We have summarized the experience of website promotion specialists to trace the dynamics of the development of SEO services over the past 20 years. Which of the old methods are a thing of the past, and which should be used today? Time to tell you about all the changes!
Search engine optimization is no longer something only available to large companies for image purposes. Today, SEO is a high-tech field where the role of the specialist has become more analytical. It is now possible to work with SEO only through deep data analysis, since search engine algorithms are becoming more and more complex and require a personalized approach.
General development trend
The beginning of SEO services can be considered the beginning of the 2000s, when contextual advertising services began to gain popularity. The Internet has become the main platform for information exchange and interaction. During this period, many new online platforms appear, such as social networks and video hosting.
Early on, promotion focused on getting a site to the top of search engines, with pay based on how long the site held its position. Simple techniques like link building and keyword density worked back then.
As the number of websites has increased, so have search engine algorithms. This led to the market being divided into two camps: those who adapted to new conditions, and those who continued to use old methods. Promotion has become more complex and time-consuming.
Today, SEO requires more knowledge and skills, and specialists must work not only with promotion techniques, but also create their own solutions to achieve success.
Impact of new technologies
Modern search engines provide new opportunities to combat low-quality promotion methods:
- machine learning, for example, Matrixnet;
- behavioral factors;
- new algorithms that take into account specific requests and characteristics of users;
- website adaptability for mobile devices;
- development of social networks as full-fledged platforms for e-commerce.
Thanks to such innovations, SEO specialists are forced to be flexible and not afraid to experiment with new approaches.
Old methods that are a thing of the past
Let's remember the methods that were once in use, but have long since become irrelevant.
"Sheets"
The texts are huge, unstructured and difficult to understand. These “panels” were created with the goal of including as many key queries as possible. However, with the development of search algorithms, such methods began to work worse and worse, and pages with such texts were replaced by higher quality and structured content.
Spam
Filling the text with keywords without taking into account the context. With the development of algorithms, search engines began to effectively recognize such attempts at manipulation. Today, the emphasis is on the natural occurrence of keywords and phrases, which improves the perception of content for both users and search engines.
TIC and PR
Previously, website authority indicators such as TCI (Topical Citation Index) and PR (PageRank) played an important role. Nowadays, search engines prefer more comprehensive indicators of a site's quality, such as its reputation and resistance to manipulation.
White on white
The method of hiding text with low contrast or using invisible elements to manipulate search engines is a thing of the past. Today, such techniques are easily identified, and their use can lead to sanctions from search engines.
Car runs according to catalogs
Many tried to place the site in directories and other resources in order to increase visibility. However, today search algorithms have become so smart that registering in directories no longer gives the same effect as before, and may even be counterproductive.
Working with synonyms
Previously, SEO specialists created separate pages for similar queries, even if they were only synonyms. Today, search engines understand synonymous phrases very well, and such division of content no longer makes sense.
Links
Previously, buying links was a standard practice to increase website rankings. But with the development of search engine algorithms, it became clear that links must be relevant, high-quality and come from trusted sources. Bulk purchases of links in packages can now lead to sanctions.
Satellites and doorways
In the past, creating websites that existed solely to manipulate search engines was a common practice. Today, such methods are considered outdated and are used only in gray niches.
Generating useless pages for queries
Creating unnecessary pages with queries such as “inexpensive” or “luxury” products has long lost its effectiveness. Such pages do not attract traffic and only fill the Internet with unnecessary content.
Working with Keywords tags
The use of the Keywords tag on all pages is no longer necessary. Previously, this led to duplicate content and confusion about relevance. Modern search engines take into account the actual content of pages, not tags.
Analytics and services
Analytics tools have become much more complex and require greater care when used. However, their features have now been optimized, and they greatly simplify routine tasks such as tracking positions or clustering queries.
Design
When SEO first started, websites did not have complex designs and only the technical aspects were focused on. Today, design has become an important part of successful promotion, and the site must take into account its visual component.
Brand
In the past, websites were kept simple, focusing on keywords within domains. Today, a website is the face of a company, its brand. Logo, design and unique content play an important role in building trust.
Moneymakers
Previously, SEO specialists were engaged in creating websites to make money through manipulation. Today, an SEO specialist is an expert who uses marketing thinking and technology knowledge to create valuable content and promote websites.
Brian Rank
Google uses RankBrain to interpret queries more accurately and provide relevant results. This ensures that high-quality content that meets user needs gets better positions in search results.
BERT
BERT is Google's neural network that helps understand user queries and provide more accurate answers. It is especially useful for processing long queries and questions in a natural way.
E-A-T
E - expertise
Content should be accurate, complete, and thorough to help users understand the issue. Make sure the content is backed by credible sources and has expert opinion.
A - authority
For content to be authoritative, it is important that it is backed by an expert with experience in the field who can back up their qualifications.
T - trust
Trust is built through transparency, user reviews, information about the company and confirmation of its competence.
The modern SEO industry is developing rapidly. Today, specialists must be not only technical, but also creative, skillfully use marketing approaches and focus on user needs.
To receive advice and resolve any questions regarding SEO, you can write to the SEO COMPUTER studio at info@seo.computer.
