The factors for search engine optimization are constantly changing. Our infographic 6 Steps of SEO is still a valid foundation. We show you for each step what you should pay particular attention to in 2015.

Step 1: Off-Site SEO Analysis
Keywords: A thorough keyword analysis is still the foundation of search engine optimization. A balanced presence of the keyword in the title tag, the meta description, the body text and the H1 and H2 heading tags is optimal, while keyword stuffing should be avoided.
Google My Business: Check your Google My Business profile. This Google service was launched in the past year and allows you to optimize your presence in Google Search (Knowledge Graph), in Google Maps and on Google+.
Step 2: Technical SEO Optimizations
The following technical SEO factors will gain in importance in 2015:
Page Load Speed: Page speed appeared in the Searchmetrics study on ranking factors 2014 for the first time and was identified as one of the most important technical ranking factors.
Structured Data: Google supports additional structured data like the search box integration and markups for events and social media profiles. Use this opportunity to improve your presence on the search engine results pages!
Step 3: Usability Check
Regarding usability there are two trends that require special attention:
Mobile: If your website is still not optimized for smartphones, it is high time now. In addition to the relevance of mobile search, the various Google updates from last year emphasized that a mobile website is a must.
In the beginning of 2015 Google even sent warnings to webmasters if their websites were not optimized for mobile devices. Shortly after a reduced visibility of these websites in mobile search results was observed.
Update (2.3.2015): Google has officially announced that mobile-friendliness is going to be a ranking factor starting from April 21 2015.
User Engagement: The Searchmetrics study on ranking factors shows a correlation between the ranking position and the user engagement metrics click-through-rate, time on site and bounce rate. Thus you should make sure that your website is as user-friendly as possible!
Step 4: Link Building
Creating Links: New Google Penguin updates have underlined that black hat techniques like link farms and article spinning are definitely a thing of the past. Focus on organic link building – quality goes over quantity!
Anchor Texts: Over-optimized anchor texts are also out of date. What looks strange for the user or promises the wrong thing is just too much.
Step 5: Content Marketing
Content Quality: The Searchmetrics study and the latest Panda update disclose that content quality is gaining in importance. Publish your own, high-quality content on a regular basis.
Internal Linking: When creating new content, pay attention to building internal links (for example from a blog post to service pages), because internal links are also a relevant ranking factor.
Step 6: Social Media Marketing
Social Media Networks: Include Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest in your social media strategy. These are the networks that correlate with organic search engine rankings.
Content: Focus on content that is relevant for the user and reduce advertising language to a minimum. Promotional posts do not only go down badly with users but are also losing visibility on Facebook.
If you take all these factors into account, 2015 will be a successful SEO year for you. Our experts are here for you if you need support!