Sunshine Coast SEO experts say businesses that don't focus on content in 2016 will be left behind.
If you have a business website, you know how important SEO - Search Engine Optimization - is, and it will become even more important in 2016. And the best tip of the year is this: Stop giving people what you think they want, and start giving them what they really want.
In the past, internet marketing on the Sunshine Coast was all about ensuring that SEO keywords were used enough times in your copy for Google to notice!
And the norm was to produce short articles, promoting the issues the business owner wanted to get across.
In 2016, keyword use will still be important. But there's a definite move towards longer articles that contain not only relevant, but also interesting content, that people actually WANT to read and WANT to share through social media.
Google is evolving
The thing is, Google is forever evolving and changing how search engines work. For your Sunshine Coast SEO content to work, it no longer has to have the exact keywords repeated many times over. As long as the words, and related words, appear, Google will pick it up.
So a major component of your SEO plans for 2016 should be concentrating more on the quality and length of your content, making it relevant, interesting, revealing and original.
That way, you will not only get the 'clicks', but also the post-click activity - and that means conversions.
Remember that Google is more interested in the user experience, than yours! So SEO services experts on the Sunshine Coast are recommending planning ahead, rather than sticking content in here and there, as you feel like it. That will no longer suffice.
What you need is an content plan, an editorial calendar if you like, that plots articles, blogs and other content to be relevant to particular times of years, specific events and so on.
Mix up your content
Sunshine Coast SEO companies are also recommending a mix of content - short and snappy on Facebook and Twitter, longer reads on your site, and unique images.
And. of course, a key part of your planning is that it has to be mobile-friendly.
Remember those headlines a few years ago about mobile use overtaking desktop? Well, not surprisingly, those predictions have come true. Google officially confirmed last year that mobile search queries had overtaken desktop search queries.
In fact, they said that more Google searches take place on mobile devices than on computers in 10 countries, including the US and Japan.
Mobile-friendly is the key
Mobile device screens are, of course, smaller, the focus is on easy zooming and panning across web pages, font size, super responsive, and easy to navigate.
You'll also want to talk to your Sunshine Coast SEO consultant about making it really easy for readers to save and share your content. Clearly, every share is more publicity for your business - it's important to get this right.
You'll hear a few business owners say how they don't need to hire internet marketing professionals on the Sunshine Coast, because it's easy enough to stick a bit of content online.
Well, guess what, those will be the businesses that get left behind this year! If you are seriously about doing business, it is no longer enough to post now and then when you have the time or feel like it.
For SEO to be successful in 2016, it takes knowledge, professional skills, timing and planning. So get started by planning to talk to a Sunshine Coast SEO expert soon!
Author Bio: Peter is a journalist with many years' experience in news and business reporting. He writes extensively about the importance of good website design, SEO-driven web content and internet marketing on the Sunshine Coast.