New Google SEO World

The search engine world and SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) have changed in dramatic ways. Remember back when it was all about keywords, and just keywords? Then it was key phrases, and along came "long tail" phrase searches. All of those elements are still there, but so much more is going on now.

The popularity of mobile and the billions of mobile searches is changing how Google handles search phrases. "Conversational search queries" are mainstream. Searching the way we talk will bring the results we want as Google enhances this process. As an example, try doing a search using "find me a home in bryant park for sale." You'll be surprised, as the results will be right on point. Or try "how do I keep up with real estate prospects." It really works and is getting better.

Begin to ask complete questions or write complete search thoughts and you'll begin to see very relevant results. However, you'll also begin to see how Google is also learning language and synonyms, and applying that knowledge to searches. In other words, you can keep selecting keywords and phrases around which you'll write an article, but new flexibility is in the mix. Google is learning things that relate to others, such as that "title binder" and "title commitment" are the same thing.

There's another major new wrinkle over at Google, the knowledge graph. Google is using semantic information to build a knowledge graph of information and resources about all kinds of topics, people and places. Try two searches: "da vinci" and "famous jazz musicians." One will provide a side box with references and links to information about Leonardo da Vinci. The other will display a row of images of jazz musicians across the top.

This is relatively new and limited, but it's going to grow. Try searching on "music venues in Denver," or "museums in Philadelphia." These special results displays get you to the information you want faster, and they work on your mobile devices too. We need to recognize and adapt to these new search trends to stay in the game with our websites. The good news is that, as it always has been, our goals and those of Google are pretty much the same.

Google wants searchers to get to the most relevant information quickly. You want them to reach your site, so it's a match made in heaven. Create content that answers questions and even entertains a bit when appropriate. Use regular language, not just strings of keywords. Use lots of images, and that's where you can use your keywords behind the images as alt text. Feel free to use synonyms to make your content more reader-friendly.

We've all heard that we don't want to link our visitors out to other sites as they'll leave ours. Begin to think more like your visitor and what they want to see. If that means linking them out, do so, even if you link them out to the SERP for "famous jazz musicians" in your article about a local jazz club. They'll appreciate it and they know very well how to use the back button. Or, maybe it's the "da Vinci" search results page link in your article about a local art museum.

Use your social media profiles to promote your site as well. Google is putting a lot more emphasis into social site links and mentions, so keep fresh content and comments out there on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other popular sites like images on Instagram and Pinterest.

Bring all of these easy-to-do things together and you'll begin to see others share your pages and traffic will increase. More traffic, more leads, more sales.

To view the orginal article, visit the WebsiteBox blog.