With the resurgence of long-tail keywords, the focus on keyword-based Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is gradually dying out. There was a time when Google collected data about a site solely based on the keywords which were present on the pages and the links. Companies also measured their success on the basis of how they are ranked for their target keywords. But today the relation between keywords and search visibility success has become much more complex. In fact there are several onsite optimization factors, which matter more than keyword presence.
Here are some of the onsite optimization factors which have gained more prominence:
Key words placement means more than frequency
Google obviously needs some kind of text to understand what exactly your company deals with. Keywords in fact are just tiny bits of information for Google Analysis. It in fact does not have that much quantifiable relation and impact on the ranking. In fact it is the placement of the keywords than its frequency which is far more important. Thus posting the right keyword at the right place is far better than just stuffing it in the content body.
Pay attention to semantic keyword
With each passing year the relevance of semantic keyword is gained more prominence. Every SEO specialist should pay attention to this. This functionality with Google, interprets the meaning behind the user’s search query, and looks for companies which fit that description in the best manner. Thus Google side-lines keywords, in favor of the meaning behind the content. So again this brings us to the point which we discussed earlier – go for meaningful use of keyword and avoid random stuffing.
Structure matters
There are basically two types of structures in the SEO world – Big-picture structure and Small-picture structure. Big-picture structure refers to the overall structure and navigation of your site. In case your website is easy to navigate, it will help the visitors/ users to save time and find the information easily. Google usually rewards for sites for such user accommodation. Here the shorter the path from any one page to another page, the more authority your website gains, regardless of the use of keywords.
Small-picture on the other hand is more about how each of the pages on your website is laid out. In case you follow Google’s traditional structure of having a header, sidebars, body and footer along with appropriate content for each section, then it makes scanning easier for Google. Thus you do not have to worry about including specific keyword phrases, as Google derives the accurate meaning behind your website.
Speed and security of your website
Yes, this is one aspect which should never be ignored. Apart from the right content and structure and design; speed and security too are equally important. It is a fact that the sites which load quickly rank far higher than sites which are very slow in loading and are not well secured. So see to it that you have a clean cache, vet out your plugins and make appropriate changes to boost the speed of your website whenever possible.
Thus at the end, though we cannot altogether say that the importance of keywords is dead and gone, the fact is it is the ultimate user experience which matters a little more to Google. Drive your SEO techniques to make your end-users happy and you will be surely rewarded by Google.
