Top 10 New Changes to Search Engine

Optimization Strategies

Search engine optimization is a phrase that most small business owners and franchisors have heard of, but it’s a

phrase that very few actually understand. The general principle of the term is well known: search engine

optimization represents a series of tasks or goals that will lead to higher search engine rankings for relevant

keywords. Basically, that means an internet marketing business that employs good SEO will appear at the top of

the Google page when a consumer searches for “internet marketing.”

Ranking higher on search engine pages is the most valuable marketing goal for any business. Increased search

engine credentials produce higher website traffic, which in turn increases brand exposure, brand recognition,

business authority, and customer loyalty. The problem with SEO, though, is that it is constantly changing and

adapting. New technology, like mobile web devices, leads to new demands on businesses. Search engine

algorithms have loopholes that allow for “black hat” SEO practices, or underhanded ways of ranking well

without providing value to the consumer. Search engine bigwigs, like Google, are constantly adapting to close

these loopholes and ensure that the highest ranking web pages are the pages that provide the most consumer

value, the most authoritative information, and the highest likelihood of fulfilling customer needs.

So, what are the biggest changes that are going to affect franchise search engine optimization service strategies

in 2014? Here’s what to expect:

1. Further Emphasis on Content Quality

Content has been the crown leader of the internet world for several years now, but marketers and business

owners can expect search engines to value content even more in the coming years. The content of a website is

made up of the articles, blog posts, landing pages, videos, photos, infographics, and other informative or

communicative materials presented to the customer. Businesses in 2014 cannot hope to rise to the top of the

search engine heap unless they focus on producing superior content.

2. Recognition of Regularly Updated Websites

Similarly, SEO strategies in 2014 will likely focus on creating a constant flow of valuable content, as websites

like Google recognize that a continually updated website is a website with life and vigor. Stale websites that

have featured the same keyword-rich content for months are going to start slipping on search engine results

pages. Consumers have a voracious appetite for new content, and successful businesses will provide the

sustenance that the market is craving.

3. Priority Given to Authoritative Sites

Site authority will also start factoring in more heavily with search engine marketing, or SEM, strategies. In the

past, many brands tried to build authority by “purchasing” back links from link dump sites. Essentially, these

websites agreed to post hyperlinks to any site on the web for a small fee. Google, and other search engines, have

since abolished this practice, but business owners can expect to see a greater crackdown on less-than-honest

authority-building tactics. The best way to capitalize on this search engine optimization trend is to create

content that is reputable, factual, and informational. If a consumer reads web content and is impressed by the

business’s authoritative tone and fact-filled articles, boosted search engine rankings will naturally follow.

Investing in a search engine optimization service, like the variety of services offered by ClickTecs, can help

businesses embrace an organic approach to authority building.

4. Diversification of Social Media Marketing

Be prepared to see an increased emphasis on social media marketing in general, as well as search engine

ranking benefits for businesses and brands that maintain several different social media presences. Effectively

managing multiple social networks increases customer exposure and helps with varied content creation, but it’s

also incredibly time-consuming. Hiring a search engine optimization service will be a beneficial strategy in

2014.

5. Close Scrutiny of Mobile Performance

Mobile devices will soon outnumber desktop computers, and search engines are paying attention to this trend.

Optimizing sites with responsible web design that adjusts to different screen widths, as well as content that is

created specifically for mobile browsing, will be a big help in the SEO world.

6. Longer Content on the Web, Shorter Content On the Go

The issue of content quality is hotly debated in search engine optimization circles. Some marketers say brevity

is the key to captivating consumer attention. Others argue that short content is ineffective at communicating

valuable information. In 2014, marketers will likely create longer content nearing 2,000 words for the web and

shorter, more pointed content for mobile devices. Articles and blog posts shorter than 500 words are likely to

fade out completely.

7. Restricted Keyword Search Changes the Game

Google threw a huge wrench in the system when it started restricting keyword search data to the general public.

Analyzing keyword search patterns and discovering untapped SEO potential for specific keyword phrases has

become much more difficult. Many think Google implemented this strategy to discourage businesses from

focusing on keywords and encourage them to focus on organic, big picture content strategies. Some believe

Google will create a paid service later this year that provides access to keyword trends. In the meantime,

creating PPC campaigns via Google will provide access to search information for those who can’t survive

without it.

8. Guest Blog Penalties Start to Roll Out

Guest blogging is going to undergo significant changes in 2014. In the past, business owners or franchisors

often produced recycled content and submitted it to low quality blog farms for posting. This practice may have

given the franchisor another platform on which to direct consumers to a website home page, but it consistently

failed to recognize the true purpose of guest blogging. Guest blogging should be an acknowledgement of

authority and value. A blogger with a successful blog should invite professionals or experts to sound off on

various topical issues in order to increase the quality of his or her blog. Businesses that start submitting guest

blog posts with rehashed content to low-quality content farms will be penalized in 2014.

9. Using the Disavow Function to Banish Bad Links

The disavow function, implemented recently by Google, is crucial to a successful 2014 SEO strategy.

Businesses can see all the links that are directing consumers to a business website. Any links that are coming

from disreputable sites, like link farms, can be disavowed. This prevents the bad links from negatively affecting

search rankings.

10. Faster, More Regular Change

Perhaps one of the biggest changes to the search engine optimization scene in 2014 is this simple fact: expect

changes to SEO and popular search engine algorithms to start coming more frequently. Google is the biggest

search engine name out there, and Google executives have given fair warning that 2014 is going to be a year of

continual adjustment, evaluation, tweaking, and perfecting with regards to SEO. The tech industry is

accelerating at a lightning pace, and many small business owners and franchise owners are struggling to keep up

with the changes.

That’s why it will be more important than ever for franchise owners to invest in a high quality search engine

optimization service like ClickTecs. A strategy that works well for building brand authority and boosting page

rankings with a search engine mogul like Google may become obsolete in a matter of months. Consider the

changes to guest blogging, for example. Thousands of brands and businesses are going to see their rankings

penalized heavily unless they adjust their guest blogging strategy to meet new criteria and increased quality

demands.

A professional and experienced search engine marketing team can help franchisors and franchisees evaluate the

needs of their business ventures, perform extensive market research, and develop an SEO plan that will continue

to increase web traffic and customer conversions.

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