WHAT ARE THE RULES OF SEO IN 2014? Every year, Google updates its search algorithms, commonly known as SEO rules, in order to better optimize how search results are ranked. 2014 is no different, and Google’s changes for this year are code named “Hummingbird”. While Google doesn’t ever reveal the full details of their search algorithms, there is plenty of information about them which you can use to your advantage. If you have an online presence, understanding the new changes are critical for your continued success. If you don’t have an online presence yet…why not? Access this free guide “How to create a website” that will teach you step by step to create a professional website to promote your business. If you prefer, think about it as your online CV. Your website is the key to make business, weather you work as a freelancer or you manage a translation agency. So, what are the new SEO rules for 2014 to keep your website in good shape? new seo rules 2014 SOCIAL MEDIA One of the key areas of the new SEO rules for 2014 is social media. A social media presence is always important, but in 2014 the Google social sites have become much more important. Tying your blog posts and website content to a Google+ account will help your search ranking, as will the number of “+1” votes on your posts. Also, don’t forget that the number two search engine is also a Google product – YouTube. Creating valuable content on YouTube and then linking that to your Google+ account can create a serious advantage for your rankings. CONTENT Speaking of content, nothing will ever replace some valuable and high-quality content on your site. A one or two pages sites featuring your CV and your references is not enough, not any more. Building a professional website, with blog attached, is vital if you want to make some business as a freelance translator. Provide good content, help your prospect clients understand why they should translate, let them know that you understand their market. Write articles and keep your website updated regularly. However, rules about content lengths are changing too. In the past, optimal posts were in the 500-600 word range, but they are now shifting to 1000 or more words. Some top results are actually over 2000 words. This is because Google is placing a higher premium on deeper, more informative content. But before you run off and start updating all of your articles to be twice as long, keep reading. MOBILE The buzzword for this year, even more so than last year, is “mobile”. More and more people are accessing the web through smartphones and tablets, and that fact is not lost on Google. Websites that look and function well on mobile devices will be ranked higher, especially if the site has a dedicated mobile version. This where you have to decide on a balance with regards to the length of your content. While longer posts in the 1000-2000 word range are favoured by Google’s algorithms, nobody wants to read a 2000 word article on their phone. Longer posts will rank higher based on content, but shorter ones will rank higher based on mobile needs. You need to decide which option trumps the other for your site, but as a general rule it is still more beneficial to keep posts on the shorter end. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Another factor that plays into how well your site is ranked is linking. The more sites that link to yours, the higher Google will rank you. You can create these relationships with other sites by adding links to them, but you need to choose wisely. Only link to other high-quality sites and, above all, avoid using any automated linking applications. These types of applications try to game the system, and Google is now on the lookout for this practice. In the end, trying to game the system that way will harm your rankings more than it will help them. Don’t forget that not all of the old rules are gone. Quality content is still the king. Engaging users and frequent updates to your site are just as important as before. At the same time, don’t be afraid to embrace the new changes and use them to your benefit.