LET’S GET STARTED
Are you the one who thinks that SEO is DEAD? See,
Search Engine Optimization has changed magnificently over the last few years.
With over 3000 changes in Google’s Algorithm till now…
There are a lot of rumors about whether this is the end of SEO or not.
Some people might say that SEO is dead. So RIP SEO (1997-2023).
But there’s just a tiny little problem…
It is, that SEO isn’t Dead yet, It is still alive and kicking!
Need Proof? Well…
This blog will prove you wrong and tell you why SEO isn’t Dead!
Here you go:
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Though Marketers think that with regular updates from Google, the SEO level is decreasing.
With this, the number of clicks on their website is going down and rankings are affected.
But here’s a fact that….
There are over 8.5 Billion searches every single day on Google.
Which makes it 1.2 Trillion searches per year!
That’s a huge number…
But though there are a lot of searches, there is also a huge amount of content being created and published daily.
Considering the numbers… It is around just 4.4 Million Blogs published every day.
Can you even imagine the probability of your website achieving the #1 spot on Google SERP results?
That is why people consider the time of SEO has gone… But the situation completely OPPOSITE!
For example, let’s say,
When searching for what is digital media marketing on Google, I got
Just 140 Searches in a month. That’s it!
And when you look for the search results of Google SERPs, it is more than 50,000+ results.
Even if you search for any other term like ‘Banana’.
50,900 seems like a high figure but think about 2,07,00,00,000 results.
Therefore,
Search phrases with more search volume than content can still be found, but a trend is increasingly developing in which content production exceeds search demand.
The only reason behind this is, the rise in COMPETITION and not the question “is SEO Dead”
So now what do you think?
Is SEO dead or not?
For me, Search engine optimization will exist for as long as there are search engines. Nevertheless, SEO is a constantly evolving field & Continually evolving.
SEO Isn’t Dead But Evolving Every Day
Before diving further… You must hear this out!
Just being fully dependent on the metrics will definitely not work at all for any website to enhance its Google Rankings.
You must know the fact that
75% of people never scroll beyond the first page of search results.
Earlier people used to trick Google bots with those BlackHat techniques.
Those Blackhat tactics never focussed on the user’s intent and just tried to play a game with the Google System.
There were many black-hat SEO tactics, including keyword stuffing (employing many keywords on a page), cloaking (showing one version of the content to Googlebot while showing a different version to the user), buying links (paying sites to link back to you), and many others.
But as soon as SEO has evolved… It is not the same ANYMORE!
With the upcoming of the various Google Algorithms… Now, these tactics do not work.
In 2023, white-hat tactics are not only the best SEO trends but the fastest way to succeed in SEO as well.
So, instead of gaming the system with black-hat techniques, deliver your users the best user experience, answer their questions, build a fast website, and provide a solid site architecture.
And with this… It proved that…
Despite the metrics not being in your favor, a channel isn’t dead just because they aren’t going in your favor.
But just look over here,
With the existing competition and Google’s decreased CTR, there is still growth in my website’s traffic.
This ensures that people are still looking for the kind of content you are providing to them.
That’s amazingly POSITIVE NEWS.
Plus here’s a case study to read.
Earlier the company was more into selling its products through ads,
Good enough, but…As soon as they developed the intent of providing information,
Their website took a skyrocket flight and resulted in around 87% increase in the CTRs, approx 30% decrease in CTC, and 100% more conversions.
Isn’t it called EVOLUTION?
Still a question? To elaborate…
Let me make it easier for you by listing a few techniques that would not work now and reciting that SEO is dead
Few SEO Techniques That Are Not Working Anymore
Getting More And More Backlinks
Link Building is one such crucial aspect of any SEO strategy.
And earlier it did bring out rich results in ranking your website higher including buying and sharing links.
Also, once was a time when this practice was a daily routine to buy links pointing towards your website.
Now, the scenario is completely changed…
As we all know that websites that have too many backlinks do get noticed by Google, and can be dangerous for your website’s optimization health.
Today in 2023, if you are thinking of getting backlinks PURPOSELY by paying for them…
It would definitely be of no benefit.
