Is your SEO up to date?
Time always seems to move too quickly. Similarly, digital marketing trends seem to come and go just as fast. What was once relevant in 2015, may not be as effective in 2016. SEO is a prime example of how fast the digital marketing industry changes. Google is constantly changing its algorithm, mobile is now more popular than desktop, and local search is ramping up. The 7 new SEO trends we recommend watching in 2016 are:
- Social Media in Search
- Mobile Optimization
- Unique Content
- Local SEO
- Video over Written Content
- Link Building in Apps
- Voice Search
Ask yourself, are you prepared for 2016? If not, don’t worry. We’ll break down everything you need to know about these top trends below.
1. Social media content will gain awareness in search.
Having a presence on social media is already an important component for successful SEO, even though it hasn’t (up until this point) affected rankings. The interaction and content created on social media does, however, help improve visibility for your company. You may see an even bigger rise in visibility in 2016 as Google has partnered with Facebook and Twitter to allow social media content to be indexed on search. This means that what you tweet and post will have just as important of an impact as a web page, greatly changing the amount of information users are given through a simple search.
2. Mobile optimization will surpass desktop.
Mobile search recently overtook desktop searches for the first time, signaling the rise of mobile users. Additionally, Google’s “Mobilegeddon” update has made the need for mobile optimized web pages an absolute must. Maintaining your SEO position is dependent on having a user friendly site across both mobile and desktop. However, with the amount of mobile users continuing to grow, it won’t be long until mobile dominates exclusively.
3. Creating unique content is critical for awareness.
We’ve all heard the phrase “content is king”. While we know it to be true, simply content isn’t cutting it anymore. Websites are losing viewers due to the large amount of competition available on the majority of topics. Additionally, Google’s Knowledge Graph is able to answer simple questions so users won’t have to click through to a site. Even news articles will disappear due to the rise of aggregated content that puts various pieces of information into one place for users to view, simplifying their experience. The best way for people to stand out is to create new and exciting content, altering the once common phrase to “original content is king”.
4. Local SEO will contain more information.
Google has already started to place more prominence on local SEO, evidenced by the local 3-pack (meaning: the top 3 local business search results). With the rise in wearable technology, Google plans to get even more local. Where rankings were once based on a city or region, we could start to see them move to the neighborhood or street level.
5. Videos will rise in rankings.
Consumers are moving toward a more rich form of media, instead of the plain text that has been common in the past. Due to the social platforms of Vine and Snapchat, videos have become increasingly more popular than in the past. Because videos are already searched for more often than written article, in 2016, video ads may become a common occurrence in search results.
6. Link building in mobile apps will continue to grow.
Mobile apps are rising in popularity and are even expected to surpass traditional websites. While apps have been indexed on Google for awhile, links to specific pages or sections of apps will start to gain importance this year. Beyond mobile apps, social media and brand mentions can help build SEO traffic for your company as well.
7. Voice search will alter keywords.
More and more people are using digital assistants, such as Siri, Cortana, and Google Now, for search. This new trend is altering the type of keywords that have been common in the past. When using digital assistants, people speak naturally, leading to long-tail keywords as opposed to the typical short, typed keywords. Companies that start to use more conversational content will start to see the benefits from this trend soon.
Are you prepared for the new SEO trends this year?
Keeping up with the constantly evolving trends of SEO can be overwhelming. It seems as though Google is constantly updating its algorithm, making it more difficult each time to maintain your ranking. While it can be challenging to stay on top of the latest trends, it is critical for your company’s awareness. At Biznet Digital, we understand the importance of SEO and encourage you to look into our Digital Marketing Services to see how we can help you stay on top of the latest trends.