Is SEO still relevant in 2021? A question everyone is asking these days because they don’t know if they should put their marketing money in growing organic traffic or paid ads. This question has never made more sense than in the present, with Google releasing new algorithms and changing the Google search results page periodically. Those using old SEO techniques realised they no longer trigger relevant and effective results. Even some well-established companies with huge budgets for SEO have taken big hits in organic traffic because their strategies didn’t fit the latest algorithm updates. SEO is evolving continually and now requires much more than optimising the content and interlinking.
But in the given context, is SEO still a good investment in 2021?
SEO is more relevant than ever because it’s one of the most effective digital marketing strategies organisations can use to drive long-term results. They only have to use the suitable methods.
Why is organic traffic important?
Statistics reveal that organic traffic is responsible for over 50% of all visitors accessing a web page, surpassing all other digital marketing strategies like paid ads or social traffic.
Organic traffic does more than attracting the most visitors to your website; it also brings other benefits.
- It increases brand visibility because people google when they want to purchase services and products. For Internet-users, the first thing they’ll do is use their favourite search engine to research for information about the services or products they want to purchase. Studies show that 81% of buyers research online before purchasing something.
- Organic traffic is targeted in terms of user intent because when people search keywords like “boiler repair shop New York”, they are looking for an expert to fix their heating system and ready to hire the service. The search results greatly impact helping them discover the business that can offer them the services they need.
- It’s cost effective because it provides you with long-term benefits. Supposing your website reaches the first search page, you can enjoy the position for a long time, assuming you continue to invest in SEO.
- It boosts sales because high rankings in search pages attract more clients to your website. SEO makes it easy for prospects interested in the services you provide to find your website.
- Organic rankings are vital for local ventures because 30% of mobile searches are related to location, and 72% of the Internet users who perform a local search also visit the store if it’s placed within a five-mile range. Local SEO can help your web page show up in search engine searches and attract customers to your online and land-based store.
- It increases your brand’s reliability because people trust Google to list the most relevant results for their searches. The number one website ranking in the first search page gets over 21% of clicks, while the number two position registers only 10%. By using a keyword rank checker, you can monitor your website’s rankings for keywords on Google’s SERPs.
SEO matters in 2021. It will probably do it even beyond it because it’s vital to any successful digital marketing strategy and can make the difference between attracting website traffic and getting lost among the millions of other brands present online. Why do we question its importance? Algorithm upgrades reward only high-authority content, and marketers have the misconception that if they create valuable content, they can neglect SEO. Only that it won’t take care of itself without employing a strategy. Great content can help brands build customer trust and attract visitors to websites, but the page won’t be found on its own. SEO is the first tool that helps Internet users find a website in the first place, and it won’t direct them to one with high-quality content if it’s not SEO optimised.
Google processes 40,000 search queries every second and around 3.5 billion searches daily, and it’s quite likely a couple of those searches to relate to your services. SEO is the best way to connect with prospects who you could possibly convert into buyers.
Now let’s find out how the latest upgrades changed Google rankings
A few years ago, it wasn’t very hard to rank on Google because the search engine was far from sophisticated, and the Internet wasn’t a very competitive environment. Google could understand the content you posted on your website, but it wasn’t very smart at identifying high-quality content. SEO gurus could easily manipulate the information they posted on the websites to make Google’s algorithms favoured their pages. Far forward to the present days, Google has evolved, and it’s smart. It released numerous algorithm updates and revamped Google’s search results pages to filter the pages that rank in the first positions. It’s constantly evolving with around 600 updates and tweaks annually.
After the latest revamp, the first page of Google features plenty of information (besides the organic rankings), and many of them are the result of your search query. The improved search results page is created to respond to your search query fast, providing you with the needed resources and information.
In December 2020, Google announced a massive update to the search engine algorithm that was supposed to solve the quality issues the latest large-scale update caused. The websites with SEO ranking strategies like avoidance of keyword stuffing focus on long-tail keywords, optimisation for a streamlined user experience, and mobile-first indexing registered an immediate improvement in organic traffic. Since the update, the websites that adapted their digital marketing strategies to meet the latest requirements gained more visibility than ever.
The conclusion
SEO is still relevant, but some of its techniques aren’t. The algorithm updates got rid of the websites with poor quality content and placed the ones with great information on the first positions on search pages. They bring new opportunities for companies willing to get rid of spammy practices and embrace more sophisticated ones. Organic traffic dominates the Internet, and it shows no sign of slowing down.
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).