Pssssst. This is for the upper-level folks out there. The ones who may be managing SEOs but have never specialized in it themselves, or the ones that have been out of the IC chair for a long time. This is really important, so come here and listen closely. You don't need to micromanage your SEO folks at the keyword level. While we tend to think of "exact match" on the paid side of things, the reality is that SEO has long drawn a relationship between keywords, exactly as they are typed, matching with pages. So...yeah, "exact match" but make it organic. While keyword strategy and tracking is still a vital part of our business model, I keep hearing stories about decision-makers requiring SEOs to toil over page-level keyword strategies -- both integration and tracking/reporting. The BERT algo update came out in 2019, pushing Google's understanding of search terms further into conversational, natural language and away from verbatim queries. Additionally, personalized search makes it a heck of a lot harder to accurately track individual keywords at the page level. If you're still over-emphasizing exact keywords that don't weave into the content in a reader-friendly way, shoehorning them in because THIS IS THE KEYWORD, and then expecting your SEO team to track them closely...please stop. You're doing a disservice to your users, you're likely harming the morale of your SEO team, and you're probably making some Google programmer responsible for the search engine's semantic language understanding cry because of the insult to the machine's intelligence. I'm not saying you abandon keyword tracking altogether. But take a more intuitive, holistic approach to SEO. I've seen sites lose horribly in organic because of over-reliance on a few specific "exact match" keywords and neglect of the big picture. There are better ways to structure your strategy and track your performance and growth -- ones that aren't more than half a decade old.
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🚀 The 2024 SEO Trick Only the Pros Know: Leveraging Semantic Search and Entity Optimization In 2024, SEO is evolving beyond keywords and backlinks. The future is all about semantic search and entity optimization—and it’s what the top professionals are focusing on. What is Semantic Search?Semantic search is Google’s way of understanding the context and intent behind a user’s query, rather than just matching keywords. It’s driven by AI and machine learning, enabling search engines to deliver more accurate and relevant results. Why Entity Optimization is Key:Entities are the foundational blocks of semantic search. Google recognizes entities (people, places, things, concepts) within your content and connects them to a broader knowledge graph. By optimizing for entities, you’re essentially telling Google, “I’m an authoritative source on this topic.” How to Leverage This in Your SEO Strategy: Use Structured Data: Implement schema markup to help search engines better understand the entities on your pages. Focus on Topic Clusters: Create content that comprehensively covers a topic from multiple angles, linking related articles together. This strengthens your authority on the entity. Optimize for Knowledge Panels: Aim to have your brand or content featured in Google’s Knowledge Panels by establishing strong entity relationships and consistently appearing in authoritative sources. The Result? By mastering semantic search and entity optimization, you’re not just improving your rankings—you’re future-proofing your SEO strategy for years to come. It’s the edge that’ll set you apart in the crowded digital landscape. Ready to elevate your SEO game? Start implementing these tactics today and stay ahead of the curve. #SEO #DigitalMarketing #2024Trends #EntityOptimization #SemanticSearch #MarketingStrategy #LinkedInTips
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It appears evident that adequate preparation for Search Generative Experiences (SGE) necessitates a comprehensive grasp of SEO "best practices", encompassing well-established methods in technical SEO and content optimization. In essence, optimizing for SGE involves implementing SEO "best practices" with increased attention and precision. By embracing the core concepts of SEO and adapting strategies accordingly, professionals can effectively navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities in today's advanced AI-driven search environment. ▶️ https://buff.ly/3w96qGh #️⃣ #Google #SEO #SGE
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Get ready for 2025! 🚀 The SEO game is changing fast, with AI-driven search, voice, and visual search trends redefining how people find what they need. From hyper-local optimisation to harnessing machine learning, it's time to future-proof your strategy. Ready to level up? Check out the top SEO trends shaping the landscape. #SEO #DigitalMarketing #FutureOfSearch
5 SEO trends for 2025
searchengineland.com
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These SEO myths are the most common ones: Myth 1: Your keyword must be in the URL. Wrong. 63% of people use their phones to search on Google. No surprise, you cannot see the URL (most of the time) on your phone. Myth 2: Keyword density should be between 0.5%-2%. In 2013, Google released a new update called Hummingbird. The update helps Google crawlers understand what the web document is about without the need to mention your keyword on every line. Myth 3: SEO is dead (due to AI). No. SEO is not dead and won’t be. Ahrefs, and Screaming Frog have AI-enhanced tools that give you different suggestions (i.e., internal link opportunities). You still can’t go with this data, you’ll need human expertise to put the correct internal links. As long as there is a need for human expertise, SEO cannot be dead Myth 4: Duplicate content will be penalized. False statement. There is little chance of penalty unless you try to manipulate the algorithm. In other cases, Google simply gives priority to the OP of the article. Myth 5: You can recover from March Core Update 2024 by deleting GSC. People at Google are not stupid. SEOs shouldn’t be, too. Myth 6: Domain age is a ranking factor. Fresh domains can easily overrank an old-aged domain. We see the opposite because many old domains have a good backlink profile and have gained topical authority. Myth 7: You can use DR to evaluate your ranking chances. Wrong. DR/DA is a third-party metric. Google never evaluates it to choose a ranking position. If you see SERPs like this: 1st position 90DR 2nd position 80DR 3rd position 67DR Don’t think it’s DR that matters. Look for other data-backed reasons. Because you can easily see a SERPs that looks like this: 1st position 12DR 2nd position 80DR 3rd position 67DR What are the other myths that you heard about?
