What SEO Strategies Work In 2018?

So you think you know SEO? Let’s put you to the test!

The Space Digital team put together a list of the most common myths surrounding SEO Strategies in 2018 and their realities. Find out which lies you’ve been believing and which methods you really do need to put in place to rank high on Google …

1. We paid for someone to do our SEO once so we should rank forever

FALSE

Unfortunately SEO implementation isn’t a one-time thing. Search Engines factor in a variety of signals, such as the frequency of new quality content, title tags, keywords, inbound and outbound links, website speed, security and more! Additionally, Google’s algorithm is constantly changing, meaning it is important keep on top of new patterns and trends. Sign up to our weekly Digital Dash newsletter to receive all the latest industry updates you need to know!

2. You should be wary of writing a keyword too many times within a page

TRUE

Yes, there is such a thing as to much keyword implementation or ‘keyword stuffing’. Search engines are smart enough to recognise this as someone trying to beat the search engine algorithm as apposed to providing good content for a good user experience. Best to keep your targeted keyword to text ratio between .5% – 2.5%. If you are running a WordPress website, get the SEO Yoast plugin to easily identify keyword density. 

3. As long as I have keywords on my website, then I don’t need to do anything else to rank, right?

FALSE 

As previously mentioned in myth one, search engines consider many factors when it comes to ranking a webpage. Long gone are the days when a higher keyword density would improve your search result position.

4. As long as my website is mobile responsive, I don’t need the SSL Certificate thing people keep telling me about

UH-UH, FALSE AGAIN

As of July 2018, if your website isn’t accessed through a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), your website will flag as ‘Not Secure or Dangerous’ to any website visitor that comes your way. Check out our blog New HTTPS Changes to find out how you can secure your website!

5. Don’t worry about SEO, just make good content

FALSE

Wouldn’t that be lovely? However, in order for people to organically find your ‘good content’, you need to have a good SEO strategy in place. Be sure to optimise every new piece of content that goes on to your website.

6. 5 star Google reviews can help your SEO

TRUE

Yippee! Finally some truth in the world. 5 star Google reviews are a great way to boost your business’s credibility and help you rank higher in search engine results. So don’t forget to follow up for customer feedback reviews.

7. My website developer should optimise my website for me

FALSE (Unless the developer has an SEO specialist on their team)

It is not mandatory for developers to implement SEO strategies into your website. However, Space Digital specialises in building websites that not only look good, but also are designed to attract the right customers and convert. See more on our Website Design page.

8. I can have ‘bad’ sites linking to my website without getting caught by Google

FALSE

Come on, don’t you know by now that Google isn’t stupid? Having bad backlinks to your website causes for a big Google penalty and can result in you loosing your credibly and your search ranking.

9. Plagiarising content could affect my search ranking

TRUE

I’m going to sound like your grade one school teacher here, but never EVER plagiarise. Quoting is fine, but remember to reference. Google can easily identify duplicate content and penalises website for this.

10. Only focus on one keyword per page for better SEO results

TRUE

Narrowing your focus down to one keyword gives you a greater chance of ranking for that term. Be careful not to use the same keyword on more than one page, as you will ultimately be competing with yourself on the search engine.

11. Keyword research is key

TRUE

Putting in the hard yards and doing your keyword homework can make all the difference when it comes to finding more of the right customers. Conducting keyword research will also help you find other suggested keywords that might be a better alternative. For example, the monthly search rate between ‘Dress Shops Brisbane’ and ‘Dress Stores Brisbane’ is hundreds! The important thing to remember is your keyword should always be relevant to the page’s content.

12. Optimising your images is a waste of time

FALSE

Search engines take page-loading times and bounce rates into consideration when ranking webpages. If your website holds a lot of large images, this will slow down your page load time and turn viewers away, which will ultimately decrease your SEO asset.

13. Readability Impacts Your Ranking

TRUE

Search engines value great user experience, and I don’t need to tell you that not everyone is an A-grade genius on the web. Website visitors don’t have to read your content, so if you loose them half way through a sentence, it’s likely they will reach for that X at the top of the screen.  Furthermore, a person’s attention span is shorter when reading online, so in order to communicate with your audience effectively, a 4^th grade reading level is most desired. Poor readability can lead to a higher bounce rates which is a negative ranking signal.

Got some SEO questions? Ask away! Call us on 07 3274 0469, or reach us at hello@spacedigital.com.au.