Despite the many changes associated with digital marketing efforts and algorithm updates from major search engines, search engine optimization efforts remain an important method of meeting audience needs by attracting them with relevant information and solutions. With the existence of constant algorithm updates comes opinions that changes have made search engine optimization obsolete and therefore a useless practice that no longer has anything valuable to offer marketers and businesses. Understanding what search engine optimization practices still boost search results and user experiences can help reveal why SEO is not dead and continues to play an important role in digital marketing.

Search Engines Are Alive and Well

Although some experts claim search engine optimization is dead because of the many changes that have made previous practices a problem or more difficult to perform. In contrast, Google’s algorithm have made the search results offered to consumers more relevant and improved the overall process, with Hummingbird. As a result, offering quality content on a website that has authority and unique information is becoming more and more important to those looking to improve SEO efforts and performance.

Difficulty Does Not Equate Uselessness

Although search engine optimization has become increasingly difficult for companies looking to improve their results among SERPs, it has begun to offer businesses that take their time with proper practices a chance among giants that may have merely purchased links and used massive budgets to improve their own results. Taking one’s time with quality practices touted by search engines and offering consumers the best possible solutions through the information on one’s website, marketers and small businesses alike can seek long-term results that can improve their branding, even as algorithms continue to evolve. Following the fads in SEO may have offered results in the past, but ignoring the needs of consumers and searchers made such efforts back fire for those who chose the easier search engine optimization routes.

Best Practices in SEO Still Remain

Although the process is much longer and results may take more time to accomplish, search engine optimization continues to be necessary in order to place information, branding and company websites in front of their target audience. As long as consumers and searchers continue to seek information using major search engines, SEO will continue to remain an integral part of one’s digital marketing plan. By following suggested best practices, marketers and businesses can continue to avoid some of the pitfalls associated with black hat search engine optimization while capitalizing on information that search engines are discovering about what searchers enjoy about results and relevance tied to those search results. BY following best practices and continue to slow and long trek toward improving search engine results, businesses can continue offering consumers the quality, creative and fresh information they crave, which improves SEO while similarly improving the trust and authority of a website and those who maintain and improve them. Additionally, as consumers continue to be bombarded by ads, organic results will continue to be an important part of trusted information that has more authority to many consumers.

Long live search engine optimization!