and how you can protect yourself against future algorithm changes.

How Valuable Is Your Content?

I, for one, am not complaining about value being king. The algorithm change spurred writers to develop substantial content that reflected the humanity of our everyday lives.

Search engines use backlinks to help determine the ranking on search engines. There was a time when all you needed was other websites linking to your website. Now, Google has changed; they want backlinks from credible platforms.

They want to see content that changed the way we think, how we thought about situations, and helped us learn just a bit more about each other. Content is the future of online marketing.

If you want to get that higher ranking now, backlinks still are important. Make sure they are coming from trustworthy websites. Don't index them if they aren't. Try writing some guest posts on blogs in your niche area.

Remember: quality content is now the key!

Video Killed the Radio Star

This is why it is important for business owners to put all of their information online. Your address needs to be on Google, so customers can find you. Another important step is to utilize social media.

Social media marketing is a huge player in the game now. Make a Facebook and Twitter page for your business. Google even links people to your accounts.

Now, it seems like videos are moving ahead of text. More people around the world are digging their eyes into video content, more than text.

Text, these days, is so and so. In fact, it's considered standard nowadays to the point of just being there.

Google itself experimented with this earlier on in the year — showing video ads on their search pages. There's no denying that webinars and online courses are taking online marketing by storm.

Could this be because we, more than ever before, put more value into seeing who's on the other side of the screen? It's important to establish that human connection that the internet and desktop/mobile world sometimes chew up and spit out.

To benefit from this change, add videos and images to your articles. Google will rank your website higher when it has videos. Search engines know viewers love videos. So, pair them together!

More "Local" Than "Global"

Smartphones and tablets aren't going anywhere. Some site owners are lagging on mobile optimization. Maybe it is that they are lazy or they view that business is done on a laptop, but it is crucial in today's world.

Businesses that don't make their site mobile-friendly will lose money, plain and simple.

Over 80 percent of the world's population has a mobile phone which means that more people are searching through mobile on search engines. Google shows results of nearest location which it determines through mobile's GPS. It is better to evolve with search engines to get your site first ranked on local searches than global searches.

Google counts now if users search for your business. Take advantage of this; it will generate you more business.

The Quality of Your Website

Your SEO success depends largely on what aim your website is used for. What kind of services do you offer? Is your brand "in?"  Do other professionals in your industry feel strongly about your business?

The type of market you're in determines the quality of SEO content people will pick up. Just like the little kid and the lemonade stand, your stand might say all the right things to entice people. However, unless your lemonade hits the bull's-eye, nobody stays.

Start with adding eye-catching headlines. This is what will catch the attention of your readers. Don't write a novel. Most website viewers will click away if they see huge blocks of text.

Instead, focus on small paragraphs with superb content. Use bullet points and headlines for easy scanning. Pictures and videos are great ways to break up articles, and it drives your viewers in.

Most importantly, make sure your website is mobile optimized. Remember, we said that 80 percent of people have smartphones. If they view your website on their phone, it has to look just as good!

Keywords Don't Matter (as Much)

Yes, the days of keywords have taken a back seat to good, original content. BUT! They still play their part. Earlier in this article, I mentioned the quality of your content — the better value you provide, the better your site will end up in the ranking.

But don't forego all keywords — heavens no! They're still a crucial (albeit hidden in the shadows) part of your SEO. All I'm saying is don't rely on them too much. Let them be an afterthought.

The density of your keywords should be no more than 1–2 percent of your article. Seamlessly hiding them into your work is important. Some writers add keywords into their work, but they do so at the expense of the readability. Focus on a few, important keywords to make a difference.

Build Relationships

Your site isn't the only one in your niche — start a group with your colleagues! Building friendships with other site owners (and marketers) opens you up to a pathway of opportunities.

Having a friendly informational post on their site with a back-link can help increase link-juice. Guest posting is a common and important way to market your website, while gaining authority.

They spread the word to their friends and talk about you on their own site. Google notices this stuff and pays attention to the traffic certain sites draw.

I'm sure other search engines do, as well. My point is: if you want people to visit your site, strike up a conversation and welcome them to your home — as you would if you were face to face. Ask to guest post and then offer them the same opportunity on your website.

Make comments on other websites and make your presence known. Stay connected on social media with other websites, as well as your viewers. We live in a new age where people the world over can connect with each other at the press of a button.

Featured photo credit: Online Marketing Success via photopin.com

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