Almost everyone knows something about search engine optimization, but what is search experience optimization?
First of all, let me say that in order to rank high in the search engines, you will need to provide the search engines with the technical elements of search engine optimization, such as titles, meta tags, ALT tags, etc. But now, marketers must also include the user experience elements for search engines to judge a website as worthy of a high ranking.
New search engine algorithms (search formulas) now use behavioral metrics, user interface, site speed, site structure, mobile optimization, SSL, meaningful and useful content, instead of just searching for keywords on a page website to determine how to rank pages. It’s time to apply search experience optimization and search engine optimization together to achieve high rankings.
Rankings and link building remain the primary focus of most marketers today. They are important factors but no longer the most important. More importantly, it is a holistic approach to optimizing a business website.
The best course of action is to combine traditional SEO practices with new techniques to prioritize user experience.
Not sure how your website and pages rank against the latest search algorithms? I always suggest that a full and detailed audit be done on a website. An audit will definitely show the gaps in your current optimization strategy.
Businesses need to understand that the engines no longer look at their website through the cold eyes of a computer. Today, the latest machine learning AI systems see a website more like a person than a computer.
Is content still the KING? I think so. Without content what is the value of a web page anyway. But there is a catch. You may think you’re getting good results from your current content, but are you writing for your business/management, or are you writing for the reader of your content, a potential new customer?
You can create content using technical, sales, marketing, or any other voice, but stop and think again who is consuming your content. The new Search Experience Optimization is simple, write to engage the reader. You give them the answers to their questions; you give them what they are looking for, not what the search engines are looking for.
I compare old SEO and new SEO to an old car and a new car. Maintaining an older car was pretty simple. In fact, most teens could tune up a real old car. However, today you need a specialist with all the knowledge and tools to properly maintain a new car. If you want to rank high on search engines, you need to find an SEO specialist who knows the ins and outs of optimizing the search experience.