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 Dr. Alan Glazier, OD
Search engine optimization is in constant flux and it is important to stay on top of the trends and updates that are continually taking place. Here is a rundown of some of these current trends and recent changes to give some insight on the current state of SEO:
Link-Building
Still believed to be THE factor in site optimization, Link-Building involves creating great content, like a website article or blog, and having other people link to it. The more links to your content, the more value to your SEO, particularly when the sources of the links are authoritative about the subject you are writing about.
Focus on Original Content; Google’s Panda/Farmer/Scraper Update
Last February, Google made it known that it was changing the formula it used to generate search results. This update, which Google called “Panda”, was aimed at pushing lower quality content out of top search results. Low quality content is considered to be content that is (1) non-original or repeated elsewhere on the Internet (2) similar in substance to other content although slightly modified in form, (3) full of spelling or syntactical errors (4) less authoritative than a similar site and (5) mass produced.
The important take away from Panda – the best way to optimize your site for Google is to have interesting and useful content with good resources and information. Also, removing low quality pages, improving the content on existing pages, and checking for formatting, spelling and syntactical errors could help boost the rankings of your website or blog.
Site Speed
Since Google rarely discloses what makes their search algorithm tick, on the rare occasion they do, it’s something to take seriously. In a recent announcement Google stated that site speed is a factor in ranking. Quick site upload, free of heavy bells and whistles, can help your search position and help keep people on your website longer; the longer it takes to upload, the more likely people will become impatient and move on to their next web destination, causing you to lose that business.
Bing/Yahoo Final Change
With the recent marriage of Bing and Yahoo, the two are now powered by the same engine, meaning Yahoo’s results are now Bing’s results. As Bing handles 15% of online search and is growing in popularity, ensuring you are optimized for Bing, i.e. listed in Bing local listings and indexed with their engine, is now doubly important to reach not only Bing users but the significant population of Yahoo users as well.
Social Media Signals
In the fall of 2010, Google and Bing alerted the SEO industry to the fact that they are using social media signals as a factor in ranking websites. Such signals include Facebook “likes”, Google’s “+1” or Twitter “Tweets” that link back to your website. Getting your practice involved in social media is becoming more and more important for your overall website SEO.
Whoever is looking after your site, be it in house our outsourced, should be aware of all of these factors and should be periodically checking in to monitor updates and changes to the status of SEO. Again, SEO is dynamic and no strategy will be effective without being prepared to make changes as needed.
Continue the discussion on our Facebook and Linkedin page OnToptics and feel comfortable messaging me there for more information!
Dr. Alan Glazier is an optometrist and Founder/CEO of a large private optometric practice in the Rockville, Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. On January 1, 2007, Dr. Glazier boldly eliminated all traditional marketing in his practice in favor of social media and search engine optimization with tremendous success. Dr. Glazier is author of "Searchial Marketing: How Social Media Drives Search Optimization in Web 3.0. He is a frequent lecturer on social and new media and blogs professionally at SightNation.com and for Jobson’s “Click” e-Newsletter publication. He moderates OnToptics, a Facebook and LinkedIn page where he offers information and insight into do-it-yourself search engine optimization for eye care businesses. He has been interviewed by Entrepreneur magazine, on Blog Talk Radio and by NetworkSolutions regarding his cutting edge use of social media. Dr. Glazier has been selected by the readers of Review of Optometric Business and Vision Monday as a “2011 Optometric Business Innovator" for his use of digital media. Dr. Glazier won the 2010 award for “Best Use of Twitter” awarded by the Northern Virginia Technology Council. His practice, Shady Grove Eye and Vision Care won runner up in the Small Business Tech Summit 2011 for their pioneering efforts in using social technologies to market their practice. Dr. Glazier also manages the group “ODs on Facebook”, a networking site for ODs where well known optometric thought leaders often congregate and share, well . . .anything except politics.
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