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🕰️A decade ago, we published a short article titled "Why Good SEO Techniques Are Future Proof", outlining how focusing on high-quality content and strategy would outlast algorithm changes. Looking back, it’s reassuring to see our predictions holding true. 🔮 From the early days of Panda and Penguin to today’s AI-powered search, one thing remains the same; at the core of every effective SEO strategy is a foundation built on the principles of robust marketing - understanding your audience, delivering relevant and valuable content and building authentic engagement. 🔎While Google’s algorithms continue to evolve, prioritising user experience trust and quality content hasn’t changed. 🔎We’ve always believed that SEO is not about shortcuts or manipulation but about understanding search engines’ goals and aligning them with your audience’s needs. This is truer now than ever in the new era of AI-driven search. You can read our original article from 10 years ago here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eJPj4YAU Tom Vaughton's most recent talk "How 'awesome' will define SEO in the new era of AI-powered search "at brightonSEO highlighted these important insights and it’s clear that even with the shift towards AI, the fundamentals of good marketing and SEO will continue to guide our strategies for visibility and growth. You can read our highlights of Tom's talk here 👉https://lnkd.in/e2JSdPub #SEOexperts #SEOStrategy #SEO
Why Good SEO Techniques Are Future Proof | Varn
https://varn.co.uk
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🚀 Unlocking SEO Success: Mastering URL Parameter Handling 🌐 URL parameters can be both a blessing and a curse in SEO. While they serve essential functions, their mismanagement can lead to duplicate content, reduced crawl efficacy, and split ranking signals, ultimately affecting your site’s visibility and traffic. Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know: 🔍 What Are URL Parameters? 1. Tracking: ?utm_medium=social 2. Reordering: ?sort=lowest-price 3. Filtering: ?type=widget 4. Paginating: ?page=2 5. Searching: ?query=users-query 6. Translating: ?lang=fr ⚠️ SEO Challenges with Parameters 1. Duplicate Content: Multiple URLs with the same content can confuse search engines. 2. Reduced Crawl Efficacy: Excess parameters can overwhelm crawlers and lead to inefficient indexing. 3. Split Ranking Signals: Multiple versions of the same page dilute link equity and rankings. 4. Poor Clickability: Parameter URLs are often less user-friendly and less likely to be clicked. 🔧 Effective Solutions 1. Limit Parameter URLs: Remove unnecessary parameters and prevent empty values. 2. Use Canonical Tags: Direct search engines to the preferred version of a page. 3. Meta Noindex Tags: Prevent indexing of parameter-based pages that add no SEO value. 4. Robots.txt Disallow: Block crawler access to unnecessary parameter pages. 5. Static URLs: Where possible, replace dynamic parameters with static URLs for better SEO. 📈 Best Practices Analyze user intent to prioritize which parameters should be SEO-friendly. Implement pagination efficiently and block non-valuable parameter URLs. Regularly review and update your strategy based on performance metrics. For a deeper dive into mastering URL parameters and boosting your SEO, explore the full guide here: https://lnkd.in/dAcqEeMz #SEO #DigitalMarketing #SearchEngineOptimization #URLParameters #WebDevelopment #TechnicalSEO
The Expert SEO Guide To URL Parameter Handling
searchenginejournal.com
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🌟 AI Overviews Are Here: Is Your SEO Strategy Ready? 🤖 🚀 Initially known as “Search Generative Experience (SGE)” and now rebranded as “AI Overviews,” this evolution is expected to increase zero-click searches, potentially reducing organic traffic for websites ranked below the AI-generated snippet. 💡 Tip: Focus, rather double-down, on fundamentals of SEO best practices. This guide from #SEMRush can help to stay ahead in the AI-driven search landscape! 📖 #SEO #AIOverviews #DigitalMarketing #SEMRush
AI Overviews: What Are They & How Do They Affect SEO?
semrush.com
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Be a better SEOer: ➡ Research 60 minutes per day ➡ Follow known experts ➡ Use official sources for SEO guidance ➡ Value developer resources ➡ Anticipate consumer trends https://lnkd.in/eJYGzBiR #SEOAdvice
27-Year Search Expert Shares 5 Steps To Boost Your SEO
searchenginejournal.com
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📌 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲? Ever wondered how search engines like Google determine which websites to show when you type in a search query? Here's a simplified breakdown of how search engines work. 1. 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 ↳ Search engines use bots (crawlers) to scan the internet, discovering new and updated content. Why it matters: Crawling helps search engines find and add your web pages to their index. Make sure your site is easy to crawl by keeping a clean, organized structure. 2. 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 ↳ Once a page is discovered, the search engine analyzes the content, images, and videos. Why it matters: Proper indexing ensures your content can be retrieved when relevant searches are made. Use clear meta tags and structured data. 3. 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 ↳ After searching, the search engine orders content based on hundreds of ranking factors. Why it matters: Ranking higher means more visibility. Focus on keywords, backlinks, mobile-friendliness, and user experience to boost rankings. 4. 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 ↳ The search engine shows a list of relevant pages as results, including organic links, ads, and snippets. Why it matters: Knowing how results are displayed helps you optimize for maximum visibility. Aim for featured snippets and SERP features. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: ↳ Optimize for crawling: Use a sitemap and maintain a clean structure. ↳ Ensure proper indexing: Utilize meta tags, structured data, and quality content. ↳ Focus on ranking factors: Improve page speed, backlinks, and user experience. ↳ Aim for SERP features: Optimize for featured snippets and local packs. If you need my help with SEO or guest posting, I’m Mueen Ali, let’s connect to grow your site’s visibility! 📌 P.S. Curious if your website is fully optimized for crawling and ranking? Let’s discuss how to enhance your SEO strategy for better visibility!
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