One thing that may seem quite difficult for website owners to master is SEO. It’s true that SEO is something that is constantly in flux, thanks to the continual changes rolled out by Google. Many website owners looking to drive in users may eventually feel exhausted by the challenge. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to better get a handle on your SEO and stay ahead of the wave of change that comes whenever Google alters its algorithm.
Be Aware That Algorithmic Change Is Constant
SEO is not something that ever remains stagnant or unchanging. As a website owner, you must be aware that constant change in regards to how Google does things is always on the horizon. For example, in May 2024, there were two separate algorithm updates on May 6th and May 14th, respectively. These updates weren’t insignificant. The May 6th update regarded “reputation abuse” that could get sites de-indexed from Google all together. The May 14th update involved the implementation of AI into search engine results to produce automated summaries.
Both of these updates could have big impacts on websites, and they were only launched eight days apart. While there may be larger gaps between updates, that all can change quite suddenly when Google decides to launch significant updates back to back. This is what you should come to expect from Google. There will always be change, and the next change will not be that far into the future. Treat SEO as a continuing business process. It is never a one-time investment.
Prioritize User Value Over Gaming the Algorithm
In the past, website owners learned “tricks” that allowed them to “game” Google’s algorithm by doing little things that allowed them to obtain a high search engine ranking without actually publishing content that users wanted to see. This produced a lot of spam-like websites with little actual value to users. While these so-called tricks may have worked for a period of years, Google eventually became wise to the strategies implemented.
In direct response to this abuse, Google’s algorithms were tweaked to the point that they are now designed to use different means to assess the actual quality and utility of the content provided to users through a particular website. No longer is SEO only about things like keywords and meta tags. Instead, it’s more about the user experience. If your website does not provide value to users, it will be de-emphasized in Google search results. In more extreme cases, your site may be de-indexed altogether.
Obtain High-Quality Links
Beyond quality content that provides value and utility to users, one strategy that is still proven to work in regard to building strong SEO is obtaining high-quality links to your website. Google still sees this as an indicator that your website is trustworthy and considered valuable to the wider internet community. However, the key here is that the links have to have what Google considers to be “high quality.” Alternatively, a lot of “low-quality” links could have the exact opposite effect of the algorithm punishing your website.
The difference between low-quality and high-quality links is not too complicated to understand. One of the metrics Google uses to judge links is something known as “authority.” Authority, in this instance, is the authority, perceived by Google, of a website that links to another website. If a website is highly ranked on Google already, say on the first page of search results, chances are that getting a link on that website will greatly benefit your own.
However, this will not be as easy as simply signing up for Twitter and spamming links to your website. Google is obviously aware of how easy it is to do so, and social media links are certainly judged differently than a very popular independent blog would be. Simply linking to your site in the comments section of that blog won’t work either. The links should be presented in a way that again provides value to users, as opposed to a simple advertisement, and obtained in a way that appears to be a legitimate endorsement from that website.
Rely on Authorship Instead of AI
One thing that has certainly created a lot of hype recently is artificial intelligence. Many business owners may assume that the benefits of AI are limitless and that it can be successfully used to slash costs and increase efficiency across the board for any application. This, of course, includes website content generation. While the idea of producing website content like blog posts and the like through AI may seem novel now, Google is already accounting for it. Google is already aware that AI-produced content can be used as another simple means of gaming the system. This is especially true if the AI-generated content is not actually useful to actual human beings, which is certainly the case for a lot of the generic, boring, factually incorrect, and, at times, nonsensical AI-produced content.
Instead, Google, anticipating the negative impact of current AI’s impact on website content, has begun to emphasize something known as “quality authorship.” What this means is that whoever is credited with creating, writing, or producing a website’s content will now be taken into consideration in determining how a website is ranked by Google. This means that value will be added in regards to SEO when you credit actual authors. Authors who are assessed by Google to be popular or experts may receive a more favorable boost in rankings.
Overall, Google’s number one criteria these days is assessing the user experience. If your website tries to game the algorithm without providing much to users in exchange, you can expect the algorithm to eventually catch up with your strategies. While they may work today, the probability is that they will not work forever.
