How Can Webmasters Prepare for 2014?
THURSDAY,
7/3/2023 5:17:34 AM
The year 2013 was a watershed moment in the SEO world. It was the year when Google did not merely tweak its search algorithm, it overhauled it entirely.
Hummingbird spelled doom for content firms, spammers, rule breakers. Few webmasters were prepared for this massive change.
2013 has gone. We are in the middle of 2014. What can we expect from this year? And how should webmasters prepare for future? This blog attempts to answer.
Microsoft has announced that mobile web users will overtake desktop users in numbers. For webmasters, it means one thing - mobile presence is no longer optional, it is mandatory. By optimizing their web site for mobile users, webmasters can expand their reach.
Although Google has not said it explicitly, it may be favoring mobile-friendly websites. There are several ways in which a website can be adapted for mobile screens. One way is to make a dedicated web app. However, this approach is more effective for companies with a large presence. A second method is to use a responsive web design.
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Content is still the king
Google has been announcing for over a year that websites wanting to improve their rankings should focus on content. The new algorithm focuses more on semantic search than keywords. For this reason, Google has already limited the data it provides to webmasters.
In the absence of that extensive data, webmasters can take a few steps - such as use more of Google Plus to authenticate their authorship and utilize the Google Knowledge Graph to create more authentic content.
Although no one can say with absolute certainty what will make your website rank on the top position in Google, it can be said with relatively confidence that quality content and mobile friendly websites are destined to dominate the web in 2014.