If you are clever, then Google more clever than you!
Google can easily mark out the low-quality backlinks that are not relevant to your website and will even penalize your website.
Read More: Link Building Guide For Beginners
Producing Quantity Of Content Over Quality Of Content
It is not like you will write down anything as your content…
The Google search engine prefers content that adds value and extends knowledge, so comprehensive content is a good idea.
But people forget that. Which is why they prefer to create content that is more of quantity over quality.
And this is not what Google likes!
Thin Content…not preferable, Outdated Content…not preferable, Content not having in-depth information… NOT AT ALL preferred.
This is the reason that Google drags your website or blogs to somewhere on the 2nd page of its SERPs.
Fact to know
In search engines, 75% of users never scroll past the first page.
Keyword Stuffing
Yes! Keywords are very very very much important.
The SEO game revolves around keywords. You just have to list some high-value keywords, scratch out a few secondary and LSI keywords and simply put them in your content. Right?
Absolutely Not!
Search Engines, for a very long time, knows how people are stuffing keywords to unnaturally grow their rankings.
Which is not a way of ranking high.
Earlier, when webmasters were trying to game the system, a high-value keyword might have had all of its variations included in the website
A more shady option would be to make those keywords the same color as the background of the website, effectively hiding them from users but leaving them visible to search engine crawlers.
This should not be done at all… After all,
You are writing for your audience, not for google bots
Just look at the below image
Writing the keywords in a natural way is good but after looking at the above image, do even read this? NO!
And Google will just not index your website because of such an unnatural tactic.
Depend On Exactly The Same Domain
Including the high-quality target keyword in the domain URL is pretty good. But,
What if your domain matches as same as any other domain?
This is why it is also an outdated technique that doesn’t work anymore in SEO.
For example,
If you have a target keyword for your domain namely “ hairdresser in new jersey”. You could have named it www.newjerseyhairdresser.com or haridressersalonnewjersey.org.
Instead of going for the same URL as of brand, that would not be beneficial anymore.
Why? Just because Google LOVES Brands!
And if you dont believe me… Then look at this
Google’s ex-CEO themselves says Brands are the ultimate solution to make your site more valuable.
Now, do you acknowledge?
For this, you always have to be unique and valuable. Make your domain URL SEO Friendly that is easily readable for both crawlers and users.
Keep it short, concise, and keyword-rich.
So, these were a few major techniques, which people thought made SEO DEAD…
There are a lot more: Overuse of Anchor Text, Writing Duplicate Content, Article marketing, Writing For Robots, and much more…
Now, I will list a few techniques that are long-lasting and that you should use in 2023.
Ever-Lasting SEO Techniques That Prove SEO Isn’t Dead
Offer A Flawless Page Experience To Your Visitors
Your website should always, I repeat always have to be user-friendly.
Now by user-friendliness I mean, your site should be responsive as well as quick.
For example, If a visitor clicks on your website’s link, but unfortunately due to low page speed…
That visitor would simply Bounce Back!
Fact To Know
For each additional second of load time, website conversion rates drop by an average of 4.42%. The best load time is between seconds 0-5.
And inversely the bounce rate tends to increase.
To make the most out of your visitors, you have to offer them a flawless page experience.
A few critical aspects are to be kept in mind-
- Fast Load Speed
- Mobile Friendly Website
- Easy Navigation
- Commendable On-Page SEO
To calculate your page load time, Go to Google Page Insights > Insert your website’s URL.
You’ll get a report reflecting some metrics that are called CORE WEB VITALS.
Also, to make sure your website has a commendable On-Page SEO, you can read my other article that covers On Page SEO Checklist.
On-Page SEO is what most website owners lack. So, do consider optimizing your website’s on-site aspects.
To sum up,
It is your CONTENT that makes the visitors render your services or products.
If your content is not appealing, then obviously there’s no chance for your website to drive any traffic.
But if it is… then there’s No One Stopping You to achieve massive heights in SEO
Read More: 8 Valuable Tips To Create SEO Content Strategy
Optimize For Voice Search-Friendly Content
Google introduced a voice search facility back in 2012.
