6 Tips to Following SEO Techniques and Trends

Are you always struggling to keep up with SEO techniques and trends?

Are you bamboozled by Google algorithm updates that knock you off your feet, just as if you’re getting to the groove of your SEO strategy?

When you’re ranking on the first page for a keyword then suddenly tank to page 10, you might feel confused and frustrated. There’s even a chance that your revenue is tied to your SEO traffic!

How can you possibly stay on top of what’s new with SEO?

These 6 SEO tips might not be revolutionary, but they can certainly help you from becoming blind-sighted when new Google updates arrive—which can spell big trouble for your bottom line.

What Makes SEO Techniques and Trends so Troubling?

According to Content Marketing Institute’s 2018 Benchmarks, 61% of B2B marketers say that changes to SEO/search algorithms are their top content marketing issues.

If you look at the big picture, it’s no surprise that learning about what’s new in SEO feels like an endless battle.

First, Google updates its algorithm 500 to 600 times per year. That breaks down to 50 times a month!

What’s worse is that sometimes Google confirms these updates, but sometimes they don’t.

Sometimes the algorithm updates only affect certain industries, while major algorithm updates impact almost everyone.

SEO is truly a roller coaster ride and no one knows what the next update will bring.

Luckily, there are ways you can stay on top of SEO trends and come out on the bright side of both large and small updates.

Here are some SEO tips for keeping yourself up-to-date.

Tip #1: Bring Algo Updates to Your Inbox

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the time to visit a bunch of websites individually to find out about new potential SEO trends.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend an hour or more surfing the web to get the newest algorithm updates. You can begin by automating the system and bringing Google algorithm update news right to your inbox from trusted sources.

There are many places around the web that can keep you on top of the latest SEO trends, but these are the most trusted with an email subscription option:

Search Engine Land’s Google Algorithm Updates
SE Roundtable Google Updates
SE Roundtable’s Search Buzz Video (updated weekly)
Search Engine Watch Google Algorithm Updates
Google Webmaster Central Blog (GWCB is known to announce updates months in advance, although you won’t always see updates posted here.)

This short list can pack a punch when it comes to knowing the latest on Google’s algorithm changes, keeping you in the know while you tend to other business.

However, there are a few other places where you can learn about SEO techniques, even though you’ll have to search them out on your own when you’re ready to learn,

If you want a sweeping overview of Google algorithm changes, including the latest updates (confirmed and nonconfirmed), be sure to bookmark the following sources:

All of the aforementioned sources are free to use and help you track SEO trends. If you are looking to seriously up your SEO game, you might want to invest in some paid SEO tracking tools such as Brightedge, Moz, and Searchmetrics.

Still don’t have time to sit down and read a few news articles on SEO trends? No worries! You can learn about SEO trends on the go with some informative podcasts.

Tip #2: Tune into SEO Podcasts

I love podcasts. I have a rotation of around 10 podcasts that I listen to weekly, ranging from building a business to learning about the latest on SEO trends. One of the troubles of finding a good SEO podcast is finding those that are updated frequently. This way, you can rely on them to deliver SEO techniques and trends that are timely.

I’ve found a few of these for you.

In this instance, I am referring to podcasts on Apple iTunes but many of these are available elsewhere. Full disclosure that these podcasts cover other content than strictly SEO

Marketing School with Neil Patel and Eric Siu

This podcast is updated daily, although it covers a range of other topics other than SEO. However, this duo gives a lot of helpful tidbits on algorithm changes and SEO techniques that you can apply. Keep in mind that this podcast releases bite-size episodes around 5 minutes long, but it doesn’t mean you won’t learn a thing or two.

Marketing Scoop

This podcast, hosted by David Main and Judith Lewis, occasionally provides key insights to major SEO updates. It covers SEO, advertising, content marketing, and the latest trends in the digital space.

Voices of Search

This podcast, hosted by Searchmetrics, dives deep into the ever-changing world of search engine marketing. They deliver actionable strategies to keep you on top of your game with SEO techniques.

Search News You Can Use

This podcast is from Marie Haynes. Updated weekly, you’ll find advice on improving your website rankings while discussing the most important and interesting changes in the world of SEO.

Tip #3: Turn to Experts on Twitter

When it comes to real-time SEO updates, Twitter can be a reliable resource. Consider following a few influencers to keep yourself in the loop with SEO.

Ann Smarty is the founder of BlogU and various other tech-related startups. She’s also the brand manager at Ninjas Marketing.

Google SearchLiason, sharing insights on Google Search.

Marie Haynes, the same Marie Haynes from the podcast list.

Barry Schwartz, the founder of Search Engine Roundtable.

Brian Dean of Backlinko.

So you have some blogs, podcasts, and SEO experts to follow on Twitter. This is a great starting point to keep yourself always up-to-date with SEO!

However, keeping yourself in the loop with SEO is only a piece of the puzzle.

What do you do with this information that you learn from these experts?

