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Have you poured hours into your SEO strategy only to find the needle barely moves on your site’s traffic or rankings? Search Engine Optimisation is ever-changing, and what worked yesterday might not hold the same weight today. You might feel like you’re banging your head against a digital wall, wondering if all those technical tweaks and content efforts are even worth it. But what if I told you that the game has changed?
What if I told you that the once-coveted tactics of meticulous keyword placement and relentless backlink acquisition are no longer the be-all and end-all of SEO?
In a world where Google’s algorithms evolve faster than a chameleon changes colours, clinging to outdated strategies could be what’s holding you back.
The “helpful content update” from Google which rolled out on August 25th, 2022, is a game-changer, signalling a shift towards valuing genuinely useful content over traditional SEO tactics. It’s not just about answering questions anymore; it’s about being the most trusted and comprehensive answer out there.
This isn’t just another SEO trend – it’s a call to focus on what truly matters: being helpful and building trust with your audience.
So, if you’re ready to break free from the chains of outdated SEO tactics and set your site on a path to genuine, sustainable growth, keep reading.
By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to improve your rankings and site’s traffic with SEO.
SEO is Changing
Once upon a time, SEO could be boiled down to a simple checklist: sprinkle in some keywords, build a tower of backlinks, and make sure your site loads at lightning speed.
While these elements still play their roles, there has been a big shift that you can’t afford to ignore.
Many preach that SEO tactics like backlinking, keyword optimisation, site speed and more need to be an ongoing, month in month out effort.
The truth? A thorough technical audit once every few months is actually sufficient for most websites.
Think of a technical SEO audit as a quarterly health check for your website. Just as you wouldn’t need to visit the doctor every day for a full health screening, your website doesn’t require constant technical audits to succeed in the SEO realm.
Once a quarter, dive deep into your site’s technical aspects—check the loading speed, ensure mobile optimisation, assess the architecture, and refine those meta tags and descriptions. Implement the necessary changes, and you’re set for the next couple of months.
The crux of this shift comes from Google’s Helpful Content Update.
This wasn’t just another tweak to the algorithm; it was a clear message to content creators: the focus should be on people-first content. Google is nudging us away from writing for bots and algorithms and towards creating content that genuinely serves the user’s needs.
But what does “helpful” content look like? It’s content that answers your audience’s questions comprehensively, content that’s shared because it’s valuable, and content that people spend time reading because it’s engaging and informative.
As the shift moves towards producing helpful content, site’s that prioritise this over technical aspects of SEO will be rewarded.
The new mantra in SEO is simple: be helpful, be consistent, and be trustworthy. This doesn’t mean abandoning all technical SEO practices; it means complementing them with a content strategy that puts the user’s needs at the forefront.
We’re not saying you should forget about technical SEO. We’re just saying that a technical audit once every few months is more than enough. The rest of your focus should be on answering your buyer’s questions.
In this new era, SEO isn’t just about getting people to your site; it’s about providing them with a reason to stay, engage, and return. It’s about building a relationship with your audience, one piece of content at a time.
Rethinking Content Creation
Because of SEO’s changing landscape, you need to change how you think about content. The focus shifts from sheer quantity to the value and relevance of what you’re offering your audience.
You might have heard that content is king, but let’s refine that statement: consistent, high-quality content is king.
So, what does this practically mean for your business?
Every week your business should be pumping out three high quality blog articles that answer your buyer’s questions accurately and completely. Publishing three articles a week isn’t just about keeping your website fresh; it’s about establishing a rhythm of trust with your audience. Each piece of content is an opportunity to answer questions, provide insights, and solve problems.
You’re probably thinking, ‘But Luca, does it have to be exactly three articles?’
After significant testing, we’ve discovered that three just happens to be the sweet spot, both form a resource perspective and a results perspective on ranking higher in Google. If you write less than three, you just don’t see the sort of hockey stick growth we’re aiming for here. And if you write more than three, you end up sacrificing quality for quantity.
Remember, consistency shouldn’t come at the expense of quality. Every article, blog post, or guide you publish should offer value and directly address the needs or concerns of your audience.
The concept of being helpful goes beyond answering questions. It’s about building a foundation of trust, which happens to be the core ingredient of every sale.
When your content consistently helps your audience, you become more than just a source of information; you become a trusted advisor. This trust translates into longer visit durations, more return visits, and, ultimately, a higher likelihood of conversion.
But how do you know if your content is genuinely helpful? It should leave the reader feeling informed, empowered, and ready to take the next step, whatever that may be. If they leave your site with more questions than answers, it’s time to reassess your content strategy.
Read: How to Write Articles That Rank and Generate Leads
How to Create High Quality, SEO Optimised Content
Here’s three steps you can take to creating content that helps you rank:
Utilise SEM Rush
Tools such as SEMRush offer invaluable insights into what your audience is searching for.
Use the Magic Keyword Tool to search for phrases your audience is looking for.
Then, click on the ‘Questions’ tab. This will change all of the keyword searches and filter them by the questions that users are asking related to this keyword.
his gives you a grasp of what questions your buyers have. Use the volume column and KD% column to determine which are worth answering first. Generally, you’ll aim for topics that have a higher volume and a lower KD% (which indicates a lower difficulty for ranking).
Read: How to Research Your Competition for Free Using SEM Rush
Answer Questions Thoroughly
High-quality content doesn’t just skim the surface; it dives deep.
When you address a question, aim to provide the most comprehensive answer available. This might mean breaking down complex ideas, providing examples, or offering step-by-step guides.
One of the best ways to do this is by following the ‘They Ask, You Answer’ framework for writing high quality articles.
Read: Everything You Need to Know About ‘They Ask, You Answer’
By focusing on these elements, you’re not just creating content; you’re cultivating a learning centre that your audience can rely on. This is the essence of the new SEO strategy: being so useful to your audience that you become an indispensable part of their online experience.
Read: The Anatomy of a Learning Centre that Generates Revenue
Still Having Trouble? Try These 20 Fail-Proof SEO Tactics
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, a static approach to SEO is a blueprint for invisibility. The shift towards valuing genuinely helpful, high-quality content is not just a trend; it’s a fundamental change in how search engines like Google evaluate and rank your site.
By understanding and embracing this shift, you can transform your SEO strategy from a frustrating battle for visibility into a powerful tool for building meaningful connections with your audience.
Remember, the cornerstone of your SEO success lies in your commitment to providing value.
It’s not just about ticking off SEO checkboxes; it’s about truly understanding and addressing the needs of your audience. When you focus on being genuinely helpful, offering thorough answers, and maintaining a consistent stream of quality content, you’re not just optimising for search engines; you’re optimising for people – and that is the key.
But if you’re still having trouble, then these 20 SEO Tactics will help you.
Read: 20 Tips on How to Improve SEO, Even if Nothing Else is Working
