Starting your website is not a set-it-and-forget-it activity. It must be updated and optimized regularly to generate traffic and cater to your users.
One element that’s especially important as you continue operating your business’s website is search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is constantly changing and evolving. If you’re not keeping up with the updates that Google and other search engines are making, your place on search engine results pages (SERPs) could be compromised. So, what can you do?
As someone who recently launched their website, here are a few top tips to stay up-to-date on constantly evolving SEO best practices and guarantee that you’re making these essential changes on your website.
1. Follow SEO Experts (Websites, Podcasts, Etc.)
As a business owner, you’re focused on creating and providing the products and services your customers rely on. Being an expert on everything in your business is impossible. The good news? You don’t have to be. Turning to SEO experts is a great way to learn what’s happening in the world of SEO and how it impacts you. You get bite-sized snippets that help you make any changes without having to dedicate hours upon hours to becoming an SEO expert yourself.
Blogs (especially those run by SEO marketers offering courses or SEO services) are the best resource to turn to first. Most of these blogs will have newsletters you can sign up for that will deliver essential SEO news right to your inbox. This will keep you up-to-date on all the pertinent news as it occurs, whether you get an email weekly or monthly. You may also get some support in the form of discounts for popular SEO tools and other bonuses.
Another great medium is podcasts. If you like to go on walks or work out and listen to something while you do so, you can follow SEO podcasts that will help you keep up with updates as they occur. Put simply, make sure you’re turning to experts to get the SEO news you need to keep your website thriving.
You may even enlist their help if you find it challenging to comply with Google’s new SEO rules.
2. See What Your Competition Is Doing
Competitor research is essential to running a successful business. Most often, you’re looking at your competitors to see what products and services they’re offering, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how you can make sure you’re standing out in the industry.
However, other changes to the way they function could tell you a lot about what your business should be doing, too. Are they changing the way they create content? Are they making any changes to their marketing strategy? If so, why? What is it accomplishing for them? Knowing why your competition is changing its approach can tell you a lot about changes that you need to pay attention to. Just make sure that these changes are related to SEO so that you’re not essentially ripping off unique marketing strategies, which could potentially be a hindrance rather than an asset.
3. Regularly Check Google Search Central and Other Official Resources
Google regularly updates its documentation and guidelines to reflect new algorithm changes and best practices. By keeping a close eye on resources like Google Search Central, you can spot important news early and swiftly apply changes. This approach helps you avoid penalties that could arise from ignoring updated recommendations.
Official resources often provide straightforward instructions and details of upcoming features. Staying informed through these channels ensures your site remains compliant with the latest standards. This consistent alignment with Google’s recommendations fosters sustainable, long-term SEO success.
4. Join SEO-Focused Online Communities and Forums
Subreddits like r/SEO and digital marketing Facebook groups offer lively, up-to-the-minute discussions on emerging trends. Engaging in these forums lets you bounce ideas off experienced professionals, exchange insights, and get immediate feedback on your strategies. It’s also a great way to network with people who face similar SEO challenges.
LinkedIn groups and niche Slack channels can be equally valuable for staying in the loop. These communities often share tips, case studies, and resources that might not surface in mainstream SEO news. Being an active participant helps you cultivate relationships that can prove useful when new algorithm changes happen.
5. Enroll in Ongoing SEO Courses or Webinars
Many reputable platforms like Moz, SEMrush, and HubSpot update their course materials whenever Google tweaks its algorithms. Attending these courses or webinars helps you keep up with emerging practices and refine your existing skill set. You can use this knowledge to maintain or improve your website’s ranking.
Educators often illustrate common pitfalls and solutions you can immediately implement. This real-world guidance allows you to avoid guesswork that might harm your site. Continuous learning creates a framework for success, ensuring your SEO tactics don’t become obsolete.
6. Leverage Alerts and Monitoring Tools
Setting up Google Alerts for specific SEO terms or industry news is a passive yet powerful way to stay informed. These alerts deliver updates to your inbox, freeing you from having to constantly search for new information. You can promptly follow up on significant announcements and confirm your strategy aligns with current practices.
