On the 12th of December, 2017, Google announced that they had revamped their SEO Starter Guide – a long overdue update considering the old one was about seven years old.
Regardless of whether you’re an SEO novice or a seasoned expert, their new Starter Guide contains some great insights on how to create modern, search-engine-friendly websites. Although it doesn’t contain any SEO secrets, the guide does list best practices which you can always build on. We summarise some of the key points below.
In the past few years, Google has been slowly releasing new algorithm updates related to mobile search engine optimisation. In their new Starter Guide, they provide a comprehensive list of key points outlining ways to make websites more user-friendly.
This addition speaks volumes about general user behaviour. Most Google searches are now made through mobile devices, specifically through smartphones. A mobile-optimised website is no longer optional – it’s absolutely necessary.
Other relevant and more in-depth resources are also available through useful links to other Google support pages, such as their dedicated mobile-friendly guide or the site for Mobile-Friendly Testing. This makes the Google Starter Guide a true one-stop shop for SEO essentials.
Search engines work very hard to crawl through all the content available on the internet, and adding structured data codes is one way for website developers to describe their content to these crawlers. Structured data produces “rich” search results, and can be used to provide relevant search results in other formats.
Do you want your customers to know whether your business is closed or open at their time of search, or provide them with easy links to your social sites? Adding structured data markup will make this kind of relevant information easily accessible to help you attract the right kind of customers.
Google is advocating hiring SEO experts – a nod towards the growth of digital marketing and its increasing importance. Much like traditional marketing, digital marketing has become necessary for any business marketing strategy. Many consumers are now relying on the internet for information regarding products and services. Google suggests hiring SEO experts to improve your site as well as save you time managing online marketing accounts. The search engine even provides useful articles on how to hire an SEO agency.
Read all these vital insights, as well as many more, in Google’s revamped Starter Guide. And for even more SEO insights, download our e-book, “How to Achieve Online Success with Simple & Effective SEO.”
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