Over the past 10 years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has undergone significant changes due to evolving search engine algorithms, technological advancements, and shifts in user behavior. I should know…I actually cowrote a book on SEO.
Hi, I’m Rob Anspach, and back in 2014, I coauthored “Optimize This: How Two Carpet Cleaners Consistently Beat Web Designers On The Search Engines.” It's hard to imagine that two carpet cleaners of all things would shake up the SEO world and bully their way up the search ranks. But that's exactly what happened! My coauthor Paul Douglas and I came up with the idea of the book and started writing. Within less than sixty days we not only completed the book but launched it on Amazon. Over the next month that book hit #1 Best Seller in the USA, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. And was in the Top 10 in Germany, Japan, Italy and Mexico.
And although 90% of the book is still relevant today, meaning that the concepts we teach in the book still work…some things have changed.
Here are some key ways in which SEO has changed:
- Mobile Optimization: With the rise of smartphones and mobile devices, optimizing websites for mobile compatibility has become crucial. Search engines now prioritize mobile-friendly websites, and mobile optimization has become an integral part of SEO strategies.
- User Intent and Context: Search engines have become more sophisticated in understanding user intent and providing relevant results. SEO has shifted towards creating content that aligns with user search intent and delivers comprehensive and valuable information.
- Quality Content: The emphasis on high-quality, relevant, and valuable content has grown significantly. Search engines now prioritize content that satisfies user needs, provides comprehensive answers, and demonstrates expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T).
- Voice Search and Natural Language Processing: The rise of voice assistants and smart speakers has led to the increasing popularity of voice search. SEO has adapted to include optimizing for voice queries and natural language processing, which requires understanding conversational search queries and creating content that matches them.
- Structured Data and Featured Snippets: Search engines have started using structured data markup to better understand and present information from websites. Featured snippets, knowledge graphs, and other rich search results have gained prominence, impacting how websites optimize content to appear in these highly visible positions.
- Local SEO: The importance of local search has grown, with search engines placing more emphasis on delivering relevant results based on a user's location. Businesses have focused on optimizing their online presence for local searches, such as through local listings, Google My Business, and localized content.
- Page Speed and Core Web Vitals: Website performance, including page loading speed and user experience, has become crucial for SEO. Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics focused on user experience, have gained significance in search engine ranking algorithms.
- Social Media and Influencer Marketing: While not directly a part of SEO, social media signals and influencer marketing have gained importance in amplifying content and generating backlinks, which can positively impact search engine rankings.
These are just a few examples of how SEO has changed over the past decade. SEO is an ever-evolving field, and it's important for businesses and website owners to stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices to maintain visibility and rankings in search engine results.
Rob is affectionately known as “Mr. Sarcasm” to his friends - to everyone else he’s a Certified Digital Marketing Strategist, a Foremost Expert On Specialized SEO, a Best Selling Author, Podcaster, Speaker and Authority Broadcaster who can help amplify YOU to your audience.
Rob has authored, coauthored or produced over 36 books covering social media, search engine optimization, podcasting, copywriting, personal injury law, weight loss, military law, life lessons, scams, customer service and more. His book clients include lawyers, speakers, doctors, real estate professionals and more.
To learn more and to get started visit www.AnspachMedia.com or call Anspach Media at (412)267-7224 today.
