Why is analyzing your SEO in 2016 Important?
If you’ve been using the same SEO tactics and tips as you did the year before, it might be time to reconsider your strategy and allow for change where necessary. There have been significant changes in the SEO landscape in the last several years and this is why it is important to reconsider what is influencing your search engine ranking factors.
How to evaluate your SEO in 2016 for maximum results
While the basic fundamental aspects of doing your own keyword research haven’t really changed, it’s important to remember that there are many ways you can do this effectively. Some of the most common examples include:
- Analyzing your website analytics
- Using long tail keywords naturally throughout your content
- Looking at the top ranking pages of your competitors to determine what keywords they are using
- Using keyword research tools
Word Count
Over the course of the last year, it has become increasingly clear that Google prefers longer and more comprehensive content. The average word count for the most popular content today is between 1140 and 1285 words which is an increase from 902 words in 2014. When you are creating your content, focus on longer and more comprehensive approaches.
Keywords in Content
It is still important for keywords to be incorporated in your content in the title, introduction paragraph, conclusion paragraph and subleaders. Continue to use desired keywords as they make sense throughout your content without overwhelming the reader.
Internal Links
The number of internal links on some of the most popular pages has grown since 2014. Consider finding quality links that are outbound to help you get more traction. Quality links inside show search engines that your own site is quality, provided you also have solid content on your own page.
Using Meta Tags and Headers
According to research, 99% of the top ten pages had a meta description and more than 80% of them use an H1 tag. Even though the meta description is not necessary for making your content rank higher, it does help to generate a version of your document in search engine results. It is important to always use H1 tags in descriptions where possible.
Proper Content Structure
You need to ensure that your content is structured logically both for users and for ranking. Some of the best ways to do this are:
- Using menus and buttons as interactive elements
- Using unordered lists in the form of bullet points to break up content
- Using internal links to guide users to other relevant content on your siteAlthough there have not been significant and sweeping changes to the world of SEO, it is still important to fine tune your strategy so that you can get the most out of your content in 2016. For more information, please contact us at Media Driven Results or 410.812.1788.
