Many websites that relied heavily on traditional search engine optimization tactics to drive traffic to their sites and build their audiences found themselves in deep holes earlier this year when Google rolled out its Panda and Penguin search algorithm updates. The sites that didn't suffer were the ones that had focused less on keyword density and writing for search engines and more on writing high quality content for their audiences.Most Authoritative Content publishers worry less about search engine optimization than creating high quality content, but that doesn't mean that including search engine optimization in your publishing efforts should be avoided entirely. A few simple tweaks to your content can help new visitors find your site without causing potential penalties from Google.Fuzz One Media put together a useful infographic that describes the traditional search engine optimization tactics that marketers, web designers, and content publishers were focused on before the Google Panda algorithm change earlier this year. These are the search engine optimization tactics that Authoritative Content publishers should not be using. In contrast, the infographic also provides recommended post-Panda search engine optimization tactics that Authoritative Content publishers can implement without hurting the user experience on their sites or the usefulness of their content.

Courtesy of: Fuzz One Media

Keep in mind, search engine optimization is a short-term tactic to help draw attention to your content. It can also help drive more and more traffic over time, but Authoritative Content publishers who focus on strategically creating high quality content again and again will achieve long-term, sustainable, organic growth that can outlast any Google algorithm change.How should you prioritize your content creation efforts? Authoritative Content publishers should keep doing what they've been doing. In other words, they should continue to publish a lot of high quality, useful, and meaningful content that their audiences want and need. In the long run, being useful to people is a guaranteed way to keep them coming back. Using keywords is not. Pursue the audience building strategies and tactics that help you reach your goals as a publisher of Authoritative Content, and you can't go wrong!If you want to learn more about search engine optimization, I highly recommend SEOmoz.org, Search Engine Land, and Google Webmaster Tools. Are there any SEO resources that you would add? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.Image: Sachin Ghodke