In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, SEO tactics evolve rapidly to align with changes in user behavior and search engine algorithms. Moz, a leading authority in SEO tools and strategies, has identified several outdated practices that U.S. businesses and marketers should avoid. Simultaneously, the platform highlights newer, data-driven approaches that have proven to be more effective in 2024. This article explores both the strategies that no longer work and those that have demonstrated measurable success, drawing exclusively from the latest insights provided by Moz and its community of SEO professionals.
Introduction
The SEO landscape has seen significant shifts in recent years, with outdated practices losing relevance and modern strategies gaining traction. Moz’s Whiteboard Friday series, a staple of the industry, has long served as a platform for educating SEO practitioners about evolving tactics. The latest contributions to this series highlight the importance of moving away from ineffective methods and adopting strategies that align with current user expectations and search engine algorithms. This article synthesizes the core insights from these resources, offering a comprehensive overview of what U.S. businesses should avoid and what they should prioritize for successful SEO outcomes in 2024.
Dinosaur SEO Tactics to Retire
According to a Whiteboard Friday post by Rand Fishkin, many SEOs still rely on outdated tactics that have limited effectiveness in today’s search environment. These “dinosaur” tactics are often relics of the early 2000s and no longer provide the ROI they once did.
AdWords/Keyword Planner-Based Keyword Research
One of the most common outdated practices is relying heavily on Google AdWords and Keyword Planner for keyword research. While these tools can provide initial data, they are limited in their ability to reflect real user behavior and search intent. The metrics in these tools are often outdated or skewed, leading to suboptimal keyword selection.
Instead, Moz recommends using clickstream data-driven tools that provide Difficulty and Click-Through Rate (CTR) percentages. These tools offer a more accurate picture of what users are searching for and how they are interacting with search results.
Obsessing Over Keyword Placement in Tags and URLs
Another outdated tactic is obsessing over the placement of keywords in specific tags and areas of a webpage, such as H1, H2, and URLs. While keyword placement still matters, the days of over-optimizing for specific placements are gone. Search engines now prioritize user experience (UX) and searcher task accomplishment over rigid keyword structures.
Moz suggests that businesses should instead focus on UX optimization, content upgrades, and brand growth. These approaches have proven to be more effective in improving rankings, especially for websites with lower domain authority.
Modern SEO Strategies That Work
Moving beyond outdated tactics, the focus should now be on strategies that have demonstrated real-world success. These include on-page optimization, technical SEO, and content consolidation techniques.
On-Page SEO: From Keyword Mapping to Optimization
On-page SEO is a critical component of modern SEO strategies. Moz emphasizes the importance of keyword mapping, which involves aligning specific keywords with individual pages on a website. This ensures that each page is focused on a single topic or intent, which helps avoid keyword cannibalization—a situation where multiple pages on the same domain compete for the same keyword.
To implement this effectively, businesses should use Google search queries in the format site:yourdomain.com "target keyword" to identify indexed pages that contain the target keyword. This helps surface potential conflicts that need to be addressed.
Once conflicts are identified, the next step is to optimize the content using tools like Moz’s On-Page SEO Grader. This tool provides a page optimization score and highlights areas for improvement, such as keyword placement, heading structure, and metadata. For example, a case study involving Bond Global demonstrated that even with a low domain authority (DA) of 11, a high on-page score allowed the site to outrank more authoritative competitors.
Technical SEO: Crawl Diagnostics and Fixing Redirect Chains
Technical SEO is another pillar of successful modern SEO. Moz recommends using a combination of Moz’s SEO Audit Tool and Screaming Frog to conduct comprehensive crawl diagnostics. These tools provide a top-level view of code quality, site speed, crawlability, and sitemap coverage.
One common technical issue is daisy-chained 301 redirects, which can slow down site performance and confuse search engines. Moz and Screaming Frog are used in tandem to detect and fix these issues. For example, during a website migration or CMS change, setting up 301 redirects is crucial to preserve authority and ensure a smooth transition for both users and search engines.
