Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is frequently scary, confusing, and seemingly unwieldy, yet it is ever more essential if you wish your site to survive in the Digital Age. Thankfully there are a few overarching principles that will allow you to govern your operations and make meaning out of the mess. Here at Drive Traffic Media, we have summarized the 5 most important points for keeping you SEO Los Angeles competitive in an ever fiercer market. 

Put the User’s First:

Make the greatest effort to try and understand what your target audience’s search intent is, not simply what keywords are being searched for the most. You should not rely simply upon assumptions of popularity, but try to approach your keyword mix from a conversational standpoint, so as to best ascertain the intent of your audience. In the same vein, you should not optimize your site to simply satisfy keyword rankings, but instead choose keywords that make your site relevant and engaging to your audience, so as to provide them with the best experience possible. Genuineness matters, which is why you want your content optimized to reach higher in the SERPs, and not simply to appeal to search engines. Make your search optimization be meaningful and relevant to your content, for if you care about your audience they will care more about you. 

Mobile-Friendliness and Optimization:

Simply put, the future is mobile. According to Google, more than half of all searches now come from smartphones, so it is more important than ever that your content is mobile-friendly and well-tailored to the platform’s peculiar preferences. This is most obvious in site-speed, as your mobile and tablet content should not lag significantly behind that of your desktop. In addition, however, the searching habits of mobile users are also different, as these users prefer search results that are more visceral and forthright. You should imagine your users searching for your content while waiting in line, or while they have free time when commuting on public transit. Mobile devices require a distinct optimization from the more traditional desktop format, but it is one that will continue to increase in importance into the future. 

Analytics:

When in doubt, check your search traffic. The data from your own posts will give you the greatest insight into what practices and tactics are successful. A good place to start is to screen your most successful posts for their similarities, including length,  content, and keywords. This will allow you to gauge the interests of your audience and develop further content to satisfy those interests. Developing a thorough understanding of Google Analytics is thus essential for any successful improvement of SEO, with reports being accessible under Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels. The “Organic Search” option will allow you to analyze performance for your SEO program.

Develop a Social Media Presence:

While it may be cliche, it is undoubtedly true that social media is now not only an essential piece of our lives but also our businesses. A strong social media presence will increase your search results in the long run by giving greater exposure to your content. Your content should be posted on a minimum of two or three platforms, especially prominent ones such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc. Google now integrates social results into search answers, making a broader online presence a valuable way to increase the relevance of your content to searches. In addition, platforms such as Youtube and Pinterest have become popular search engines in-of-themselves for visual content, making them an additional venue to increase the engagement with your content. This goes back to point one, if you make a meaningful effort to make your content engaging and accessible to your target audience they will respond with more, and more consistent, searches. Social media is now an essential part of this strategy. 

Stay up to Date on SEOs:

The SEO industry is constantly changing, and thus demands constant attention not only from specialists, such as ourselves but also from you. Try to stay on top of the most recent updates to algorithms and how they may affect your tactics, as well as changes in how content is consumed and distributed. One of the fastest-growing trends in 2019 has been voice search and commands, which demands in own host of strategies for optimizations, as voice search is more lengthy and conversational than either mobile or traditional desktop searches. Sites such as “Google Webmasters” provide quick and accessible updates to the most recent changes in SEO, and will be necessary if you wish to have peak performance for your content. 

These represent the most important principles that guide your firm’s engagement with SEO Los Angeles. We at Drive Traffic Media, are at the forefront of Digital Marketing and are thus well versed in all of the above principles. As you bring your firm forward from 2019 into 2020 these above-mentioned points will only become more important, and any competitive project will take them up sooner rather than later. Remember that while it may take a lot of effort to stay up to date and competitive in SEOs, your efforts will be rewarded with significantly increased search traffic.