As SEO Continues to Evolve, Marketers Continue to Adapt

Where it All Began

Back in the early days of the internet, nobody could have guessed the huge impact of search engine optimization (SEO). But now, after decades of basic optimization, SEO is linking people who are eager for answers, solutions, and value to information that’s tailored to their specific needs. In this blog we will discuss how SEO continues to evolve and the history of how it became what it is today.

In 1993, when we were watching “Sleepless in Seattle” and a gallon of gas was $1.16, search platforms like Excite used to organize search results based on keywords present in the content and backend optimization. During that time, marketers resorted to black hat tactics like keyword stuffing, excessive tagging, and backlinks to boost their rankings.

Google was not happy with this development and made significant changes to address this issue. From 2010 to 2012, they implemented new guidelines for keywords, content standards, and excessive optimization. Brands were required to produce top-notch content that catered to the user’s needs to earn higher rankings. Any violations resulted in penalties such as lower rankings or exclusion from the organic search engine index.

This resulted in a more level playing field for brands to achieve rankings by introducing personalized searches based on user history. This move enhanced the relevance of search results.

The increasing demand for immediate satisfaction led to the development of targeted optimization with the help of Google Analytics and Google Trends.

Where We Are Today

If you want to boost your website’s traffic and quickly climb up the Google search results ladder, having a strong SEO strategy is essential. To make the most of keywords, it’s important for marketers to know your audience well and understand how they search for your offerings, whether they are content, services, or products.

You’ve heard it before but, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, you need to have a purpose when creating relevant content. Don’t just throw stuff out there without considering what your audience is looking for. Think about what they need help with and how you can provide solutions.

If they’re trying to find a place to store their vehicle, they’re not going to want to see a list of car dealerships. Your keywords should match up with what people are actually searching for. Google is savvy and will rank accordingly. If you’re not sure what people are after with a certain keyword, take a look at what’s already ranking.

This is where keyword research comes in.

Keyword Research

Keyword research has changed with the times, and now focuses more on search intent. This means understanding what a user wants to achieve when they search for a particular keyword.

To do this effectively, you need to organize your keywords based on where the user is in their buying journey. If you can do this properly, you’ll be able to show users exactly what they need, no matter what stage of the buying process they’re in.

In other words, keyword research is simply identifying the words and phrases that people enter into a search engine such as Google. It helps marketers understand the demand for certain keywords. When you know what words your audience is using to search, you can create content relevant to these topics.

Long-Tail Keywords

It’s important to recognize that any single word or phrase used in a search engine is considered a keyword. Serious buyers use longer, more specific keywords, called long-tail keywords.

If you want to attract serious buyers, it’s key to optimize for long-tail keywords. These are the longer and more specific keywords that consumers who are ready to purchase are more likely to use. Another advantage to using long-tail keywords is that they are more likely to be used in voice search.

For example, a targeted keyword like “storage” will get a verifiably high search volume, but a long-tail keyword like “climate-controlled storage in Austin, Texas” will attract a buyer who is ready to make a purchase.

Marketing Strategy

The FineView Marketing team has years of expertise in Keyword research. They know how to find the right mix of keywords that will produce the highest possible volume of buyers.

Keyword research isn’t just a one-and-done exercise, and it’s not just about figuring out how many times a specific keyword is searched for. It’s about exploring the different ways people use language to research a particular topic. It’s about knowing your target market, analyzing your competition, and understanding how to drive growth.

This is why researching popular keywords is essential for both SEO and content marketing.

By researching the words people use to search for information and using this knowledge to create targeted content, you can attract traffic that is more likely to convert.

Final Thoughts

If you want to boost your website traffic and improve your Google ranking, you need a strong, constantly evolving SEO game. It’s vital to know your audience, analyze your competition, and create relevant content.

Sophisticated keyword research will direct buyers to find what they need, wherever they are in their buying journey