Other tools like Talkwalker Alerts can be equally beneficial. They aggregate content from multiple sources, ensuring you don’t miss critical updates. The faster you respond to changes, the better positioned your website will be to capitalize on new opportunities.
7. Attend Industry Conferences and Networking Events
Conferences like Pubcon and SMX gather experts at the forefront of SEO, providing immediate access to cutting-edge strategies. They also offer the chance to connect with fellow professionals who might be facing similar SEO issues. Face-to-face or virtual, these events allow for valuable interactions that can accelerate your learning curve.
Workshops, keynotes, and breakout sessions typically share case studies that showcase both successes and failures. This firsthand knowledge encourages a more proactive approach to SEO endeavors. Networking also paves the way for future collaborations or mentorships that can further refine your approach.
8. Run Routine Site Audits With Updated Tools
Using auditing tools like Screaming Frog or SEMrush regularly helps you identify optimization gaps before they become significant problems. These tools evolve alongside algorithm changes, giving you fresh insights into technical or on-page factors you might be missing. Regular audits let you tackle issues preemptively rather than reactively.
Auditing your site highlights everything from broken links to metadata issues that could hurt your rankings. Addressing these problems swiftly preserves your site’s credibility with search engines. Over time, consistent optimization maintains your visibility and drives more organic traffic to your website.
9. Establish a Content Schedule That Sees You Returning to Old Content
Most business owners running a website are looking to the future. Coming up with a content schedule is an activity that I’ve put a lot of time into, but I’m not just focused on new content production. Returning to old content is just as important as creating new content. Why? As we work on our websites and occupy them with content, we’ll often learn new strategies or new approaches that won’t be reflected in our old work. This means that our new content and copy might be properly optimized and follow current SEO best practices, but our old stuff isn’t ranking or attracting new users to our website (which can be a shame if it incorporates keywords that we want to rank for).
When you’re building out your content schedule, come up with a schedule that helps you create new content while also returning to old pages that need to be refreshed. This will ensure all areas of your website are being updated so that you’re able to remain at the top of SERPs. Otherwise, all your hard work might be going to waste. Make sure that you’re also focusing on other areas of SEO, such as your backlink and your technical SEO strategies.
Avoid Common SEO Mistakes
SEO is an ever-evolving practice, and even the slightest mistake can deter your website from achieving its desired ranking. Knowing the common pitfalls and how to steer clear of them is essential for maintaining strong search engine visibility. A few common mistakes to avoid include:
- Focusing solely on keywords while neglecting user intent can push visitors away and weaken overall site engagement. Instead, aim for a balanced approach that prioritizes valuable, relevant content alongside strategic keyword usage.
- Ignoring mobile responsiveness not only frustrates on-the-go users but also signals to search engines that your site may be outdated. Make sure your layout, text, and media elements are optimized for various screen sizes to keep both users and search bots happy.
- Producing low-quality or duplicate content damages credibility and can lead to penalties. Always provide fresh, original copy that offers genuine value to your readers and aligns with search engine guidelines.
- Overlooking technical SEO aspects such as broken links or missing meta tags hampers user experience and search engine crawling. Regular site audits help you catch and fix these errors before they negatively impact your rankings.
- Neglecting to update older content means missed opportunities to optimize pages with the latest SEO strategies. Regularly revisiting and refreshing past blog posts and pages helps you stay relevant and maintain authority in your niche.
Avoiding these common mistakes will set you on the path to improved online visibility. By consistently refining your approach, you can build a solid SEO foundation that supports your long-term growth.
Make Sure To Stay Up To Date on the Latest SEO Best Practices
SEO is changing and evolving from year to year. If you’re not keeping up with it, you could be losing to competitors who are paying attention and overcoming you in the SERPs. If you want to make sure that you’re staying up-to-date with SEO changes and implanting them into your website, as well as both old and new content, use the guidance above so that you have your finger on the pulse of all things SEO.
About The Author:
Jacob Maslow is the owner of Teachers Instruction, offering engaging English-learning resources to help students excel. He’s dedicated to making language mastery accessible, interactive, and effective for learners of all levels.
This is Muhammad Asad. I like to play table tennis and love Digital Marketing and SEO. I have more 7 years of Digital Marketing experience. I would love to chat.