Posts Tagged ‘search engine optimization’

Last Friday I had lunch with an old college friend and her boyfriend, Tim.  Tim has been working on a new minimalist running shoe for the past two years and he’s just about ready to bring it to market.  Hence, the meeting with me to pick my brain about next steps.

If you know anything about my extracurricular activities, then you can see why this would be a match made in heaven.  Not only do I love running, but I just so happen to run in huarache sandals.  That’s as minimalist as you can get without running barefoot.  (By the way, I ran barefoot for a while until Erin threatened to leave me if I didn’t wear something on my feet… sandals were the compromise. )

So there I was, sitting in a French Bistro with the sun beaming outside the window, just as happy as can be talking about the two things I love almost as much as my family: online marketing and minimalist running. I figure I have to wait about 10 years in order to combine all three when Violet starts running. :)

During our conversation Tim asked about SEO and AdWords advertising.  He was curious to learn more and see which one was a better fit.

My answer? Hands down AdWords advertising is where he should focus his attention.  Of course, he shouldn’t ignore SEO completely, but that’s not the path to profitability and sustainability if you’re launching a new product or service.

I’ll also point out the fact that Tim did not even bring up social media.  If he had, then my answer does not change.  Social media is not your answer when you’re just starting out.

Tim’s #1 priority in the short term is to find his ideal selling strategy. In other words, he needs to figure out as quickly as possible the optimal price point, sales copy, website layout, cart abandonment follow-up sequences, upsells, retargeting sequences, referral programs, and iron out any kinks in the delivery and return processes.

So how the heck do you do all of that?

Well you start by driving a consistent, dependable stream of traffic to your website and then you systematically test all of the moving parts in your sales path.  That’s the basic process to find your ideal selling strategy.  It’s not rocket science, but it does take time, discipline, and the most important variable is traffic.  Without a consistent stream of high quality prospects, then you can’t test anything.

And neither SEO nor social media will reliably provide this type of traffic.  That’s why online search advertising like Google AdWords is the best place to start.  As long as your ideal customers are going to Google to find your product or service, then AdWords is the best option available.  Focus on optimizing your selling path and then when you’re ready to expand your marketing, invest more into other channels like SEO or social media.

Most business owners I talk to fully understand the value of search engine optimization (SEO).  They know every day more and more of their prospects are turning to search engines like Google to find their products and services.  Very few people will thumb through a heavy, dirty and dusty Yellowpages book when Siri will give you an answer in a matter of seconds.

And studies show that consumers will “Google” businesses even after viewing traditional offline advertising like TV, radio, and print.  So even if you’re not actively marketing online, chances are good your prospects are actively searching for you. And they are making quick decisions based on what they see, or in many cases don’t see.

Again, I know I don’t have to explain the value of ranking in Google when a prospect is searching for your solution.  Everyone “gets it” at this point.  That’s not the problem.

The problem is HOW.  How do you get your business to rank in Google?  This should be an easy question, but when you take a close look at all the options, then it’s easy to get frustrated and overwhelmed.  In fact, I’d argue the main reason businesses ignore SEO is because they are paralyzed by the options for how to get ranked in Google.

Let’s first take a look at the most obvious option: hire an SEO company.  That’s a simple task right?  Well… if you’re like most business owners I’ve talked to, then you’ve been burned by a shady SEO company in the past.  I won’t name any companies, but several big firms look more like aggressive, over-promising sales “Boiler Rooms” and less like consultants, or service providers.

As you know, SEO is a fairly new field, and there’s no such thing as a certified professional SEO consultants.  So this brings us to the first reason businesses tend to ignore SEO:  TRUST.  It’s not easy to find a trusted SEO provider.

But they do exist.  In fact, Main Street ROI partners with some of the best, most reputable firms and we’ll introduce you for free.  That doesn’t mean the SEO services are free :)  Nope, high-quality SEO services are not cheap, and that’s the second reason businesses put SEO on the back-burner.

Unfortunately, low cost SEO is extremely risky because if the consultant isn’t careful, then she can get your business banned from Google.  That could be a deathblow to your business.