Another important technical consideration is canonicalization, especially for websites with duplicate content across multiple country domains. Moz discusses the importance of using canonical tags and hreflang attributes to help Google understand which version of a page is the primary one for each region. This is particularly relevant for businesses operating in multiple countries with localized content.
Content Consolidation and Avoiding Cannibalization
Content cannibalization is a significant issue for content-heavy websites and enterprises. When multiple pages target the same keyword, it can weaken the overall ranking power of the site. Moz provides a three-step process for addressing this:
- Identify keyword conflicts using Google and Moz tools.
- Consolidate or canonicalize overlapping pages. This can involve merging content, 301 redirecting weaker pages, or using canonical tags to indicate the primary page.
- Avoid deoptimizing content, as this can harm both pages. Instead, focus on improving the content on the primary page to enhance rankings.
An example from Moz’s resources highlights a case where two pages ranked at positions 12 and 35 for the same keyword. By merging the content and redirecting the lower-performing page, the primary page improved its ranking and gained more visibility.
Local SEO: Strategies for Google Maps and Local Search
Local SEO is a specialized area that requires a nuanced approach, as Google Maps and local search results are managed by different systems. Moz outlines the key differences between these two platforms and offers specific strategies for each.
Google Maps vs. Local Search
Google Maps is designed to help users find physical locations and businesses, while local search results are more focused on organic search rankings. This distinction means that a business can perform well in one area but not the other.
To succeed in Google Maps, businesses should focus on requesting reviews from satisfied customers, ensuring accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistency across directories, and optimizing Google Business Profile listings.
For local organic search, the focus should be on link-attracting content, well-optimized landing pages, and local keyword targeting. Moz’s local SEO guide recommends developing content that is relevant to the local audience and using tools like Google Search Console to monitor performance.
Timeline and Realistic Expectations
Local SEO efforts often take time to show results. Moz advises businesses to set realistic timelines and avoid overpromising. It typically takes several months for local SEO efforts to mature fully, so patience and consistent execution are key.
International SEO and Duplicate Content
For businesses operating in multiple countries, managing duplicate content is a common challenge. Moz addresses this issue in a community forum discussion, where a business owner explains that their French-language sites have nearly identical content across different country domains (e.g., .be, .ch, .fr).
Moz’s recommended solution involves using hreflang tags to indicate the language and regional targeting of each page. This helps Google serve the appropriate version of the site to users based on their location and language preferences. Additionally, using canonical tags can help consolidate duplicate content and avoid penalties for duplication.
Tools and Resources for 2024 SEO Success
Moz and its community provide a range of tools and resources that can help businesses implement effective SEO strategies in 2024. These include:
- Moz Pro: A comprehensive suite of tools for keyword research, on-page optimization, and technical audits.
- Screaming Frog: A powerful crawler that identifies technical issues and provides detailed reports.
- Google Search Console: An essential tool for monitoring external links, 404 errors, and crawlability.
- Moz Academy: A learning platform that offers courses on local SEO, on-page optimization, and technical SEO.
These tools, when used together, provide a full picture of a website’s SEO health and help identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion
In 2024, the SEO landscape continues to evolve, with outdated tactics becoming obsolete and new strategies proving to be more effective. Businesses should retire dinosaur tactics like AdWords-based keyword research and keyword placement obsession in favor of modern approaches that prioritize user experience, content quality, and technical optimization.
On-page SEO, technical SEO, and local SEO remain vital components of a successful SEO strategy. By using tools like Moz Pro, Screaming Frog, and Google Search Console, businesses can identify and fix issues, consolidate content, and improve rankings. Additionally, international SEO requires careful planning to avoid duplication and ensure that the right content is served to the right audience.
For U.S. businesses and digital marketers, the key to SEO success in 2024 lies in staying informed, adapting to changes, and focusing on strategies that align with both user needs and search engine algorithms.