Be SEO Smart in 2015

BE SED SMART IN 2015 IN SEO BASICS WHAT IS SEO? Search Engine Optimization: Editing of a website's content with the intention of ranking higher in search results, in order to attract more traffic BLACK HAT vs. A WHITE HАТ Black Hat: White Hat: Content aimed only at search engines, not human audience (spam) Fresh, relevant content aimed at users Tricks like "stuffing" a page with keywords or hidden text Involves creating a well-designed, clutter-free site Can get sites penalized or even banned from search results Good practice, solid long-term strategy GOOGLE ALGORITHIM UPDATES: THE HIGHLIGHTS Today, nearly 70% of searches are conducted using Google (followed by Bing and Yahoo) Google regularly updates its algorithm to filter out spam and direct users to quality, reputable sites 2011: Panda Google punishes sites for low-quality content, use of content farms, and high ad-to-content ratio SPAM 2012: Penguin Google cracks down on black hat techniques like unnatural links and keyword-stuffing 2013: Hummingbird Recognition of full questions and conversational language in searches 2014: Pigeon Aims to give more precise and relevant local search results 2015: Mobile-friendly update Mobile usability factored into searches from mobile devices WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN IN 2015 MOBILE FOCUS In 2011, 35% of Americans owned a smartphone In 2015, it's up to 64% 10% of Americans own a smartphone and do not have other high-speed internet access available at home A mobile-friendly site will give you a stronger ranking SITE SPEED Slow loading sites rank lower Up your ranking and give your users a better experience by: Compressing images Avoiding unnecessary media or plugins NATURAL USE OF KEYWORDS Google's algorithm is very smart- it understands "conversational" phrases and not just keywords Use natural language and make sure the content on your site is useful or entertaining SOCIAL MEDIA A strong and active social media presence will help you connect to your audience and improve your ranking + Don't ignore Google+ BRAND MENTIONS Google can spot "implied links" around the web, so it can help if other sites mention you, even if they don't link to your site SEO-FRIENDLY URLS, PAGE TITLES, AND HEADING TAGS http://domain.com/page-topic Keep URLS, titles, and tags descriptive and your site streamlined and organized PROVIDED BY PENNINGTON CREATIVE PENNINGTONCREATIVE.COM SOURCES: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/0Vus-smartphone-use-in-2015/ http://neilpatel.com/2015/02/17/the-ultimate-google-algorithm-cheat-sheet/ http://www.google.com/about/company/history/ http://tools.searchbrain.it/seo-memory/ http://www.forthea.com/google-algorithm-update-timeline/ https://positionly.com/learning/guides/beginners-guide-to-seo/what-is-seo/a-brief-history-of-seo http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2015/02/26/7-seo-strategies-to-implement-in-2015/ http://www.shoutmeloud.com/google-algorithm-updates-changes-1998-2012.html http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/study/2345837/google-search-engine-market-share-nears-68