The importance of SEO in 2021

As people hunkered down around the world in 2020, getting your products and business on the top page of Google search became vital in keeping your lights on and your virtual doors open.

Now that we are more than 17 months post COVID ground zero, companies have pivoted to cater to their customers’ needs even more. No one could have predicted this shift, but the companies who had their SEO in place while the world was flattening the curve won. And they won in a big way!

But don’t worry if you are behind in the race – it’s not too late to get caught up! Let’s talk about how the companies that “won” got seen through all the noise and chaos: they did it by beefing up or implementing an SEO strategy.

Especially these days, you need to put yourself in the game. It’s no longer a “build it, and they will come” environment. You not only have to put an SEO strategy in place that will get you seen in the search engines, but one that will bring customers to your site that will convert into sales.

From the trends we witnessed in 2020, we know many of the tactics that will bear fruit in 2021 regarding Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Are you ready to dive in? Here we go!

SEO 101 – the Golden Rule

It’s important to realize out of the gate that your website is a living thing, which is constantly changing and growing. It’s not a one-off project. It’s certainly more of a marathon than a sprint.

If you leverage your keywording and content correctly, it will pay off in a big way with targeted consumers finding your site, and more importantly, purchasing your goods or services. But remember, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”

It’s vital to understand what the metrics are revealing to you. Keeping a pulse on traffic, keywords, backlinks and social sharing is vital to your SEO strategy in 2021 and beyond.

According to the Google EAT initiative, in 2021 long-form content is still a major player, along with quality content that sheds light on your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Long gone are the days of keyword and metadata stuffing – all of the content you produce MUST be relevant to your users who visit your site. (And if anyone tells you they can get you to #1 on Google in 30 days – RUN.)

Website housekeeping is a must

Keeping your site in tip-top shape with ease of navigation, mobile responsiveness, and lightning-fast image load time will help Google rank your site higher. As they say, “May the best person win” – this holds true for Google’s ranking methods.

Being Mobile worthy

With mobile responsiveness, your site must be mobile-friendly across all mobile platforms, such as phones and tablets. In today’s world, only about 25% of the population uses a computer to view content – that means 75% of all content is viewed and consumed by a mobile device. So fast loading time and formatting are a must – nobody has the patience these days to wait on a site to load.

Video optimization continued to take the lead on SEO strategies in 2021. With YouTube boasting 1 billion users, video continues to grow. And it’s not just enough to create incredible videos; one must also consider the video tags, title and long-form description as tools to optimize SEO visibility.

And don’t forget that it is no longer the status quo to just upload images to your site. You have to put in the sweat equity into these as well. Making sure your images have relevant filenames, load time is quick, alt tags are utilized, and your images are referenced on the site map of your site are all great tips to help your Visual Image SEO strategy take flight.

Another trend we will see in 2021 will be that voice search will develop and train the consumer to search differently using voice versus typing.

For example, a voice search might be, “How do I cook filet mignon?” while a typed search could be “Cooking filet mignon.” And by keeping in mind the voice search factor, you can write and create content that caters to both worlds, thus helping your SEO plan flourish.

Did you know that local listings are making significant inroads into SEO marketing plans?

If you are a local business, look into how you can create content that will be local to your clientele. For example, writing a blog about “How do I build a home?” will rank you substantially lower in your local listing. But if you write a blog with the title of “How to build a home in Bucks County?” you will skyrocket to the first page of Google because it is more relevant to the person who searches Bucks County.

I get it, I do – we only have 24 hours in a day, and most of the time you wonder how you will move your SEO strategy forward and become a standout player for your demographic while running your business … that’s where Personal Touch Concierge Service™ comes in.  We have an entire SEO division that does nothing but whitehat SEO services that integrates with websites and your social media strategy. If you’d like to discuss how we can make your business stand out, give us a call.