Milynn Luong
By: Milynn Luong – Bayshore Solutions Digital Marketing Team
With search engines switching to secure search, SEO as we know it has changed forever. Yahoo and Bing have followed Google’s footsteps to encrypting search, leaving marketers to say goodbye to even more keyword data. Those keywords have given webmasters some insight into what phrases people are using to send search traffic to a webpage.
While it poses a challenge to the digital marketing strategy that we’re used to, here at Bayshore Solutions, we had a sense that change was coming. Our experts stay on top of the trends to keep their clients ahead of the changes in search and digital marketing.
Even with the loss of keyword data, all is certainly not lost. Take these 5 tips for dealing with secure search into consideration with your digital marketing strategy:
Create Quality Content
Focusing only on keywords is the old-school way of thinking that can get you in trouble these days. While keywords may get prospective clients to the website, it’s the content that keeps them around. Continue to create relevant, valuable and shareworthy content that your customers want and expect.
Focus on Page-Level Data
SEO is in a transition phase moving from being keyword-centric to page-centric. Rather than focusing solely on keyword performance, measure the impact of your website’s pages. Which pages are getting good organic search traffic and how can you further optimize them for better performance?
Make Most of Adwords Data
While keyword data has been taken away on Google Analytics, it has not in Adwords. If you use AdWords for paid advertising, make use of the PPC keyword data for SEO. You can still use this information to estimate the performance of keywords you’re targeting.
Consider Site Search
If your website has a search option, track and consider the search terms your customers are using to find something on your website. These searches can help you identify new keywords and determine additional pages you can build out or ones that can be better optimized.
Do A/B Testing
Since keyword data and its performance are no longer at our disposal, testing has become essential. A/B conversion testing at the page-level can provide you with an accurate depiction of what works and what doesn’t.
With encrypted search, the way we used to do search marketing has changed, but that does not mean it’s the end of SEO. It’s just another natural evolution to providing customers with content that is relevant to them. If you need a partner to navigate and survive the changes in search, Bayshore Solutions is happy to help! Contact us today!
Milynn Luong is a Digital Marketing Team Member at Bayshore Solutions—a Web Design, Web Development, and Digital Marketing Company.