Search engine optimisation is such a critical element of the modern digital strategy that it is hard to believe it is a science that is less than twenty years old. Granted, it is an ever-changing science and one that constantly sees the search engines changing their algorithms to ensure that they cannot be gamed. What is important with SEO though is that the logic behind it is understood. Getting good results is only possible if you understand why search engines are so significant and then you follow that up by understanding what it is that they do and how they do it. So, without further ado, here are a few things that you really do need to know about search engines.
How busy are they?
To put into context just how important search engines are in terms of their ability to drive traffic to your website, it helps to understand just how much traffic they experience. An SEO specialist Australia regards very highly recently suggested that Google alone receives 63000 searches every second. That is an extraordinary number. And that is a constant – every second of every day all around the year. So, when using that as a context for the type of traffic that is out there it certainly helps to contextualise the importance of getting your search engine optimisation right.
But what are they search for?
Studies have shown that when people search, they tend to search for phrases rather than words. In SEO speak these are known as ‘long-tail keywords’ and it is something that is important to remember when optimising your site. In short, it means that when they search people are searching for things like, ‘where to buy a Ford in Brisbane’ as opposed to just ‘Ford’. It makes a lot of sense because people use platforms like Google to have questions answered and to find things, and most of the time they don’t know the single word or phrase that they need.
All about mobile
It is very important that your website renders properly for mobile. Increasingly searches are being performed from mobile devices, with many countries now showing that Google is accessed more frequently from hand-held devices than from desktops. Because of this Google’s algorithms now punishes sites that don’t have mobile-friendly pages. What is even more interesting to note with regard to mobile searches is that they are also very focussed on location. Ensure that your site is optimised for local search or you will be excluded from results that factor in the locality.
Social is important
While Google likes to keep their algorithm a secret, they do let certain pieces of information out into the public domain. In this regard, they have said that while social media shares do not count as individual oinks, they do give weight to social media. As such, if you do have a presence on Twitter or Facebook this is a good thing. A story that goes viral is not going to generate you a massive boost in Google rankings, but it will be noted, and it will count for something – so don’t forget to make social an important part of your strategy.