So if you can’t afford a trusted SEO company, then you’re left with your final option: learn and implement SEO in-house.  Not a bad idea if you ask me :)

Only problem is there’s too much conflicting SEO information online.  And that’s reason number three for why SEO remains on the “to do” list. None of the information online connects all the dots into a cohesive strategy.  So you tend to end up with a bunch of random tactics and tools that don’t seem to make a dent on your Google rankings.

This is one of the main reasons we started Main Street ROI.  And this is exactly why we created SEO Jumpstart.  If you’ve been ignoring SEO because you can’t find a company you can trust, or you can’t afford one of the reputable consultants in our network, or you can’t piece together the free information online into a solid framework, then I encourage you to enroll in our upcoming SEO Jumpstart class.  Click here to learn more and see if you qualify.

Google rolled out a ton of major updates in 2012. And unless you’ve got a lot of extra time on your hands, you probably haven’t been able to keep up.

And so, in this article, I’m going to outline The New Rules of SEO that I’ve been recommending to all of my private clients. These are the rules you MUST follow, if you want to get ranked in Google and stay ranking over the long-term.

Rule #1. Quality, Not Quantity

Focus on very high quality, not quantity, when choosing which keywords to rank for in Google.

When you think about it, SEO is only getting more competitive. There are millions of new websites and web pages created every year, but there are still only 10 results on the first page of Google for your “dream” keywords. And you really need to be in the Top 5, or you’re practically invisible.

So my advice is to pick your keyword targets carefully. Instead of going after 100 keyword opportunities at once, start by focusing on the 1 to 10 (max) very best keyword opportunities.

And here’s another key tip: start by focusing on longer, more specific phrases (known as “long-tail” keyword phrases). When you focus on these “long-tail” phrases, you’ll typically rank in Google faster and attract higher quality leads.

Rule #2. “Go For The Gold”

If you want to win the Gold medal in the Olympics, you need to be the BEST.
Obviously, you’d never win the Gold medal with a half-assed effort! :)

And it’s the same with SEO.

This is just common sense….and yet, most people don’t give SEO their best shot. Most people just slap some keywords into their web pages (in their Title tags, body copy, etc) and they expect that’s going to get them on the first page of Google.

But there’s more to it than that!

Most importantly, you need to give the searcher what she really wants. Why?

Well, beginning in 2011 and continuing in 2012, Google started to raise the bar for content quality, and began penalizing sites for mediocre content and bad user experiences.

These days, if you want to get ranked in Google (and stay on top), you should create the page you’d want to find at the #1 spot if you were searching for your keywords. Create content that deserves to rank #1, and everything else gets much easier.

Rule #3. “Play It Safe”

In 2012, Google really started cracking down on manipulative SEO techniques. And when Google rolled out these updates, thousands of business owners saw their rankings (and revenues) plummet overnight.

I don’t have space to go into all the details here in this article… so here’s the really brief version of the story:

For years, website owners and SEO companies had been using risky tactics, like building artificial links to their websites, to try and trick Google’s algorithm and get their website ranked higher. And until recently, many of these tactics were working surprisingly well.

But when you try to trick Google, you’re taking a BIG risk… and just like a fugitive on the run, it’s only a matter of time before those bad decisions catch up to you!

Here’s my advice: If you want to maximize your SEO profits over the long-term, play it safe and avoid risky tactics. When you play by the rules, you won’t have to live in fear of the next big Google update. You’ll KEEP your rankings, and you’ll make more money over the long-term.

Last week I wrote about How to Get Multiple Listings in Google. If you’re under the impression that ranking #1 in Google is the Holy Grail of search engine optimization (SEO), then go read that article now and come back here when you’re done.

#1 is great, but I’d much prefer to be #1, #2, #3… and as many other listings as I can get in Google.  That’s how you truly dominate your market for your target keywords.

Once you understand this concept of multiple listings, then the question becomes, “What types of content should you create to maximize the number of prospects who click on your listings?”

