Another year has almost come to an end, and with it comes the reflection on successful and unsuccessful marketing strategies for the past 12 months.
Like any good business, you’re evaluating what worked and where you can improve as you look forward to 2018. One area that is constantly changing and adapting is that of search engine optimization.
What may have worked for you in the past may not continue to work in the coming year. That’s why it’s important to look ahead to new trends and ideas. Here are a few SEO trends to look for in 2018.
Voice Searches
One of the newer trends to watch for in 2018 is that of voice searches. While it’s not a completely new concept, it is expected to get more traction in 2018 and is an aspect of SEO that you’ll want to consider moving forward. In a world that seems to be ever increasing in its need for speed, it makes sense; speaking your searches is faster than typing them. Users can ask more detailed questions too, and get better search results. But what does this mean for your and your website? Simple keywords may not cut it in 2018. Instead, consider terms and phrases people typically say out loud. As you make your SEO plans for the next year, take into consideration the way people speak and search, rather than just how they will type their searches.
Page Speed
If an increase in voice searches is a result of a fast-paced lifestyle, you can bet that page speed is going to be another aspect of SEO that you’ll want to consider moving into 2018. You may rank well, but if your page is slow to load you’re going to lose a lot of traffic. How slow is too slow? If it takes five seconds or more for your page to load you need to make some adjustments. In fact, Google’s recommendation is to make sure your page loads in three seconds or less.
Focus on Content
As Google evolves to continue to provide users with exactly what they want to find, SEO evolves to ensure it’s their website that’s found first. In 2018 Google, aims to help even those that don’t properly communicate what they want in their searches. That’s to say that Google will help find the page(s) the user intended to find, rather than pulling up exactly what they searched for. This is accomplished by considering the content of your website. For you, this means comprehensive information with relevant phrases and words will be more important than ever.
SERP Features
Organic searches may still get you some traffic, but in 2018 you can expect to see more search engine results page features. Featured snippets, knowledge panels, images, videos, links, ads, and social media mentions will all compete for attention, even with a #1 ranking spot. Don’t abandon your keywords and phrases just yet, but in 2018 you’ll want to consider including SERP features too.
