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There was a time when the internet and search engines only began to exist. At that point of time, the simple presence of words on websites/webpages was the primary parameter of ranking, even search engines were acting as a database.
So, search for pages on the user’s request was carried out on the basis of a card index or a catalogue. All those websites that have pages with more words used to rank prominently higher on the web. This resulted in website owners oversaturating their websites text with keywords, in a bid to get more customers. Consequently, this meant content became difficult to understand and was completely useless for the targeted audience.
The situation gradually changed in 1998 when Google released the PageRank algorithm. It evaluated the relevancy of websites not only for the text content but also for other resources. Since then, Google has been updating its algorithm continuously to crackdown on black hat SEO practices and allow business owners to compete fairly on the web for more business opportunities.
SEO has become volatile and unpredictable following frequent updates to Google’s algorithm. Some updates are minor and go unnoticed, but, sometimes Google releases major updates which create panic among SEO professionals and e-business owners. It is because Google targets websites (that are optimised using black hat SEO practices) and punishes them severely.
When the ranking of your websites goes down in Google’s SERP following an update, or you get warning from Google for using unethical SEO practices, its impact will clearly show in the business volume you generate every day.
After Google’s algorithm update, the SEO ranking of the websites of phony SEO professionals goes down, meaning fewer business opportunities for them. Do you also face this situation quite often? Are you seriously mulling what to do so that your website remains unaffected even after Google’s algorithm updates? If yes, then check out these basic SEO fundamentals that are detailed here below:
1. The need for unique content
SEO optimised, fresh, informative and unique content is the foundation of all digital marketing activities. When a website is full of unique and user-centric material, it is preferred by Google and other search engines. It is because they care about users at first and try to please them by offering the most authentic and relevant results. On the other hand, if you lose low-quality content for website optimisation, Google can punish your website with a downgraded ranking or delete it entirely from its server.
So, create unique content as per your needs and use it to promote your website on the web. It will help your site to remain unaffected even if Google releases strong updates. Here are some useful suggestions that will help you to write unique and fresh content easily and effortlessly:
| Structure of an SEO optimised content | Brief Explanation |
| Heading H1 | All articles available on your website must have a clear structure. The content should have a title- the title of HI. The header should contain the main keyword and be optimised for search engines and visitors. Keep all rules of using key phrases from the semantic kernel in mind while optimising content for the targeted audience. |
| Meta title tag | The meta title tag is another important element of the web pages. It is displayed in the open tab of the browser and is considered by search engines. The content of the H1 header and title tag should be different. They should not contradict each other. If their content remains same, the search engines may treat your website as irrelevant for users and may not display in the results. |
| Meta description | Meta Description is the description of the site pages. It must be unique and contain your main keywords. Keep the meta description under 150-160 characters. |
| Uniqueness | Your content should be unique. It should not be copy-paste material. |
| No spelling errors | Correctly written content can quickly attract the attention of millions of visitors. Content with lots of spelling mistakes can alienate a person from buying, even if it is advantageous for him/her. Even search engines look down on your website if it has content with spelling mistakes. Therefore, you must check content for errors before using them. |
2. Links act as a significant factor when increasing brand awareness
Internet marketers all over the world try to get backlinks to their websites from high-authority websites. It helps them to grow their business effortlessly and fluently. As a matter of fact, backlinks are active hyperlinks that point to your site from other websites. They can be generated from blog posts, content from other sites, social networks, and directories. Backlinks link your website to relevant pages in your niche and industry. It helps you to raise the site’s SEO ranking and generate traffic in bulk.
3. Search engine crawlers must visit your website
Always keep in mind that search engine bots must visit your website or web pages. The first and most important rule of organic search is that the search engine should be able to “crawl” your websites web pages. Only then, you will be able to attract traffic and sales. If search engine bots are unable to reach certain pages of your site, they are non-existent as per search engines. So, you must ensure that search engine bots are visiting your website regularly. For this, take the following steps:
- Choose a good-quality crawler tool,
- Take advantage of Google Analytics,
- Accumulate special data,
- Analyse canonical tags carefully,
- Find incorrect metadata,
- Find redirects,
- Find 404 errors,
- Find forbidden URLs,
- Find the blocks on the path of search engine crawlers, and
- Find which pages of your website are inaccessible to search engine bots.
Final words
Every new Google update creates havoc in the web-based business and makes SEO more difficult. However, these are some SEO factors that never change with Google updates. Just keep them in mind and help your website sustain Google’s algorithm updates easily
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