Think about it like this – If you could get each of the top 10 listings on the first page of Google for a particular keyword, then what would those listings be in order to attract the most prospects to your website?  Obviously, if all 10 listings were basically the same, then some prospects will click to the 2nd page in Google or type in another keyword because the message may not resonate with them.

The trick here is to get different types of content to rank for the same keyword so you maximize your reach.  The same is true with advertising so this isn’t anything new. We’re simply applying a proven advertising tactic to SEO.

3 Messages to Maximize Clicks

In any industry, the 3 different messages you can use are:

1. Gain
2. Fear
3. Logic

The fact is, different people will respond to different messages. If you’re a dentist, then you may already know that some people are more drawn to positive (i.e. Gain) messages like “how to get a brighter smile” while other people are draw to negative (i.e. Fear) message like “how to avoid cavities.” And others may be more attracted to logic like “good oral hygiene can save you thousands in healthcare.”

The gain message attracts people who want to move toward pleasure and the fear message attracts people who want to move away from pain.  And the logic message attracts the so called “left-brained.”

Now the problem is we never know which message is going to resonate best with the person searching in Google.  So which type of message should you use for the webpages you want to rank in Google?

That’s a trick question because ideally you want to get ALL three of them to rank in Google for your target keyword.  That way you’ll maximize the chances your prospect will click on one of your listings.

next steps = identify keywords you want to get multiple listings for.. create webpages using the 3 different messages..

3 Steps to Multiple Listings That Maximize Clicks

Now that you understand the concept of multiple listings and multiple messages, it’s time to put it all together.  Here are the 3 basic steps to take advantage of this strategy:

1. Pick your target keywords
2. Create content (articles, videos, press releases, or audio) using the 3 different messages: Gain, Fear, and Logic
3. Publish your content on high-authority websites like YouTube, PRWeb, Facebook, Google+, etc

Again, to learn more about how to get multiple listings, read How to Get Multiple Listings in Google.

In search engine optimization (SEO), is there anything better than ranking #1 in Google for your target keywords?  That’s the absolute best scenario you or your SEO firm could possible achieve right?

WRONG!

What if you ranked #1, #2, AND #3?  Clearly, three webpages ranked in Google is better than just one.

To prove this point even further let’s look at some numbers.  According to a recent study by SlingShotSEO, the #1 ranked website in Google gets clicked only 18% of the time.  So even if you’re #1, you’re actually missing out on about 82% of the potential traffic for that particular keyword.

However, if you can get ranked in all 3 of the top positions, then you’ll just about double your traffic.  That’s because the #2 ranked webpage gets clicked about 10% of the time and the #3 webpage gets clicked about 7% of the time.  So combined, the top 3 positions account for 35% of the potential clicks for any given keyword.  That’s much better than only 18% with the #1 spot.

So if you’re investing in SEO, then your goal is NOT to just rank #1.  Don’t get me wrong, that’s certainly great, but it’s not the best you can do. Your goal should be to rank in ALL of the top spots for your target keywords.  If you could own every one of the 10 spots on the first page of Google, then roughly 52% of the searches will click on YOUR webpage.

Why not 100%?  Well keep in mind there are also AdWords search advertisers, some people will click to page 2 or beyond in Google, and some people will simply search another phrase in Google instead of clicking on any of the results.  So it’s impossible to get 100% of the searches to click on your webpage.

Now the question I’m sure you’re asking is “How do you get multiple listings in Google?“  Especially since Google will only display one webpage (or at most two) per domain.

Glad you asked… :)

How to Get Multiple Listings in Google

To get multiple listings in Google, you have two options:

1. Create multiple websites for your business and launch multiple SEO campaigns
2. Create webpages on other websites you do not own

Option #1 is not a great strategy for most businesses because the costs to set up and maintain multiple websites typically outweigh the benefits.

However, option #2 can be extremely effective because you can leverage another website’s preexisting SEO authority.  In other words, if Google already likes and trusts the website, then the webpage you create on that website will rank more quickly.  We call this strategy “Piggyback SEO” and my partner Pete Kennedy explained it in SEO Growth Hack: Piggy-Back For Fast Rankings.

