Is SEO Dead and Does It Still Matter in 2024?

It's no secret that the world of SEO is constantly changing. What worked to get you to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) last year might not work this year.

This ever-changing landscape has led some to declare that SEO is dead, but is that the case? Let's take a closer look at the arguments for and against SEO.

But, in this blog post, I'll explain why you still need to optimize for Google and create amazing content, even with an affiliate site.

For starters, my content ranks, and I've been using different SEO strategies to find out what's working best for me.

My Favorite SEO Audit Tools To Revive Your Blog Posts

Why SEO Is Not Dead

There is a common misconception that SEO is no longer relevant or useful. However, this could not be further from the truth. 

As a result, a well-optimized website is more likely to rank highly in google's search results. While the SEO landscape has shifted, it is far from dead. Those willing to adapt their strategies and stay up-to-date on the latest trends can still succeed in this ever-changing industry.

Based on a recent data-driven study by Neil Patel explains that there are more than two trillion searches per year. And that is coming from organic traffic, not paid ads.

So Why Do People Say SEO Is Dead For Good?

Instead of taking the time to learn what is needed for search engine optimization, website owners will say SEO takes too much time and money.

Then you have keyword-stuffing users, publish lousy content, get low-quality links pointing to their site, and say that SEO is dead.

That's not what is happening. Bloggers and SEOs need to adjust and improve their SEO strategies to see a positive change in search rankings.

Six Big Reasons Why SEO Is Not Going Away

So, let's talk about practical reasons and examples to rank a blog post on search engines in the 2020s and future. I know many SEO professionals will agree with what I say here.

1. SEO Is Constantly Adapting

You probably hear from many forums and communities that SEO is a dying industry and that the old way to grow sites is no longer working.

The answer to that is, in part, yes and no. The tactics and methods used by SEOs five or ten years ago will not work today. Google's algorithm has changed significantly and continues to do so regularly.

To succeed in SEO, you must be willing to adapt and follow other sites' steps.

• Update old articles and add fresh content.
• Speed up your site and make sure it's user-friendly.
• Depending on your niche, you will need to link-building
• Disavow any links that are harmful to your site
• Make sure your Google Search Console is set up and indexed currently.

After that's said and done, you want to ensure you keep up with the SEO industry and publish high-quality content on your blog.

Here's an amazing video on the future of SEO by Nathan Gotch:

2. Google Is Telling You How To Do SEO

Did you know that Google tells you exactly what they want from you and how to structure your content?

They post algorithm updates and tell you what has changed. If you want to know about SEO, Google Search Central Blog should be your go-to source. This resource will literally point you in the right direction on what you need to gain organic results.

You can also follow their Twitter page more for SEO updates and what's working for other websites.

3. SEO Works But Requires More Effort

Like any other business, getting organic search traffic takes time, especially if you're a beginner or starting a brand-new site. To speed up the process, you can buy aged domains or purchase successful websites with high domain authority.

This brings up another great way to find out if SEO is working for you or not.

Go to an online website broker like Flippa, and see the ROI (return on investment) people make from their sites. 

4. My Personal Experience Ranking Blog Posts

As a full-time blogger, I've been able to publish and rank my content on search engines. I'll give you a few examples of how I've achieved this and some of my top-ranking results below.

• Create a simple checklist to follow
• Fix all technical SEO issues on your blog
• Understand search and user intent
• Learn keyword research
• Write blog posts faster with machine learning
• Build Backlinks to certain pages
• Perform regular SEO audits

Following these SEO tasks, you can slowly but surely get organic search results from Google.

My favorite quick tip is to use Surfer SEO and Jasper AI to understand what keywords to include when optimizing content for search engines.

SEO is not dead, it just takes more time, and you'll need to understand that it's a long-term game.

5. Google Still Makes Money

Google still makes money by providing a platform for website visitors to find accurate and high-quality content.

Google also profits from displaying ads on their search engine results pages and advertisers paying them to show promoted content and sponsored links.

Google’s primary goal is to provide its users with the most relevant and helpful information, so it must invest heavily in SEO.

This includes ensuring that websites are well organized and optimized for search engines and using keywords effectively so that people can find what they are looking for.

You can also make money with Google by leveraging sponsors and affiliates.

By investing in these SEO techniques, businesses ensure that their websites become more visible on search engine results pages, helping them gain more website visitors and, eventually, more customers.

6. AI Still Needs Data From Valuable Content Online

AI still needs data from valuable content online to make sense of the world's information.

SEO specialists must constantly provide new and relevant content for search engine algorithms to become more innovative and accurate.

