Ok, it's been a while, but has the SEO world changed that much?

Well, it has been a while since I posted on this blog for various reasons. The SEO world has gotten a lot tougher but in my opinion things haven't changed quite as much as many people make out. The principles are basically the same. Don't get blinded by SEOs that go on about how Google analyzes over 150 factors to determine it's deserved rank. Although Google algorithm does consider a large number of different factors (I don't know the exact count), in my experience, sticking to the fundamentals of SEO and concentrating on long term ranking goals is the key - there is no need to get stressed out about every single factor. Of course there are many new ways of approaching SEO and you need to consider the bigger picture (blogging, social media, etc) but high rankings depend on the same basic principles - building quality incoming links, providing quality content on your market, and optimizing your website design and structure and content.