The world of SEO is constantly evolving. Every year, new trends shape the industry and push it forward to the next level. This year is no different. With mobile taking priority and a shift toward a more personal experience, there are many trends to watch for in 2018.
1. Voice Search
With the rise of mobile search, more people are relying on voice search to find what they need online. A new study found that nearly 60% of all searches are done on mobile devices.
More mobile use means more voice searches, especially with the popularity of Siri, Google Assistant and home assistants.
With more people using their voices – not their keyboards – to search for things, online marketers will need to optimize their content for voice search. Because people speak differently than they write, marketers will need to aim for a more informative and conversational tone when creating content.
2. Featured Snippets
When users search for things online, they get more than just organic search results. They also get paid ads, reviews, maps and a host of other information.
With clicks moving away from organic search and towards paid advertisements, it’s becoming more important than ever to get the coveted “featured snippets” position, also known as “position zero,”
In addition to greatly increasing the clicks to a website, featured snippets are often the spoken answer when asking questions with Google Home and other assistants.
3. Local Search
Local search has always been important, but now that mobile usage is outpacing desktop use, it’s becoming even more important.
Users are now more likely to search for local businesses and use geographical terms in their queries.
Google says that nearly one-third of mobile searchers are related to a location.
According to https://egemarketing.ca/, “To determine how a website is ranked in the local listings relies on several things, including the user’s location, NAP, and business relevancy to the keyword search.”
For brick-and-mortar businesses and those offering delivery services, it’s crucial to optimize for local search.
Optimization means claiming businesses in local directories, like Google My Business and Yelp. All information needs to be accurate across the board, including name, address and phone number.
4. User Experience
User experience is also important – and always has been. The goal of Google and all other search engines is to provide users with informative results that boost their user base and bottom line.
Focus on providing users with an enjoyable experience. Offer quality, relevant content. Make sure the website is quickly accessible, and always make changes with users in mind.
5. Mobile Search
Mobile search will never not be important now that everyone is glued to their smartphones most of the day.
Google is expected to make mobile a bigger priority than desktop in the search results, and the search engine giant recently changed their algorithm to ensure that websites make their pages mobile-friendly.
Simply put, if a website isn’t mobile-friendly in 2018, its rankings will suffer greatly. All websites need to load quickly and be suitable for mobile devices from here on out.