Let’s take a look at an example.

Piggyback SEO Example

As you can see in the image above, the #2 ranked webpage for the search phrase “google adwords checklist” is a blog post on our website. And the #1 ranked webpage is a video we created and posted on YouTube.  So roughly 18% of searchers will click on the YouTube video, which gives information and ends by telling people to go to one of our webpages to learn more.  Plus another 10% of searchers will click directly to our blog.  That means we’re capturing about 28% of everyone who searches “google adwords checklist” every month.

The main reason why Google ranks the YouTube video higher than our blog post is because Google trusts YouTube.com more than they trust MainStreetROI.com.  By leveraging YouTube’s SEO authority, we are able to get multiple listings in Google with pretty minimal effort.

Again, if you want to learn more about this strategy, then check out SEO Growth Hack: Piggy-Back For Fast Rankings.

Interested in search engine optimization (SEO)?  Well, conventional wisdom dictates that you must focus your efforts online if you want to improve your online search engine rankings.  Seems obvious right?

That’s why there’s so much information about on-page optimization, article marketing, video marketing, link building, blogging, guest blogging, and other online strategies to boost your search rankings.  If you invest enough time and energy online, then eventually you’ll improve your online marketing.

However, that kind of thinking completely ignores all of your off-line opportunities to improve your SEO. And many businesses actually have large untapped off-line resources that can jumpstart SEO campaigns.

I know what you’re thinking… “Phil’s been sipping too much eggnog this holiday season. How the heck can you improve your SEO using off-line tactics?”

Well, I’m not going to waste time arguing that first statement, but let me answer that second question..

How Off-Line Tactics Can Improve Your SEO

In order to explain how off-line tactics can improve search engine rankings, I need to give a quick primer on SEO.  Since the dawn of Google, the prevailing factor in ranking websites has been hyperlinks.  If my website hyperlinks to your website, then I’m telling Google that I know, like and trust you.  I want my website visitors to go check you out, and I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t think you had a quality website.

So, Google looks at the quantity of hyperlinks from other websites to your website.  Plus, Google looks at the quality of the websites hyperlinking to your website.  Obviously, if higher quality websites are hyperlinking to your website, then that gives Google confidence your website deserves to be ranked at the top of the results.

Now let’s put this all together…

If you have a relationship with someone who owns a high quality website (i.e. a friend, business partner, associate, etc.), then all you have to do is ask for a hyperlink to your website.  No need for fancy SEO tools here.  Just pick up the phone and see if there’s a creative way to get a hyperlink.

Real World Example

Let’s take a look at a real world example, so you see this in action.  Two years ago, I was brainstorming ideas to get more hyperlinks for one of my private clients’ websites.  I knew this client was an adjunct professor at the law school he attended so there was a strong off-line relationship already established.

Therefore, I  contacted the school’s Alumni Association and I was able to establish my client as the “Alumnus of the month” for the law school’s magazine.  And in the process, my client received a hyperlink on the law school’s website. That’s an extremely valuable link for SEO purposes because Google (like everyone else) considers college websites to be very authoritative.

Unfortunately, there’s no online SEO tactic that could have established a hyperlink on this particular law school website.  The only way was through creative off-line networking and that’s why this tactic is so important.  So, the next time you’re brainstorming ideas about how to improve your online search engine rankings, don’t forget about your off-line relationships!

I’ve heard many consultants use a variation of the phrase, “let’s date before we marry” when trying to get me to sign up for some sort of trial period.  It’s a nice tactic and I’ve actually used it successfully myself.

The reason it works is because choosing a consultant, or really any business, is just like the process of dating to find your perfect match (i.e. your husband or wife).  Here’s what almost everyone does:

1. First, you narrow down the options based on your own preferences.
2. Second, you confirm you’re a good match for the business.  In other words, determine if they can help you in your particular situation.
3. Third, you run a background check to make sure the business is legit.

