One Google update after another caused search engine optimization best practices to change over time. A few years ago, keyword optimization was one of the most important SEO strategies, but as we moved forward into the future of SEO, keywords have been gradually losing ground in favor of topics.
What this means is that while keywords are still an important part of the optimization process, topics should be webmasters’ primary focus. That’s because topics provide a wider view of different subject matters as compared to keywords, which are usually very limiting, especially when very specific. By focusing on topics, website owners can create resourceful, informative and accurate content that responds to the latest SEO trends.
Let’s take a look at the reasons that make topics more important than keywords for effective SEO.
Why Topics?
Google’s newest algorithm – Hummingbird – has been specifically implemented to cater to users’ needs and provide better search results. Based on what users find to be the most useful to them, the main objective of the Google Hummingbird algorithm is providing the best online experience in the most effective way.
To rank higher in SERPs, website owners must create high-quality content that largely satisfies users’ needs and offers the information that they’re looking for. Understanding their mindset and writing content based on what they’re seeking helps drive more traffic, which is absolutely critical to your search engine ranking.
Theme-Based SEO: What Is It?
Theme-based SEO refers to creating “themes” that are optimized for but not entirely focused on specific keywords. In other words, theme-based SEO is the process of creating content that focuses on a broader theme/topic (e.g. “home remedies for migraines”) instead of specific keywords (e.g. “lavender oil for migraines”). Usually, specific keywords can appear in the content in one or two instances, but they aren’t the main focus.
For example, an article focusing on “best home remedies for migraines” could also include a section about how lavender oil can be used for this specific purpose, integrating the phrase “lavender oil for migraines” somewhere in that section. That would make the content more relevant for the topic, delivering quality information while also helping your website rank higher.
Understand What Your Audience Wants
There is a big difference between what your target audience wants and what they’re actually searching for. Sometimes, search terms may get really confusing, although their intent remains just as clear. Users can be searching for “SEO services London free consultation,” with the clear intent of finding a reliable London-based SEO company that offers a free initial consultation.
Know what your audience is interested in helps reveal the topics that you should also write about on your website to satisfy their needs and create highly relevant and compelling content. If you focus on keywords instead of topics, you may find yourself trying to create content around phrases that may restrict the amount of information you can deliver. To be of interest for Internet users, content should be inviting, educational and informative, which can rarely be achieved through keyword-based SEO.
A Natural Approach to Topic-Based Content
Stuffing pages of content with keywords will make information look unnatural to users, increasing the risk of getting your website penalized by Google. On the other hand, publishing high-quality content that delivers a great amount of information that responds to users’ specific needs and has a few keywords sprinkled throughout can really make a difference in how you do in SERPs.
For your approach to be as natural as possible, it’s recommended that you consider the following essential points:
1. Research Your Niche
Identifying themes that your target audience may be interested in requires keyword research. There can be 2-3 or even 30-50 distinct keywords that identify with the same theme, which you can sprinkle throughout large pieces of content to deliver the best online experience to users. Google’s Keyword Tool offers insight on popular keywords for free, but you may want to check out some paid options as well if you want to avoid proprietors that try selling you search advertising.
2. Optimize for Core Keywords
Once you identify important and commonly used keywords, the next step is optimizing your content for them. Use variations of these keywords throughout your content, and make sure that they are as naturally occurring as possible. Keywords shouldn’t match perfectly – instead, they should be as close as possible to the core keywords, and look as they are a natural part of your articles. For example, you will want to write “SEO services in London” instead of “SEO services London,” which doesn’t make as much sense.
3. Edit Ruthlessly
Before you publish your articles, consider reviewing them for keyword repetition and possible grammar, spelling, punctuation or capitalization errors. It’s a good idea to read content out loud, as this will make it easier to identify parts that don’t sound very natural and then edit them.
4. Optimize On-Page Elements
The last part of the publication process is optimizing on-page elements, usually heading tags, meta tags (meta keywords and meta description), alt texts and title tags. These elements are all important to SEO, ensuring that your website will be more relevant to users’ search inquiries.
from Darlene Milligan http://ift.tt/1Gme8K3 via great digital marketing blog
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