SEO Trends to Consider in the New Year
It’s that time of year where the Internet becomes increasingly buried in reflections of the past year and forecasts of what lies in the year ahead, particularly for digital marketing and the technology industry. Not only has demand from consumers increased but market conditions have become more unpredictable than ever, making it extremely important to remain up-to-date with the latest trends.
Do You Have Rich Snippets?
In simple terms, Rich Snippets refer to additional bits of text that are displayed under search results, acting as a sneak preview of Google Search results. They make it easier for search engines to have a clearer understanding of what information is included on each web page and are a great way to get your content noticed. This is because they allow users to find the information they are looking for with even less effort.
Since 2009 when Rich Snippets were initially launched, Google have added several different types of snippet. The type you use depends on the page content, but the extra information could be anything from product information, a movie review or site navigation breadcrumbs. Rich Snippets are a fairly straightforward to use type of on-page mark-up that can set you apart from the competition, improve your click through rate and potentially increase your page rank.
Studies have concluded that, over the past two years, the number of rich answers emerging in search results has almost doubled. If you haven’t already implemented them yourself, add it to your list of New Year’s resolutions!
Is Your Website Optimised for Mobile?
With every year that passes, people are spending more and more time on their mobile devices and tablets. Mobile search has taken the world by storm, rising at a hurried pace. However, many websites still are not optimised to allow for varying screen sizes and loading times.
Mobile optimisation is already crucial in SEO strategies, but as the shift from desktop continues to strengthen in 2017, it will prove to be mandatory if you want to remain competitive. This will require a profound insight into user behaviour; know what your customers are doing and what they are likely to want to see so that you can design the page to meet their needs.
The Growth of Voice Search
You will have heard of Siri, Google Now and Cortana – different examples of voice search platforms that are altering the way people search for content. As one of the leading trends of the digital era, voice search is seeing exceptional growth and as technology improves, it becomes progressively more reliable.
Technology is ever-changing and marketers must discover new approaches to keep up with the evolution. If you are an SEO marketer, it would be sensible to carefully study voice innovation and think outside text-based searches in the year to come.
Since voice queries are more natural than the written interaction with a search box, they are often lengthier and expose more comprehensive intent. This form of SEO is much less mechanical and simply requires you to accommodate a more conversational way of searching. If you get on board early, you’ll be in a position to succeed in years to come.
So, if you want to be prepared to take on future challenges in the marketing world, try and factor in these current and forthcoming trends when planning your campaigns throughout the year ahead.