Tip #4: Review Google Analytics for Major Fluctuations

When Google makes a major algorithm update, it might leave you shaking in your boots. If you’re doing blackhat SEO techniques then yes, there is likely a reason to worry.

However, if you play by Google’s rules, there is an opportunity to recover if you take a hit in traffic.

For example, you might log into Google Analytics and discover a massive drop in traffic, much like what you see here. Neil Patel shared this graphic to demonstrate how a website with poor quality content might experience a significant traffic drop during the Google Panda updated, which occurred in 2011.

Image Source: Neil Patel

If you log into Google Analytics and discover this problem for your website, the first thing you’ll need to do is check out a few of those sources I shared and see what’s going on in the world of Google. Was there a major update? If so, read what the experts are saying and compare notes with what you’re experiencing.

Keep in mind that it can take some time for a major algorithm change to entirely roll out.

Next, take time to learn about the newest algorithm update. What new guidelines do you need to follow to get back on the good side of Google?

This is where SEO techniques come into play—the stuff that you can apply to your blog content now that helps you move forward in the search rankings.

Tip #5: Finetune Your SEO Techniques on Your Blog

According to the Marketing School Podcast, you should be fine tuning your on-page SEO once every four months. Whether you are or aren’t on board with quarterly SEO refreshes, it doesn’t hurt to go back to basics with SEO techniques.

These are some of the essential SEO techniques, technical and non-technical, that you need to use for your blog content:

Write well-optimized blog headlines. Consider keywords but also analyze the emotional impact of your headline.
Deliver on the promises of your headline. Don’t fall short on what you offer with your content. It’s one of the non-technical SEO techniques that make a big impact on user experience.
Naturally build backlinks by delivering quality, original content that solves problems.
Use keywords throughout your blog post, including the intro, subheads (H2 tags), and even alt text for images.
Don’t necessarily repeat the same keyword over and over again in its exact phrase. Use synonymous keywords.
Internally link to other blog posts on your website. You can also link to product or service pages.
Don’t forget to keep old blog posts updated and even add a “last updated” note. This shows Google that you’re properly maintaining old blog content so it remains relevant for readers.

Want to see how to use good SEO techniques in action on your blog? Read SEO for Blog Posts: Your Walk-Through Optimization Guide.

Tip #6: Shape up Your Blog Strategy (Customer Centric)

No matter the Google algorithm you’re concerned about, one thing always remains the same: Google wants to provide the best user experience possible.

Creating a customer-centric blog strategy is essential to SEO, but it can also help you grow your brand and even bring in more business.

One approach to shaping up your blog strategy is by using Hubspot’s flywheel. The flywheel is an alternative to the traditional sales funnel in the sense that it puts customers at the center of the marketing efforts.

Using the Flywheel for Your Blog Content

Here is how you can ensure that you’re creating quality SEO blog content for customers and Google:

Attract

Attracting an audience with keyword research is one of the first steps for SEO. The key is to remember relevancy and consider intent behind the keyword.

According to WordStream, there are three types of keyword intent: navigational, informational, and transactional.

Wordstream suggests that keyword searches with high commercial intent will use words such as “buy” or “cheapest” along with specific product keywords, such as iPhone 10S.

However, another approach is to think in terms of short tail vs long tail keywords.

Short tail keywords can indicate that the customer is only looking for general information. They’re likely not ready to buy at this stage. It can take a lot longer to get a return on investment for these keywords, not to mention they are generally much more competitive.

However, with longtail keywords, your customer is looking for something very specific. They have likely already read general information on a product or service and want to take things a step further, or they might even be ready to buy.

When it comes to attracting your audience with SEO, incorporate low competition/longtail keywords in blog content that is informative, relevant, and interesting to the reader.

Engage

Once you hit on a blog topic that is relevant to your customers and can bring a return on investment, the next step is to engage them!

One way you can do this is by writing blog headlines that create curiosity. In the video below, I provide some tips on how to do this effectively.

Another few engagement ideas include:

Hook your readers with a strong introduction.
Use short and snappy sentences.
Carefully format your blog content, using bullet points and plenty of white space.
Share your content on social media and ask for feedback, or ask questions.
Understand your audience! This is the key to writing quality blog content that resonates with the reader.

Even though you have the reader engaged, your job isn’t done yet. You still need to delight your audience to complete the flywheel.

Delight

Delight is a powerful word. It’s several levels above happy.

It’s the type of content that makes you cheese like:

It feels difficult enough to make your customers happy with your content, so how the heck do you delight them?

Offer meaningful advice that makes their lives easier
Go beyond expectations with your content. Give more!
Make them laugh.
Make them the hero of your storytelling.
Provide actionable information and an unforgettable user experience.

With these content writing tips in mind, you’re sure to have your customers smiling from ear to ear!

Need SEO for Blog Posts?

I get it—staying on top of SEO techniques is tough, but I can do the hard work for you. My SEO optimized blog posts are always at the forefront of SEO trends and Google’s latest updates. Take a look at our blog packages or contact me about custom SEO blog writing.