Search engine optimisation is a vast industry and one that is constantly evolving. Getting your website, blog or online store to the first page of Google and other major search engines is deemed essential in an age where so many people turn to the web to find whatever they need.
Concentrating on Google tends to be where most SEO efforts are focused, and for good reason as it dominates the market share of search traffic in comparison to Bing and Yahoo. Page one rankings are seen as essential for many businesses to ensure they have an effective online presence as only a tiny proportion of people make it to page two when searching.
But Google can also seem a fickle beast and its algorithm updates can have a devastating effect on some online businesses when changes to the way it indexes sites mean that those previously dominating the search rankings can be rendered virtually obsolete.
If you want to make sure your own website is protected from the potential damage of future Google updates then it is essential to make sure that you do not rely on the search engine giant for all of your traffic and remember there are other ways to make an impact. Here are some key strategies to keep in mind to make sure your site is ‘Google-proof’:
Build your email list
Include an opt-in mailing list form in your web design from day one and ensure you capture email addresses of customers so that you can stay in contact and keep them updated with what you are up to. If you have a growing and loyal audience on your site then sending them regular newsletters will keep them informed when you have new content or products available and can be a major source of valuable and engaged traffic, irrespective of how you are doing on the search engines.
Offer quality
One theme that remains constant in all the official insights we get into the mysterious workings of Google’s algorithms is that the emphasis is on offering high quality results to search visitors. So-called spam sites, article directories or those that try to ‘game’ the search engines are those which are most commonly punished by updates so if you concentrate on offering quality, unique content to your visitors then the chances are it will still be indexed by the search engines for a long time to come.
Go social
Social networks are an increasingly valuable source of traffic and their popularity shows no sign of waning. Facebook and Twitter are two great ways to build up an engaged audience and if you continue to offer value through these platforms then your links back to your own site and content will continue to get you clicks. Stay up to date with the newest arrivals on the social landscape as well. If images or good-looking products are a key part of your site or businesses, then Pinterest for example could be a vital source of traffic which will spread virally without any input from Google whatsoever.