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SEO Changes that Will Affect Your Business in 2017

SEO

Your SEO could have something to do with your faltering presence on the search engines. According to Knoxweb, Search Engine Optimization must be in place if you want to increase your ranking on Google, Bing and the other search engines on the web. Knoxweb explains that when done correctly, SEO can bring you to the top just after the paid for ads, but unfortunately, when done incorrectly it can have the opposite effect.

Google changes its algorithms all the time, and with names like Panda, Hummingbird and Pigeon, it’s not easy to keep track, especially when it comes to Search Engine Optimization. Since 1996, Knoxweb has kept ahead of the changes helping clients and customers with good SEO tactics and practices.

Bad Search Engine Optimization is much more than keyword stuffing. Bad SEO habits will destroy the user’s experience. With that being said, the worst sin in the world when it comes to Search Engine Optimization is Poor User Experience. When you read your content on your site, does it flow, is it easy to read and understand? If the answer is no, you are destroying your users experience.

As mentioned above, Google is always changing or adding to the algorithms and when the unofficially named Intrusive Interstitial Update went into effect in January of 2017, SEO changed yet again.

The update affects businesses who continually post intrusive pop-up ads on their website. The update was announced back in August of last year, but much like Googlegeddon, some didn’t pay attention. Google stated, “To improve the mobile search experience, after January 10, 2017, pages where content is not easily accessible to a user on the transition from the mobile search results may not rank as highly.” Google will penalize you if your Interstitial ads:

  • Cover the content
  • Require dismissal before access to the website
  • Pop up without interaction
  • Above the fold looks like an ad, but has to be X’d out before the main content is exposed
  • Bothers or annoys users
  • Pop up ads appear, but aren’t necessary to your content or your website

Knoxweb explains that the best way to avoid the pop up and interstitial penalty is to think like the search engines. Google’s main objective is user experience. The King of the search engines wants all websites to be easy to use, honest, and intuitive.

According to Google acceptable interstitials or pop ups ask for cookie permission or age verification. Other acceptable ads include non-intrusive banners that hold entertaining or educational news items that are fresh and relevant.

Google is pedantic about creating an enjoyable environment and has always put the user first. These days the world’s most well known search engine is getting more searches than it ever has, and thanks to mobile technology, they are getting them from tablets and phones.

According to Knoxweb, Google receives around two trillion searches every year with over half of those searches coming from mobile devices. Add to the fact that mobile searches are changing the way that users search, always on the go, researching products and services and voice search, search engines have had to respond.

The screen on a mobile device is much smaller than a laptop or PC. The users experience is drawn and magnified putting everything center stage. If your SEO and content isn’t up to scratch your potential clients and customers will head over to the competition.

For your business to be successful in today’s environment, you need to enhance your online presence.

If you would like more information regarding SEO, call or click and talk to the Search Engine Optimization experts from Knoxweb. It really can make a difference to your ranking.

Call or click for SEO today.