Among many SEO trends, VOICE SEARCH is the one to look for in 2023.
It is growing immensely at a very high pace.
Read More: Voice Search Marketing: The Future Of Digital Marketing
Here are some stats to know…
1. In America, almost 40.2% of people prefer voice search.
2. Around 71% of American go for Voice Search rather than typing.
Can you see, how voice search is getting into the limelight over and over?
The reason is as simple,
Now, people instead of typing, just speak the query by tapping on the voice search button and get the required answer.
Here are some must-follow practices to build your website and content compatible with voice search SEO.
- Use question-based long-tailed keywords
In this, you can use long-tailed keywords based on what, why, when, who, and how) and put these keywords in your content.
For example, when you ask Google, How to write a letter?
It will simply speak up for the first result which has the best answer to your query.
Why? Just because that one website has the exact data which you need according to your voice search.
This is what schema markup is called. Basically, it is used to ensure that your website or content is having the intent that your customers are looking for.
- Include FAQs in your content
FAQs are crucial for voice search optimization. As I stated above, using questions based on intent such as how, why, when, and what.
This can help you if someone asks any question related to your niche, Google might rank you higher in the results and speak the answer (the piece of content in your website).
- Write content that resonates customer’s intent
You always have to get a clear view of your customer’s intent…
Whether they want to actually purchase the product or services you offer or are they just exploring at the moment.
Attention, please!
There’s something more interesting about the INTENT of the customers. So, stay connected.
Here’s a scenario:
Whenever the audience searches a business on google like this…
Google, ‘Take me to coffee shops near me
And if your website or business is not optimized for Near Me Searches, will you rank?
No!’
So it is very important for you to optimize for Local SEO to appear in the “near me” voice searches.
User’s Intent Should Be The Priority
The days of major search engines being solely mechanical, robotic, and mathematical are pretty much gone.
Though they satisfied users’ search requests but did not provide them with relevant answers.
But now or say forever, one has to make it a priority to keep the user’s intent in mind while blogging.
But what is it? Well…
User intent refers to the objective or goal that your users want to achieve when they type a phrase or term into any search engine.
And here are the types of it.
Now based on these four categories, you can form your website’s content.
Let’s quickly explore them in detail.
1. Informational Intent
Searches with informational intent come from users who wish for… information! This could be a how-to manual, a recipe, or a definition.
With this, the users can find the answers to their infinite number of questions,
That is why it is one of the most common search intents.
2. Navigational Intent
These queries frequently contain brand or website names and may also contain additional information to aid users in finding a specific page.
3. Commercial Intent
Over here, the users are just looking for something but do not actually want that.
Actually, they do this by using search to learn more about particular goods, companies, or services.
With this, they find and explore more distinct opportunities or products.
4. Transactional Intent
The main aim of such intent is that the users have made up their minds to finally get something done or want a product.
They know exactly what they’re looking for in either case.
Read More: A Complete Guide To Search Intent SEO
Conclusion
Here’s a very big takeaway that…
As soon as search engines are there, SEO will never ever die.
And I will repeat this, SEO isn’t Dead, it is Evolving.
Surely there are some aspects such as CTRs and rankings that affect SEO but all of that is temporary.
The core is to be patient and wait for the best results.
So are convinced? Do tell me whether you are or not.
Also, if you have any suggestions or queries just comment down below.
FAQs
1. Will SEO exist in 5 years?
SEO is not going to be eliminated over the next five years because social media and search engines are more than likely going to merge. Facebook has already begun doing so, doing an average of more than 1.5 billion searches every day. Twitter also partnered with Google.
2. What is the future of SEO in 2023?
By 2023, Expect SEO rankings to be more competitive by providing high-quality content which is useful to Internet users.
3. Is SEO a good career?
Yes. search engine optimization is a superb professional choice as it is by far the various maximum sought-after career withinside the Digital Marketing field. There are numerous agencies across the world, hiring search engine optimization experts to generate higher content material and as a result, produce greater commercial enterprise leads.