The 5 Most Important SEO Tactics for 2016

Of all of the pieces that make-up the online marketing puzzle, arguably none has shifted so often – and so dramatically – as SEO.

Indeed, 25 years ago when SEO first arrived on the scene, search engine algorithms were like those campy, stupid robots from old science fiction movies. They were ridiculously easy to figure out and, frankly, to manipulate.

Fast forward to 2016, and things have completely changed! Search engine algorithms are MUCH smarter – which is a good thing, because it allows businesses who use the right tactics in the right way to get rewarded; while those who try and game the system get sent directly to Google’s Dog House (without passing GO or collecting $200).

And so, in light of the current online marketing and inbound marketing landscape, here’s what we at Leap Clixx believe are the 5 most important SEO tactics for 2016:

SEO Tactic #1: Consistent Blogging

We can’t stress this enough, which is why it’s at the top of our SEO tactics for 2016 list: businesses have to blog at least 3 times a week, although 5 times is the best practice and will soon become the default standard.

What’s more, blogs these days aren’t random 100ish word brain dumps. They’re thoughtful, organized articles of at least 400 words, optimized for 1 (or sometimes 2) strategically selected keywords, well-written, relevant to prospects and customers, and use internal links to drive/pull traffic and share the link-juice love.

SEO Tactic #2: Publish Great Content Offsite

Incoming links from authoritative websites – like the Mayo Clinic for a business in the health or wellness space – are SEO manna from heaven. And the only way to get these is by publishing great content. These links can’t be bought and anyone who says otherwise is selling magic beans.

SEO Tactic #: Social Seeding and Targeted Outreach

Another extremely important SEO tactic for 2016 that all businesses should be doing on a regular basis, is social seeding and targeted outreach to key influencers. Admittedly this is more of a long-term strategy than a short-term tactic, but it results in what businesses want: more visibility, more authority, and more traffic.

SEO Tactic #4: Full Mobile Optimization

This would actually qualify for a list of top SEO tactics for 2015 or even 2014, but we’ll add it here because there are still many businesses that haven’t received the memo: Google is PENALIZING websites that are not optimized for mobile devices (the term for this is “responsive design”).

SEO Tactic #5: Ongoing Audits

SEO in 2016 or any other year is not a “set it and forget it” thing. Businesses need to perform ongoing technical audits to evaluate how their specific web pages are performing (remember: SEO is essentially about web PAGES not about SITES), how users are behaving, and especially if there are any elements that need to be fixed such as broken links or incorrect internal linking.

Learn More

To get a clear sense of how your business shapes up SEO-wise in 2016, and for specific recommendations on what you can do to increase your traffic and rankings, contact the Leap Clixx team today. We’ve been around for years and have seen trends and tactics come and go. We know what works – and just as importantly, we know what doesn’t!

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