Despite what certain blog posts might be saying, the truth is that SEO is still as important as ever to online success, and the chances are that it’s going to remain that way. However, if you’re still preoccupied with the SEO practices of 2010, you need to make sure that you get yourself up to date. SEO rules and regulations can change from one year to the next, and failing to be up to speed could mean that your website suffers with some serious repercussions. If you want to stay on top of SEO, here are some facts that you absolutely need to know.

1. You’re not Owed Your Search Rankings

The first thing you’ll need to come to terms with, is that having your site ranked well by Google is not something that is owed to you, it’s a privilege. Google doesn’t owe your website anything, so don’t expect any special treatment regardless of how important or successful you perceive your business to be.

When it comes to ranking placements, you need to remember that your placement can shift within seconds, without any warning or apparent reason. Because of this, you’ll always be playing catch up. However, the effort doesn’t mean that a high ranking is any less important. Losing your rank could actually put a huge dent in your finances, and ignoring search engine updates could lead to costly mistakes for your business.

2. Tiny Changes can damage your SEO

Sometimes, a business could find that it loses its dominant presence on a search engine, because they made a very small incorrect decision. A tiny change to a title tag, page header, or navigation bar could be enough to knock you down off the top spot instantly. Modifications can have a serious impact on the present and future of your web presence, so it’s important to test aggressively before you commit to any changes at all.

3. Be Cautious with new CMS systems

Moving your website to a better content management system may seem to be a good idea, but you have to be sure that you have a good migration strategy in place if you want your SEO to be preserved. Improperly switching to a new CMS could kill off your sales and traffic. Although working with a new CMS can provide numerous benefits, from enhanced functionality to better productivity, it’s important to remember that a lot can go wrong from a SEO point of view.

4. Mobile SEO is more than Responsive Design

Many website owners have convinced themselves that responsive design and mobile SEO are the same thing. Though getting your website to work well on a smartphone or tablet is important, Mobile SEO involves a lot more, including optimization techniques for:

• Easy navigation on mobile devices
• Access to relevant information
• Improved geo-targeted local rankings
• Easy share-ability
• Customized experience for users based on their location

5. Change is Constant

The only thing that you can rely on to stay constant in the world of SEO is change. Everything about the online marketing sphere will continue to evolve as new technology emerges and people change the way that the buy and research products.