One of the most difficult (and aggravating!) aspects of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the constant change. Because search engine algorithms are continually enhanced to deliver better results, techniques to get your website ranking high in the results also never stop evolving.
If you ignore the shifting trends, your website could well be hit by the latest Google update and fall into the uncharted depths of search engine results beyond the first page. In short, you should never stop adapting your SEO to exploit the latest trends.
1. Keyword Rankings Are Still Important (But Come With A Twist)
Keywords are still the foundation of SEO, but how they are used continues to evolve with available technology. In 2017, be sure to pay close attention to semantic and personalized search.
Search results now adapt based on the viewer’s search history, physical location, and device type. For example, someone researching a keyword on desktop will often see different results than someone looking up the same topic on mobile. Results are also becoming more specific based on the searcher’s recent related searches, and mobile users will be handed results from websites that prioritize mobile-optimization.
2. RankBrain Embraces Artificial Intelligence In SEO
It’s official: the future is now. RankBrain is a machine learning AI system incorporated into Google’s search algorithm. What’s more, it’s been officially named Google’s third-most important ranking factor.
In layman’s terms, RankBrain helps Google determine context and intended meaning for a given query. Its primary function is to sift relevant search results when a user Googles a never-before-searched or highly unusual keyword.
Due to its self-adapting nature, RankBrain’s much more difficult to abuse than most other ranking factors.
3. Voice Search Is Rising In Importance
The use of voice search has increased sevenfold since 2010, and it will only continue to rise as voice search continues to be directly integrated into interfaces such as Siri, Google Now, and Cortana.
Moreover, voice recognition is rapidly becoming more accurate. Compare Google’s 23% error rate in 2013 to their 8% error rate in 2015. The better voice recognition software can recognize what we say, the more people will start using it to search the web.
4. Google AMP Deserves Your Consideration
Google Accelerated Mobile Pages, better known as Google AMP, launched in February 2016 as the new standard for mobile web content.
Research showing that slow sites correspond with lower engagement (up to 40% of visitors will leave after three seconds of load time) sparked the mobile speed optimization movement, and Google AMP was eventually born. Today, Google AMP can load pages up to 30 times faster than normal.
5. The Switch To HTTPS Calls For Caution
Google began its campaign to engender more secure sites over two years ago by using HTTPs as a ranking factor.
In the past, we’ve seen websites attempt to secure their sites and experience unintended effects. So keep in mind that switching a mature site from HTTP to HTTPs all at once can cause trouble for your rankings if you don’t do it correctly.
Those who earn income from referral traffic should particularly exercise caution, as important data gets lost when an HTTPs site sends traffic to an HTTP site. If you don’t prepare accordingly, you could lose your next paycheck.
6. Citations Don’t Matter As Much For Local SEO
Long-thought one of the central pillars of local SEO, citations are mentions of your business name and address on other websites (these mentions may or may not include a link to your website).
While it’s true citations can spark higher rankings for newer websites, the strength and volume of citations have lesser of an effect these days. For businesses already established in the local search results, this takes off a bit of stress.
7. Explore SEO Beyond Google By Getting Into Bing
Believe it or not, Google isn’t the end-all and be-all of Internet searches. Bing accounts for one-third of all search engine traffic – hardly a number of users you’d want to ignore.
One cause of Bing’s apparent popularity is its status as the default search engine for several voice controlled personal assistants, including Cortana and Siri. A whopping 25% of all Bing’s search traffic is driven by voice – in fact, you may rely on Bing’s search results more often than you know.
Simply put, exploring optimization specifically for Bing results is well worth your time.
As the rules of SEO continue to shift towards a human-optimized world, it’s becoming harder to game the system. We think this is a great thing, but it’s still important to remember that better written, more authoritative, and more reader-friendly content is only part of the solution.
Courtesy of SerachEnginePeople
