A flurry of recent updates to Google has made waves in the world of SEO, with many sites rushing to ensure they were mobile friendly in the first half of the year and then spending recent weeks scratching their heads over the potential implications of RankBrain.
With all this debate and speculation surrounding the impact of algorithmic alterations, it can be easy to overlook the importance of the basic elements of search engine optimisation that have not changed; for example, keyword effectiveness indexing (KEI) is certainly an area that deserves more attention.
RankBrain’s arrival could and should open up a wealth of new opportunities when it comes to optimising for SEO, as it was designed to unpick the syntax of ambiguous queries and direct people to relevant sites even when they are not using specifically-targeted keywords.
For the uninitiated, what is KEI’s role as a metric and how can it have an impact on SEO in the modern age?
Underlying principles
KEI lets you work out the extent to which keywords are being used in search queries and the level of competition there is amongst rival sites to rank well for particular words and phrases. In its purest form, it represents the push and pull of supply and demand − the popularity of a keyword amongst users and amongst sites in equal measure.
If you find a keyword with a low KEI, it will generally be worth targeting because it will mean that lots of people are searching for this word but not many sites are currently catering to their needs.
This can clearly shift over time as the ebb and flow of search alters; however, with the assistance of a company such as http://www.rycomarketing.co.uk, which offers web design in Newry, you can pinpoint the best keywords to use on your landing pages to boost your search ranking and improve your click-through rates.
Modern application
Now that Google is better at detecting the intent of a query without the need to rely on definitive keywords, KEI should become more important than ever.
Powerful new keywords that are generating a lot of search activity should emerge; therefore, if you are willing to keep adjusting and optimising your site, you will be in an ideal position to take advantage.