And that’s pretty much what we all do when we’re looking for someone to date right?  We focus in on the candidates who fit a particular mold we’re looking for.  Then we make sure we’re a good match.  And finally, we conduct some form of background check usually by asking friends and family.

Now, if you agree the process of finding a business is like dating, then we can apply this concept to search engine optimization (SEO).

Phase 1 of Dating & SEO

When prospects are searching in Google to find a business, then they’re in the first phase in the dating process.  They’re trying to find businesses that are a good fit based on their preferences.   So how do you know if your business is a good fit for what they are looking for?

Easy… the keyword the prospect types into Google will tell you all you need to know.  This is why keyword research is so critical.  You need to make sure you’re focusing your SEO efforts on keywords where your business is a good fit for the prospect searching.  Otherwise you’re wasting your time and money.

Phase 2 of Dating & SEO

After the prospect searches in Google, then she’ll click through to your website to “check you out.”  Now we’re into the second phase.  The prospect is trying to determine if her needs match what you’re offering. So how can you match your offer to the prospects needs?

Again, you can use the keyword here.  If the prospect is searching for a “subzero appliance repair business” then wouldn’t it make sense to focus your page all about your Subzero repair service?  That would perfectly match the prospect’s needs.

So the key takeaway here is to optimize different pages on your website for the different keywords you want to target.

Phase 3 of Dating & SEO

OK, now we’re into the final stage.  Nowadays, it’s really easy for prospects to do a quick background check by typing your business name into Google.  That’ll usually do the trick, but if not then “[business name] + review” is a nice search to see if there are any negative reviews floating around online.

We actually do this at Main Street ROI before we take on any private clients to make sure we only work with reputable businesses.

Now, if you do this and you find search results that could hurt future sales (i.e. negative reviews, blog posts, videos, etc), then you have a problem.  Even if you truly provide excellent products or services, then there’s no way to avoid disgruntled (and in some cases crazy) customers.  The best way to combat the negative content is to crowd it out with more positive webpages.

This strategy is called search engine reputation management and you can learn more here: Search Engine Reputation Management – How to Combat Negative Content.

What Do You Think?

Do you agree SEO is like dating?  If you found this article helpful, then please like, share, and comment below.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

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Here’s an easy question – will you get more children at your door during Halloween with amazing tricks or delicious treats?

Obviously treats.  Children love candy and after a couple years of trial and error they figure out which homes or apartments hand out the best treats.  And they flock to those doors with their bags open wide.

Well the same holds true with search engine optimization (SEO) .  Treats will always outperform tricks in the long run.  In other words, if you want to get ranked and stay ranked over the long-term, then you can’t have the mindset of trying to trick Google.

Google learns by trial and error which websites provide the best information (i.e. give the best candy) and which ones are just tricking their users.  So eventually the tricksters move down in the rankings or are completely removed from their index.

Who Is In Control?

Some fraudulent SEO firms will lead you to believe they have control and will guarantee you rankings.  However, no SEO firm controls which websites rank high in Google.  Yes, it’s possible to influence your rankings and that’s what SEO is all about, but don’t confuse that power with real control.

Another belief is that Google is in control.  Yes, Google is certainly in control, but there’s a catch here.  Google does not exist without loyal users.

So the correct answer to the question, who is in control?, is Google’s users.  User behavior ultimately impacts which websites should rank high in the search results because Google’s goal is to satisfy their users.  If Google doesn’t satisfy the user’s search, then she’ll go to Yahoo, Bing, or some other search engine.  Less users means less people clicking on ads, which means less revenue, which leads to extinction…

So the question with SEO is never, how do I trick Google to make my website #1? Instead, it should be how do I satisfy Google’s users so Google wants to rank me #1?

How to Satisfy Google’s Users

This brings us back to my original analogy.   Google users are like children on Halloween looking for treats. Your goal is to be the most popular house on the block, and that means handing out the best treats (i.e. information to answer their question).

In other words, you need to provide relevant information and a great user experience.  If your webpage is not relevant, then users will click back and try another search result.  Likewise, if your webpage is confusing and hard to navigate, users will be dissatisfied.

