Even though we are already halfway through 2014, it’s better late than never, if you are thinking in terms of SEO updates for the current year.To start with, content continues to be an increasingly relevant issue in regard to 2014 SEO strategy. If your website is found devoid of promotional content or business blogs, chances are that your ranking will take a nose dive pretty fast. However, as of now, more emphasis is given on content marketing than creating good content. Nevertheless, here are some suggestions in regard to your content marketing strategy for 2014.

Take Care of Your Content

• Create Content Calendars: Develop quarterly content calendars so that you may quickly choose the appropriate content without the least hassle at busier times. You will thank yourself for the benefits you gleaned out of this project.

• Hire a Good Content Curator: Especially if your business lacks the resources to write topical blog or promotional content. Efficient Content Curators provide consistent update in regard to what is happening and what is interesting to viewers. Experienced Curators also have the knack to choose reliable context for the content they tend to discover and organize. Alternatively, go for digital marketing companies that provide package deals for a year’s worth of blog articles, as also offer to edit the content of your website when you hire them for on-page SEO updates.

• Find Appropriate Channels: Remember, there is a gulf of difference between creating content and marketing it. A brilliant blog may prove to be nothing but static dome unless it can reach the target audience. And to achieve this you need appropriate channels. So, go get the right channel now.

• Consistency is The Name of The Game :Never ever go under the impression that content marketing is a ‘one time job’. It is rather a routine strategy that involves steady flow of fresh content carrying purposeful marketing messages. Unless you plan to update your website or blog on a regular basis, your dream of reaching higher rank will be as disastrous as taking a joy ride in a sabotaged aircraft.

Do not Neglect Social Media

It goes without saying much that Social Media has played a major role in the digital marketing scenario since the last few years. It began with advent of Facebook and Twitter, both becoming hot favorite with commoners and celebrities alike. As if that was not enough, visual content from networks such as Pinterest, Instagram, etc have won many hearts lately. Nevertheless, here are some suggestions in regard to your social media marketing strategy for the current year

• Regular Interaction With Social Media Sites:It is necessary to promote or share your content and that should preferably be done at least once a week. Remember that in the present day digital world, social media constitutes the underpinnings of SEO. It also proves to be  quite a valuable issue in terms of driving traffic to your website, while building brand image in a big way.

• Social Sharing Button: According to recent studies it has been proved beyond doubt that adding social sharing buttons for sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ highly encourages website visitors to share the content based on social media. So, all you need to do is to add buttons as described above to every web page, landing page as well as content created by you.

• Rely on Google+: Although Google+ is a relatively new player in the social media scenario, it provides a verily evolving platform enjoined with great features and valued SEO capabilities that need your careful attention. Not unlike Facebook, Google+ has also introduced hashtags, so that users can carry out custom searches through specific keywords. Over and above, Google+ is backed by the world’s biggest search engine. Incidentally, while social interaction is very much a part of Google+, at the same time it is also integrated with Gmail, YouTube (owner Google), Google Analytics, Google Images, Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Finance, Google Drive, GoogleDocs, Google Wallet – and the last but not of least importance – Google search.

Build Links in The Right Way

True, there have been many controversies in regard to link building, most of which are looked down by Google in some form of distaste. Some even argue that Google unleashed the Penguin update just to penalize some websites that came under its scrutiny. However, the fact remains that while unethical link building practices are detested and abhorred by Google (and penalized too), ethical link building for SEO is very much alive and well. However, here are some suggestions in regard to link building strategy for 2014.

• Checking Link: If you want to check and evaluate your website’s most linked content, as well as who links to your site mostly, and how your data has been linked, you may do so by using webmaster tools and accessing “Search Traffic” on the left navigation bar and then selecting ‘Links To Your Site’. Needless to say, the result will help determine whether Google is not ranking your content on account of Back Link Penalization.

• Broken Link Building: It involves the practice of locating broken links on favorable ranking sites and using content to fill the gap. Moz (SEO Moz) is well known for providing guidance about how to repair broken links.

• Sea Change in Link Building Strategy: While link building previously meant building links for SEO, this will now encompass all links, irrespective of search values. For instance, a link in an email newsletter can also be pursued now. To be precise, link building will become increasingly similar to other forms of marketing in the not too distant future.

• Guest Blogging for Links: As everyone knows, one of the easiest ways to manipulate extra exposure for your business entails your appearance as a Guest Blogger on other people’s blog posts. And for that, all you have to do is to get in touch with a website owner having the niche audience to pitch your guest post. But the trick lies in providing an About the Author box with a link to your own blog for issues such as ‘for more information’. Nevertheless, this sort of link building will not harm your page rank. On the other hand, this is how you can build links for targeted, qualified, interested and instantaneous traffic ready to close deals.

Bottom Line

Speaking in terms of the current year (2014), SEO-oriented businesses are advised to create long-term, topic-relevant content, to remain socially active, while focusing on quality link-building. Even though all these may at first seem to involve titanic effort, the end result will usher in success to most online businesses, to be sure.