Social Marketing

Semantic Search – Why This is the Evolution of SEO

by Mark Hawks April 10th, 2014

Semantic Search & SEO Evolution
With recent changes to Google’s search algorithm (Panda, Penguin and now Hummingbird), the focus of SEO as we know it has changed drastically. What worked in keyword optimization and link building a few years ago could leave you in the penalty box today. However, there are certain changes, like semantic search, that have forced the traditional view of SEO to evolve to a more holistic and strategic approach. Those who combine content marketing, SEO and social influence to drive web traffic are finding search success on a broader scale.

What is Semantic Search?

Semantic search is a principle that strives to improve accuracy for search engine users. Essentially, it better understands the intent behind the words searched for—instead of just processing a string of search terms. At its best, semantic search can help users find the best website to answer a question or inquiry—even if it does not contain the actual words that the user searches. At its worst, it can be inaccurate even for websites that are well put together—but simply not set up well to work with the semantic search algorithms.

Moz.com published a piece on semantic SEO. In this article, industry expert Tamas Doszkocs defines semantic search as, “a search or a question or an action that produces meaningful results, even when the retrieved items contain none of the query terms, or the search involves no query text at all.”

What is Semantic SEO?

Semantic SEO is an evolution of traditional SEO. For many web designers and content marketers, semantic SEO should theoretically occur naturally. Because of the very idea of semantic search, web pages that do a good job of providing information about a subject to visitors will naturally perform in semantic search because search engines are becoming smarter. Pair this with traditional SEO techniques like building a variety of backlinks and social media influence, and a page can perform well in keyword focused search and in related search results. Making use of structured data markup on a page can be a big help. Adjusting, optimizing and testing page layout can go a long way in search performance. Pages that are well organized and make it easier to identify information are, of course, easier for search engines to index.

How Can Semantic SEO Techniques Improve Your Results?

If you choose to utilize SEO to boost search results in semantic search, what are you trying to achieve? The answer may seem obvious: To improve your keyword search engine rankings. But is that really it? Ultimately, you are not simply optimizing for keyword rankings in search engine results—you want to drive traffic for related phrases in search engine results, for searches that will drive quality, action-oriented visitors to your page. Keeping this in mind, semantic search is about widening the focus of your content, and making some simple organizational layout and markup adjustments. Combine that with some traditional SEO techniques to bring in relevant traffic and visitors that engage with your content, website and brand.

Search engine algorithms constantly change and evolve each and every year. Semantic search has been talked about for many years; its adaptation, permeation and growth are certainly going to continue, as search engine algorithms get smarter. Naturally, SEO has to evolve to incorporate a broader strategic content marketing strategy as well.

4 Ways to Improve Content Marketing

by SEO Savvy April 3rd, 2014

Search engines can detect when a business creates content of value versus content that is designed solely to capture web traffic. Scalable link building methods and over-optimizing your website by unnaturally stuffing content with keywords is counterproductive, and likely to land you with penalties from Google. Today, effective content marketing is key for successfully building brands, interacting with customers, and selling products.

Two out of every three businesses currently spend more than 25% of their marketing budget on digital marketing, including content marketing, according Accenture’s CMO Insights Study. However, the same study found that while many marketing executives understand the importance of content marketing, they are “unprepared” and “unsure” how to best leverage this marketing technique for maximum success. Without a clear strategy in place, businesses are ineffectively throwing money at content marketing – and hoping something works.

Follow these four tips to get the most out of your content marketing budget:

#1: Be interactive.
Google’s algorithm updates are capable of detecting “interactivity” of content. How does Google determine if your content is meeting this metric? Content that is shared, reblogged, reposted, emailed, retweeted, and commented upon is considered interactive. In other words, you need to figure out how to use social media to your advantage. To increase your content’s reach, be sure that it is relevant to your clients, original, and creative. Don’t rehash old news; make each story your own.

#2: Solve a problem.
In order to improve your content’s interactivity, it is important to understand what drives your target audience to share information. Solving a problem is one of the most basic and important reasons why individuals share information. Rather than making a sales pitch on your blog, provide how-to instructions or tips that address a common problem faced by your clients or customers. Giving away valuable content for free will not only increase the likelihood that your content is shared, but also build your business’s reputation as an industry thought leader. When clients face another problem, they’ll likely turn to your business for a trusted solution.

#3: Be visual.
Content that includes a picture or infographic is more likely to be shared than a text-only blog post. From Pinterest to Instagram, today’s most popular social networks are increasingly based on visuals. Photos increase user interaction on Facebook. Images shared on the popular social network receive 120 percent more engagement than plain text updates, and the latest format changes reflect images as priority. Don’t hide your best information in a sea of words and numbers. Turn old PowerPoint slides and charts into a compelling infographic. Accompany each blog post with a unique or thought-provoking image. When adding images to a blog post, be sure to add keyword metadata to the image for enhanced SEO.

#4: KISS.
This acronym, which dates back to the 1960s, stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. The KISS principle can be applied in many circumstances; for example, when you’re creating a piece of content, you want to keep the format as uncomplicated as possible. This is why lists have become so popular; you’ll grab the attention of your readers with a straightforward title, then keep them hooked with easy-to-read bullet points or numbers, subheadings, and brief paragraphs. Everyone is moving so fast on the Internet, jumping from website to social network to blog, that a simple, formulaic post delivers information most effectively.

Like any good marketing strategy, content marketing requires clear goals and benchmarks for success. Content marketing is also a long-term investment. While your business may not see immediate measurable returns, in the long run, effective content marketing will build your brand and improve customer relationships, two critical goals for your business’s marketing success.

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