So stop thinking about how you can trick or manipulate Google.  The reality is, Google is going to make changes based on user behavior, so the focus must be on how to best satisfy the user for a given search phrase.  Everything else is a waste of time and energy.

Want our latest advice on how to get ranked in Google?

Register for our upcoming teleseminar…

FREE SEO Teleseminar!

What: The Death Of ‘Old-School’ SEO

When: Monday, November 5th, at 3pm Eastern time

Where: Register here: http://www.mainstreetroi.com/death-of-seo

(You’ll get dial-in instructions sent to your email address.)

Attend this free SEO teleseminar, you’ll discover:

• 3 Worthless “Old School” SEO Tactics to Avoid
• The 5 NEW Rules of SEO You Must Follow
• Top 4 Reasons Why Most SEO Campaigns Fail
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Click here to register

Would you rather be friends with live people, dead people, or zombies?

Pretty easy question to answer.

But the funny thing is, people don’t always make the right decision when it comes to their search engine optimization (SEO).

What does this have to do with SEO?!?

When you get a link from a page, you’re essentially making friends with them. That web page is linking to your web page and saying “I like what you’re doing over here.”

And links – hyperlinks pointing from another web page to your web page — are still one of the most important factors in Google’s search engine algorithm. And probably always will be.

So, whether you realize it or not, you’ve got a decision to make…

You can focus on getting links from 3 different types of pages:

1. Pages that are alive
2. Pages that are dead, and
3. Pages that are the “living dead” (aka zombies).

Here are some examples to clarify what I mean…

1. The Live Web

The “live web” (as I’m calling it) consists of web pages that are active. They are updated and edited on a regular basis, and they’re adding new content. And importantly, a real person is responsible for creating or curating the content.

Good examples of the live web include:

• Blogs
• Social media websites
• News websites

These are, generally speaking, the best links you can get.

Why?

Because Google actually wants links to mean something. Links are meant to be a signal of your website’s reputation and authority. And the most valuable links you can get are links that demonstrate  “editorial discretion” — where a real, live person made a conscious decision to link to you.

OK, moving on…

2. The Dead Web

What’s an example of the “Dead Web”? A directory page that hasn’t been updated in years.

For example, the Open Directory Project – aka DMOZ – is a huge human-edited directory. It was created by real people. And so there was editorial discretion. However, this directory is (for the most part) DEAD. Or at the very least, it’s on life support.  You can submit your website if you want to, but you might not hear back for months or even years. The place is like a ghost town.

Similarly, resources and links pages on college and governmental websites are often dead. Now, SEO experts will tell you that getting links from websites with ‘.edu’ and ‘.gov’ domains is hugely valuable — and that’s true. However, many of these pages were created when the web pages were first created — and haven’t been updated since. And the people who created these pages don’t even work there any more. As a result, you’re going to face an uphill battle getting your website listed on these pages.

My advice to you: focus on the active web.  Some SEO experts may disagree, but I think it’s a better use of your time and energy to focus on the live web, and skip the dead web.

And finally…

3. The Zombie Web

What in the world is the zombie web?

Well, just like in the movies, we’re talking about the living dead.…

The web pages are getting updated and posting new content… so they’re not totally dead.  But the content isn’t being produced by a real person. Instead, it’s being “scraped” by software programs or cut-up and re-assembled (“spun”) to appear like fresh, unique content.

Many of these pages exist for SEO purposes.  They contain links to other websites, and those links are designed to help improve those sites’ Google rankings.  Links from “zombie” sites often help in the short-term, but they usually aren’t effective in the long-term because these links aren’t examples of real, authentic editorial discretion.

So, Here’s My Advice to You…

Focus on getting links from live pages — and avoid the corpses and the zombies!

The ‘Living Web’ Litmus Test

When you’re looking for pages to attract links from, here are some questions to ask, in order to find out whether you’re dealing with a living, breathing web page:

• Is a real person responsible creating or curating this content?

• Can I identify who that person is?

• Is there contact information on the website?

• Was this website updated recently?

