The world of SEO is constantly evolving, and it’s important for search engine optimizers to keep up with the latest trends if they want to stay ahead of the competition. With the new year rapidly approaching, it’s time to take a look at some outdated SEO practices that it’s time to unlearn in 2023. Here are 8 things SEO professionals should let go of as they move into the new decade:
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Keyword Stuffing: For a while, keyword stuffing was the norm in SEO, however, those days are long gone. Keywords are still important and should be included, but they should be done in a subtle and organic way rather than placed in a way that’s obvious and spammy.
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Focusing Solely on Rankings: It used to be that ranking for certain keywords was the ultimate goal for SEOs, but Google’s algorithm has become increasingly sophisticated and that’s no longer the case. Instead of focusing solely on rankings, SEO professionals should be more concerned with creating quality content that is optimized for search engines but also engages readers.
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Thinking Meta Tags Don’t Matter: Meta tags still play a huge part in how search engines view content, and should never be neglected. Make sure that all titles, descriptions, and keywords are optimized and updated regularly.
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Not Learning New Techniques: The algorithms search engines use to determine rankings are constantly changing, which means that SEO professionals need to keep learning and adapting if they want to stay ahead of the game.
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Not Striving to Obtain Quality Links: Links are still an important factor in search engine rankings. However, it’s important to make sure that any links obtained are coming from reputable sources and are placed naturally within content.
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Ignoring Social Media: In this day and age, social media plays a huge role in SEO. Content should be optimized for multiple formats, including all the major social media platforms, so that it’s easily shared and drives more traffic to a website or blog.
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Relying on Short-Term Tactics: In order to be truly successful at SEO, it’s important to focus on long-term strategies. This means creating evergreen content that can be found and indexed by search engines for years to come and earning backlinks that will continue to bring in new visitors.
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Not Analyzing Results: Analyzing the results of SEO efforts is an important step that is often overlooked. It’s important to monitor traffic, engagement, and other metrics on a regular basis to see what’s working, what isn’t, and where improvements can be made.
As the world of SEO continues to evolve, it’s important for SEO professionals to stay up-to-date with the latest trends if they want to remain competitive. By unlearning outdated tactics and embracing new methods, it’s possible to increase organic traffic, boost rankings, and help ensure success for any SEO campaign.