One telling sign of just how dynamic SEO is can be readily underscored by the fact that almost every year, new trends spring up that most webmasters and search optimizers have to pay attention to in order to not only keep ahead of the SERP race but also make sure that their respective sites would be free from future penalties.
Most of these trends are often revealed in conferences and events that specifically center on SEO. This is why you can only expect that they come from no less than experts in the field. Of course, this is besides the SEO trends that were started and confirmed by Google itself, the most notable of which is AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). With that said, here are the top SE0 trends of 2017 that you should certainly be mindful of as you go about with your SEO endeavors.
More Emphasis on High-Quality and More Compact Content
Anyone who has been a frequenter of Google Search is probably well-aware of the fact that a lot of the websites that rank high for a given keyword contain practically the same content but are just presented differently. Some experts sought to address this by advocating longer posts (i.e. those that don’t have less than 2,500 words, for instance). However, this brought about its own issues, the starkest of which is that it decreases the readability of the content (considering the short attention spans of most users).
This is why in 2017, most SEOs expect content density to be underscored more. Basically, it is a way of delivering direct-to-point, easy-to-read content that is teeming with value and is also very engaging to most readers. Brevity and wise choice of words are but some of the factors that webmasters should obviously consider in order to ensure this. In the end, it is engagement, after all, that matters more based on changing SEO trends with the passage of time.
Variety of Content Could Not be Stressed More
This is because there are already telling signs that text-centered content could very well be overtaken by other forms that are more engaging to users. Video content is one good example of this as there has been a rising trend in focusing on video creation among online marketers. Furthermore, studies show that infographics are actually preferred more by users as they are outlined better and really does a fine job of reducing the blandness of text-only blocks of content.
That’s not to say that written content would be replaced fully, though. Nonetheless, these rising trends do purport and highlight the inherent need to diversify the content that you choose to create and share. If you haven’t given video-making and —editing before, now may be the time to start allotting a significant amount of time in creating high-quality videos for your audience. They may range from webinars to guided tutorials, but this ultimately depends on the niche that you’ve chosen.
User Experience Optimization
Google is starting to lean more towards gauging the overall user experience of an average visitor to a site when determining its place on the SERPs. This is why optimizing the said factor along with other aspects of SEO should be prioritized by webmasters from 2017 onwards.
Of course, this involves taking the fundamental step of researching about your audience more, besides ensuring the excellence of other on-site user experience factors such as page loading speed, easy navigation, and more importantly, responsive website designs. The key to improving user experience arguably rests largely on knowing your users’ behavior and preferences. What do they tend to do once they arrive at your site? What tasks do they need to complete? Just what exactly it is that satisfies them? These are but some of the important questions that you need to have concrete answers to.
Voice Search Optimization
With the slow but sure advance of mobile search to the top of the search marketing pedestal comes the equal rise in the significance of voice search. It is particularly popular among the younger generation, but many adults are starting to favor it as well. Obviously, with the continuing advancement of technology, voice search trends can only be expected to rise as well. Anything that is more convenient for users is bound to do so.
Most SEOs are even placing greater focus on vying for featured answers on voice searches. These featured snippets are displayed on top of search, and the ones opted by Google to be the most relevant to that specific search query. Studies have revealed that voice searches have a higher chance of offering the said snippets to users, which provides webmasters with a golden opportunity to raise brand awareness.
Mobile is Only Expected to Rise Further
Anyone who has been following SEO trends closely for the past 5 years could readily attest to the massive development that mobile search has undergone since its humble beginnings. Mobile searches have since overtaken desktop ones in as short a span as 2 years. And, by the looks of it, its momentum would only carry over to 2017 and the succeeding years after it.
The fact that Google has recently released a Mobile First Index policy only underscores the priority that mobile searches are now receiving. This is why if you haven’t placed importance on mobile-friendliness, mobile page loading speed, and mobile responsive designs before, it’s practically taboo nowadays to leave these factors out of your website if you want it to rank.
While it’s still unclear whether Google’s AMP will have a lasting impact on mobile search, the mere fact that Google said that it will inevitably become a vital aspect of it should convince most webmasters to certainly start adapting it. After all, most of its features hinge on bettering mobile user experience anyway so it’s only rational to learn about it if not adapt it altogether. What’s good is that Google has ready tutorials for webmasters to easily incorporate it. Accelerated mobile pages are, simply put, better than standard ones, and it’s for this reason why no serious mobile marketer should hesitate to start learning how to implement it.