Top 5 SEO Strategies for 2015 – Create a Sustainable SEO Plan

Two things happen before the beginning of a new year. We look back and analyze everything that has changed and start planning and executing new strategies that may benefit us in the coming year. SEO is constantly changing and 2014 was no different. New updates were released, new strategies were discussed and new trends were designed. There have been around 13 updates to Google’s algorithm in 2014. Google has been on a mission to reduce the visibility of poor websites and low-value pages that are over-optimized with keywords. However, there are a few SEO strategies for 2015 that will help you create a sustainable SEO plan in the New Year.

Also Read: Top 5 Trending SEO Strategies For Boost Your Website Organically

Use Hummingbird-Friendly Keywords
Hummingbird update has changed the way the major search giant analyzes queries. It does not match separate keywords to pages; instead, it is now focusing on actual search intent. Keywords are still extremely significant but it is time to look for larger buckets of niche-specific word combinations. The best way to do so is to use popular phrases that people are likely to search when they are looking for a product or service like yours. For example – same-day flower delivery, cheap flower arrangement etc. for an online flower delivery service.

Apart from that, it is also recommended to classify phrases to three different categories such as navigational, informational and transactional. Create content according to these categories. For example: For informational queries, create well-researched educational articles, for transactional, create commercial content and because navigational queries are already looking for your brand, create impressive web content.

Change your Website URL Structure
According to statistics, websites that have streamlined URL structure are usually ranked better on major search engines compared to messy structures and poorly optimized content. It is important to keep in mind that URL and links are the building blocks of any website; hence, it is important to make sure that they are search engine-friendly. Avoid broken links or 404 error pages because they may harm your search rankings.

Concentrate on Fewer but Quality Links
Google gives your website more importance when you have multiple links from different authority sites instead of hundreds of links from second-rate sites. Here’s how you may build these links –

Editorial Links: This is beneficial for an organization because these links come from mentions of your company by media, or any other leadership article.

Co-citation: Each time your website’s link or a brand name appears along with competitors, it comes across as a hint that your firm and other companies are related.

Secure Encryption
There was a recent announcement by Google that HTTPS would now become a ranking signal. This means that websites, which use secure encryption may get boost in Google rankings.

Go Mobile
ComScore, in 2012, predicted that mobile traffic will soon exceed desktop traffic, and their predictions were correct. Also, Google prioritizes optimized websites for mobile.

Final Thoughts
Although, most tactics described here are common, they are not easy and often missed by professionals. To get the best investment returns in 2015, make sure to create a sustainable plan using the above-mentioned strategies.