Are You an Algorithm Chaser?

How do you stay on top of SEO best practices today? How do you keep Google – and your readers – happy? Some people are always chasing the algorithm – they follow Google’s patent requests and produce lists of conclusions as to what Google wants you to do now! Like chasing ambulances to stay in the fast lane, this is a dangerous and questionable practice and will lead to trouble. Google’s algorithm is complex and multi-faceted and changes often. If you are watching Google, hoping to get a quick entrance into the top of the search results, stop it. Stop watching Google and watch what Google watches.

Do SEO for People, Not Google

Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s Webspam team, said, “Chase What Google Is Chasing After.”  In this piece in the NY Times (and quoted here in the SEO Roundtable Blog) Matt says, “chase after your best interpretation of what users want, because that’s what Google’s chasing after.”

In other words, as I’ve said before, and I will most likely say again, write for people. Create a great Web site and a great blog. Fill it with great content that YOUR prospects and customers will want to read. Google’s algorithm is always being tweaked for that purpose primarily – to make it work and interpret Web pages more like humans do, so think about humans and how they see your site, not Google.

Avoid common SEO pitfalls. And watch where technology is going. As the world is turning to mobile devices, start planning your mobile strategy (Do you have an app? Is your site mobile phone friendly? Have you seen your site on a tablet?). Evaluate each new technology on your own for how well it works and if you think it makes people happy! As the world turns, so should your Web strategy.

Stay ahead of the curve – don’t wait for the search engines – they’ll be there.

Are you chasing or leading? How’s your SEO? Let us know in the comments. Contact us for a free SEO audit of your site.