2017 SEO Checklist For Effective Results

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Mar 2017

Posted by: Category:Search Engine Optimization

With the start of a new year, the possibilities and opportunities of every business has risen to a new level. SEO, as usual will be a deciding factor to bring maximum web traffic to your website. Search engines keep updating their algorithms for ranking a website. With the beginning of a new year, you need to make an effective SEO strategy to bring meaningful results. We have summarized the various parameters upon which your SEO strategy has to be built. Listed below are the 10 points that needs to be considered while chalking out SEO strategy for 2017.

2017 SEO Checklist for Effective Results

1. Go for a Mobile-Friendly / Responsive Website

It has not been a secret anymore that Google considers mobile-friendliness as an important ranking factor for your website. With its announcement in 2010, Google has started emphasizing on responsive website. “Mobile-Geddon” has further consolidated the fact that Google will rate your website on its responsive nature. SEO and Mobile-Responsiveness is almost inseparable these days. If you still have a non-responsive website, it’s time to build a mobile-friendly website.

2. Analyzing the Internal linking and Content of Website

Lesser known to us but one of the most common reason why a website performs below standard is faulty internal linking. The rank of your website is decided by calculating the connection between number of pages, links used for crawling and anchor text used. Besides proper internal linking, relevant and specific content is a must for better website ranking. Appropriate keywords within the prescribed limits must be used for best SEO results.

3. Inclusion of Semantic Keywords

With the launch of Google Penguin in 2016, Google has updated their Search Engine with many additional functions. This new update has made search engines more “Human” giving rise to the use of semantic keywords. Using exact keywords has become a history now, semantic keywords is in trend these days. Using too many exact keywords will be considered as spam, while too many semantic keywords will not be regarded as spam.

4. Invest in SEO

SEO is and will always be the deciding factor for your website’s performance. Procuring quality backlinks from reliable websites works like a tonic for your website’s ranking. With the various SEO tools available in the market, it becomes easier to streamline your website accordingly. These softwares and applications have been developed by SEO experts, making it easier for you to get better backlinks and raise your website’s position on SERP.

5. Effective Strategy for Your Local SEO

Being the owner of a small business or a brick-and-mortar shop, you must target the local and nearby customers. Getting ranked in local SERP for you is more beneficial as compared to getting ranked in international SERP. Being a small business owner you get most of your revenue from local customers. List yourself in local directories to tap maximum local clients and help your business in its growth and development.

6. Improve Your Technical SEO

There are various technical aspects of a website which needs to be taken care of. Different technical parameters like Page Speed, Sitemap, the amount of 404 pages, and other SEO-related technical things have to be optimized for better SEO results. Google SEO Tools, diagnostic apps, etc can be used to monitor and manage the technical SEO factors. Take the help of a website programmer if you are not familiar with the codes used in the website development.

7. Creating Customer Brand Awareness

The main reason you opt for SEO is to create brand awareness for your business among your customers. Your customers must recognize your brand and recall it instantly. Various medium of promotion can be used to promote your brand and make it easily recognizable by customers. Social media can be used to connect with millions of customers and promote your brand all over the globe. Higher brand awareness will bring your customers closer to your business.

8. Being in-tune With Google Updates

SEO is a dynamic process and its parameters keeps changing from time to time. With new updates in SEO, earlier strategies needs to be revamped. Your website needs to be in-tune with the latest search engines algorithms. If you will not adopt the changing methods of SEO, your competitors will surely surpass your website rank. Make relevant changes and focus on updating your website as per new algorithm rules of search engines.

9. Implementing Schema On Your Website

Schema, also known as Microdata, is structured data markup on web pages. It is useful to explain Google about content on various parts of your page. Use schema by adding relevant code to avoid any misunderstanding by Google. Schema can also change how your website will appear in Google SERP. Provide an option of rating for your article, product, or anything which can be rated. Schema implementation can help Google to understand your content better.

10. DIY SEO vs SEO Company

Choosing a professional SEO company is a daunting task as there are hundreds of them present in the market. You can manage your SEO yourself if you have the appropriate skills of handling it. Pros and cons of managing SEO yourself and by a company is listed below:-

DIY Pros :

  • You do not have to pay anything apart from what you spend on SEO tools and applications.
  • You can easily learn the SEO basics which is good enough for a small business website. Since you know your website best, you can easily optimize the most important pages of your website.

DIY Cons :

  • SEO is not a one-time affair, infact it is a continuous process. It takes months before the results starts appearing. Continuous devotion for SEO become a strenuous exercise.
  • Since you are heavily dependent on the information gathered from internet, the authenticity of the facts is questionable. Following a false lead may lead to website penalization.

SEO Company Pros :

  • They are professionals and know their job. You just have to pay them and they will make the whole task easier, simpler and faster.
  • With years of experience behind them, they know how to deliver results. They follow white hat SEO tactics to give you best results.

SEO Company Cons :

  • Based on the experience and results they have provided, SEO companies charge for their services. Hiring a company without proper research will waste your money and time.
  • There are various fraud SEO companies who boasts quick results but fail to deliver their promises. It’s always better to hire an expensive but reliable SEO company than to hire a cheap SEO company.

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