2017 is bound to be an interesting year for SEO experts. However, SEO remains a game that requires a business to always stay ahead of competitors. A great way of accomplishing this dominance and competitiveness is being aware of the latest trends in the industry and adjusting your strategies before your competitors.
Here are some of the latest trends that every digital marketer or SEO specialist should know:
Dense content is on the rise
Internet users are no longer interested in reading fluff content repeatedly. Over the recent past, readers have preferred “epic” content. This includes long blog posts that cover topics comprehensively. However, since the market is being flooded with such content, the newest trend is ignoring length and focusing on more informative content that occupies small space. Thus, dense content is now appealing to more readers.
Accelerated Mobile Pages are on the rise
Accelerated Mobile Pages or AMPs refer to an open-source protocol where webmasters create pages that load on mobile devices almost instantly. Ideally, some structural changes may seem simple but they can make a website load faster and use less data. Currently, Google favours AMPs websites. This means that more Australian businesses will most likely take advantage of AMPs in 2017.
Optimizing user experience
It’s no secret that when it comes to impressing visitors, speed matters. That’s why Google favours websites that load quickly with proper optimization for mobile devices. This is because these websites provide an enjoyable experience to the users. However, in 2017 user experience may be emphasized more. That’s because it is related to mobile devices. AMPs may be the first indicator of this. Nevertheless, there may be other ways via which Google will show favouritism for websites that provide ultimate user experience.
Social media
Social media has taken the centre and front part when it comes to SEO and digital marketing. Currently, search engines are giving social media pages top ranking preferences. That means if a business lacks social media presence, its SEO strategy will definitely suffer.
Digital marketing specialist will become more sophisticated
Almost every business needs a digital marketer or an SEO specialist. However, 2017 requires more sophisticated specialists. These are professionals with experience and knowledge of how search engines work and how target prospects perform online searches. Knowledge in the use of personal tools like Cortana and Siri, which make lives simpler, will also be important for SEO specialists since these might mark opportunities for new rankings.
Apps favouritism
Over the last years, SEO options for mobile apps have increased significantly. From deep linking and basic indexing for apps to content in the apps, app streaming has developed immensely. This enables users to stream the content of the apps without downloading and installing apps in their devices. Currently, Google caters for the users of these apps without alienating their core functions in the search engine. However, Google might show further favouritism for apps in 2017. Although it might be early for apps to replace websites altogether, this might be a step towards this path.
It’s not easy to determine what exactly the search engines plan for us this year. However, these are the latest SEO trends to watch out for as the year unfolds.