5 Learnings from Brighton SEO
Brighton SEO quickly returned to the stage but unfortunately, unlike last time, we couldn't be there in person. However, that's not to say we didn't sit and watch the live stream on the 2nd September 2016 - a whole 9 hours of it!
Firstly, it's important to note that those of you with some previous SEO knowledge, whether through practice or reading our other blogs, will know a lot of this stuff already. We found Brighton SEO enhanced our existing knowledge and made way for new and exciting ideas moving forward in an ever changing digital environment. Here's our 5 key SEO learnings that will benefit you:
1. SEO is a long term strategy
SEO, particularly in the form of content creation for your own website, is a long term strategy and can take one or even two years to show significant results. However, as long as you stick it out and continually update your content regularly (timing is key) then you'll eventually begin to reap the rewards. Spending hours creating content and publishing it only to receive little traction short term can be disheartening and most won't stick it out - be one of those who do, you'll thank yourself later... Or better still, promote user generated content to reduce your workload! Run a competition for guest bloggers or encourage users to write reviews about your products coupled with photos and videos, giving you engagement as well as useful content for months.
2. But there can be quick wins
Many of the guest speakers believe that there are quick wins to be had in SEO, and we are inclined to agree. It's difficult to create noise and a buzz with every piece of content released, but there's certainly ways to do it more regularly. In PR, going small can lead to something big. For quick wins, small publishers such as local newspapers can give you the platform for a greater reach. Articles often get picked up, rewritten and published again through several of the larger national publishers. Often content is used for inspiration - recycled, changed and then adapted to another outlets target audience, with credit given where it's due of course. This can be beneficial beyond the original coverage, and creates high reach - that small win all of a sudden can become a big one!
3. In keyword targeting, low volume keywords can be as important as high volume
Low volume keywords are often more specific and thus more likely to convert. Granted, the level of traffic is significantly decreased for long-tail keywords, with each word usually decreasing the volume, but more words makes a keyword more specific! If you present exactly what the user is looking for, you are much more likely to convert. Makes sense, right?
4. And local (geo-targeted) SEO is ranked very favourably
Tying in with long-tailed keywords is local and geo-targeted SEO. Google is favouring local searches more and more. They are trying to present local search results wherever possible so there's no surprise that local SEO got shouted about throughout Brighton SEO.
Jayson Demers found that 50% of local searches from mobile devices ended up with the visitor in store in just one day! Another reason to get mobile optimised while taking advantage of this local search trend that Google is favouring.
5. Moving forward - Voice search is the future!
Fail to prepare and prepare to fail, so they say. Give your audience something to talk about with what Tom Anthony calls an emerging search trend, voice search. It has become apparent that voice search will be the next big technological advancement in the digital world, and it's important that you prepare for it. By 2020, ComScore predict that 50% of searches will be made by voice! That's something to shout about...
Brighton SEO was once again a great event, and we would recommend any of those thinking about attending the next one to go for it! Ultimately, we enhanced our existing SEO knowledge and learned some new techniques to compliment those we already use. Furthermore, we learnt what the future of SEO holds, in voice search! We'll be prepared - will you?
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