• Does this website have an audience consisting of real people?

• Does it seem credible and trustworthy? (Would I recommend it to my mom?)

Good luck with your link-building… and remember, watch out for the ghost towns and zombies!

In the past two years, Google has made significant changes to their search engine… and it’s clear to me that Google’s long-term goal is to make traditional search engine optimization (SEO) tactics obsolete.  And Google has only just begun.  In the coming years, SEO as we know it today will no longer exist.

Timeline of Recent Google Updates

The shift began when Google Places launched on April 20, 2010.  Google Places leveled the playing field and gave the small, local business a way to compete with the ‘big boys’ because geography was now factored into the search ranking algorithm.  For example, if you search for “dentist” then you’ll see a map in the upper right corner showing you dentists in your area as well as contact information listed in the main search results.

Google Places was also the first attempt for Google to measure the popularity and quality of businesses by using a review system.  In theory, more positive reviews indicates a business provides excellent service and deserves to be #1 in the search results.  So now Google is incorporating location of the user searching in Google, the location of your business, and the popularity of your business via reviews.

But that was just the beginning…

Next, Google introduced Google+ on June 28, 2011.  Google+ is a social platform that functions similar to Facebook.  The critical feature is the ability for users to share online news articles, blog posts, videos, pictures, etc. with all of their friends and family.  Bingo! Now Google can measure users’ engagement with online content and use that information to further enhance their search algorithm.

If more people are sharing a webpage, or +1′ing (Google’s version of Facebook’s Like button), then that’s a great indication of the popularity and quality of the webpage.  By factoring in social signals, Google can rank the most popular content higher in the search results and filter out any junk that no one cares about.

Uh oh.. Does that mean SEO is really all about social media optimization? Sort of, but we’ll come back to that in a minute.

On May 30, 2012, Google migrated and renamed Google Places to Google+ Local.  As the new name indicates, Google made this change in order to incorporate the social signals from Google+ into the algorithm to rank local businesses.  This means businesses with more user engagement (i.e. +1′s, comments, sharing, and of course reviews) will rank higher than other businesses that are not as “socially active.”

What Does This Mean For The Future Of SEO?

Google’s goal is to ensure the most relevant, highest quality and most popular content rises to the top of the search results. Before the updates listed above, Google’s primary signal for relevance, quality, and popularity was hyperlinks pointing to your website from from other websites.  Essentially, a link is a vote in your webpage’s favor.  The more links you have to your webpage, the higher your webpage will rank in Google.

Therefore, traditional SEO was all about building links to the webpages you want to rank high in Google.  But the future of SEO will not rely primarily on links.  Google is now in a position to measure user engagement via Google+ and business owners must adopt a new SEO strategy to compete online.

Google announced and has already begun the merging of Google+ Local business listings with older Google+ Business pages.  When the merge is complete, all businesses will have just one core Google+ Business page where they can post engaging updates, articles, pictures, videos, etc and allow prospects and customers to +1, comment, and share.  The Meatball Shop is a great example.

All of this points to the fact that Google wants businesses to interact with users, and over time these social signals will become more and more important in the search engine ranking algorithm.

So What Does This Mean For You?

If you want to secure and maintain top rankings in Google over the long term, then you can’t rely on old SEO tactics.  Links are still (and will always be) important, but social media signals will soon be a major factor you can’t ignore.

First, if you haven’t already, I strongly recommend you set up and claim ownership of your Google+ Local page.  Soon Google will complete their next update and you’ll be able to publish updates, contests, coupons, special deals, articles, pictures and videos to engage your prospects and customers.  Think about what you can publish that will encourage more comments, +1′s, and sharing.

The goal is essentially to generate activity on your website and Google+ Local page.  The more activity the better because it shows Google you’re a popular and high quality business that deserves to rank #1 in the search results.

For more information about exactly how to set up and manage your Google+ Local page, then check out The Local SEO Formula 2.0.  The Local SEO Formula 2.0 is a step-by-step video training course that walks you through the process of setting up, claiming ownership, and ranking your Google+ Local page.