By using AI and machine learning tools, these professionals can quickly analyze billions of pieces of online content, allowing them to identify trends and patterns that could help boost their search rankings.

In addition, AI writing is becoming increasingly popular as it allows businesses to create high-quality content at a fraction of the cost and time compared to traditional writing methods.

With AI tools like Jasper at their disposal, SEO specialists can use advanced features such as natural language processing, sentiment analysis, and text classification, leading to more accurate results when creating valuable digital content.

SEO Is Alive And Well For Good

There's been a lot of talks lately about whether SEO is dead. The short answer is: no, SEO is not dead.

It's alive and well and essential to any good digital marketing strategy. Here's why:

1. The search volume is still high. People are still using search engines to find information about businesses and products. That means businesses still have a lot of opportunities to reach their target audiences through SEO.
2. Target keywords are still important. Even though the way people search has changed, target keywords are still important for helping search engines understand what your content is about. That means keyword research is still essential to any good SEO strategy.
3. SEO can help you build a solid online presence. A robust online presence is essential for any business that wants to succeed in the digital age. And SEO can help you make that presence by ensuring your website appears prominently in search results

So don't believe the hype or FOMO on other side hustle ideas. SEO is alive and well and is still essential to any good digital marketing strategy.

If you're not already doing it, now is the time to start incorporating SEO into your plans.

FAQ: Is SEO Becoming A Dying Industry?

Is SEO Ever Going To End?

There's no doubt that Search Engine Optimization is a powerful marketing tool. After all, it's a vital part of how search engines work. But is it ever going to end?

Other search engines are constantly trying to catch up to Google, the current leader in the field. As they better understand and index web content, the need for SEO will also change. However, Google constantly updates its algorithm, so SEO will always be a moving target.

The target audience also plays a role in whether or not SEO is necessary. If the people searching for answers doesn't use Google (or other search engines), then there's no need to optimize your site for them. Sometimes your ideal customers are on other channels such as Tiktok or Pinterest.

However, if your target audience uses search engines, you must ensure your site is visible to reach them.

Finally, paid advertising can also impact the need for SEO. If you're willing to pay to have your site appear at the top of search results, you won't need to worry as much about optimizing your site for specific keywords.

However, organic traffic is still valuable, so you may want to invest time in links and user queries, even if you're doing paid advertising.

What Are Some Free SEO Tools To Use

Some of my favorite free SEO tools can be used to get more traffic, understand page rankings, and help you find long-tail keywords for your blog.

Here is a list of my favorite free tools:

• RankMath: This helps with search engine optimization inside your WordPress post editor. You can also add or change your meta descriptions using this WordPress plugin.
• Surfer SEO: This is an SEO content and audit tool for your sites. They provide a free plan to help you publish content using GSC data.
• Lowfruits: This tool can help with topic research and finding keywords that are easy to rank for.
• Search Console Insights: This tool lets you see reporting for all your web pages. You need to integrate your Google Analytics account to see the structured data.

Besides those free blogging tools, you can go to the Google home page and manually find out what people are searching for. The search engine will provide relevant results type in a topic. Or you can use paid tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush for more detailed keyword research.

What Are Old SEO Tactics That No Longer Work?

Here are a few old SEO tactics that you can forget about:

• Link farms: This was once a popular way to boost your link popularity. However, search engines have become wise to this tactic and view link farms as spam.
• Private blog networks (PBNs): PBNs were once an effective way to build links. However, Google has cracked down on this tactic, and PBNs are no longer effective.
• Keyword stuffing: In the early days of SEO, keyword stuffing was an effective way to improve your search ranking. However, today it is considered spammy and will hurt your ranking.

While some old SEO tactics may no longer work, that doesn't mean SEO is dead, far from it. You must be aware of the latest changes and trends to succeed.

So what works for achieving positive SEO results?

• Create epic content that people will share.
• Focus on user experience by providing a good page experience.
• Update and audit your content marketing efforts.
• Disavow spammy links and focus on high-authority niche links.

So, Is SEO Dead?

If you were to do a quick mobile search on any topic, you would see that SEO is alive and kicking. SEO will still be needed as long as people are searching for information on the web and you understand search intent.

Website owners should not give up on SEO as an effective marketing strategy.  Here's an example of one of my pages ranking in position #2:

While the landscape of Big G is constantly changing, Bloggers who create high-quality content and focus on user experience still see success. Also, guest posting on high-authority websites and building backlinks can help website content rank higher in search engine results.

So, while SEO may not be as simple as once, it is still an effective way for website owners to increase their online visibility.