User Functionality

Many websites have design mistakes that result in a poor user experience. When your website is optimized for your user’s experience, chances are that they will enjoy you more. When they enjoy your site, they are then more likely to stay on your site longer and visit your site in the future – something that Google notices and takes into account. Make sure that your page is free of common design mistakes so that your visitors remain happy.

Quality Content

It was Bill Gates who coined the phrase “content is king” within an article. Even over a decade after its publication, this idea still rings true. It is important that you are constantly creating valuable content that your visitors will enjoy reading. Just remember that more content does not guarantee more traffic and higher search rankings. Creating mediocre content will hurt your brand, especially after Google’s Panda update. You shouldn’t be generating a mass amount of content just so that you appear in more SERPs; instead, you should be creating meaningful content with your reader’s in mind. Try starting a blog and write about what they want to read about and answer their questions.

Mobile Design

Mobile and responsive design is no longer an option in 2015. Mobile searches have surpassed desktop searches, and the popularity of mobile devices will only increase from here. If users cannot view your website on a mobile device or tablet, or have difficulty reading your content because it is not compatible with their devices, they will leave and they probably will not return.

Link Building

Links have always been important in SEO; however, they are not what they used to be. In the past, you could buy links or establish links to a plethora of websites regardless if they were trustworthy sites. Google noticed that some SEO specialists were doing and quickly put a stop to this.

More links does not necessarily lead to higher search rankings. Nowadays, Google cares more about the quality of the links. In other words, go for quality instead of quantity. Think of link building more as relationship building. Would you want to associate with someone who is untrustworthy?

Social Media

In 2015, social shares became huge SEO ranking factors. If you have great content that is worth sharing, people will do so on multiple social media platforms that will ultimately drive more traffic to your website. Make sure to build communities in several networking sites so that you can reach a diverse audience.

Visuals

A picture is worth a thousand words. Studies show that readers are more likely to retain information if it is accompanied by images. This links back to user experience and website functionality. Visuals are a great way to entice readers to view your content. What is the point of having great content if visitors aren’t attracted to it and read it? When using visuals, make sure that they are optimized.

Beware of New Algorithms

Google is constantly designing and launching new algorithms that will rid their search engines of spam. This is to ensure that websites who deserve a high ranking are on the first page because people are constantly trying to figure out loopholes and take the easy way out. It is essential that you remain knowledgeable about these new algorithms so that you meet Google’s standards and your website is not penalized.