10 SEO Trends Webmasters and Website Owners Cannot Ignore

10 SEO Trends Webmasters and Website Owners Cannot Ignore

Search engine optimization is constantly changing, meaning website owners have to make adjustments to be ahead of their competitors. Google is always getting smarter with many algorithm updates being made. While many webmasters may be upset by such updates, if you really know what Google is up to, you will agree that it’s not a bad thing. If you reposition yourself and adapt to the changes that Google brings in, you will succeed in your SEO strategy. What Google is aiming at is to ensure that website users have a quality experience and do away with thin and spam sites. Here are 10 SEO trends you do not want to ignore:

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Mobile-First Approach is a Must-do

You now know that mobile search is real and if you want to optimize your search and get results in your online marketing campaigns, you should make your website mobile friendly. For almost over 18 years, webmasters have been emphasizing on the desktop, but now mobile is a priority. Google made clear the importance of having mobile-friendly websites by announcing mobile-first indexing.

Google Searches are Becoming Location Specific

You will find that one in every three Google searches has local intent. Website owners need to ensure they optimize their sites for local search. Also, about 50 percent of users doing a local search on their mobile devices will most likely visit a store to buy a product or service within a day compared to about 34 percent of users who do a search on their PCs or tablets.

YouTube is The Second Largest Search Engine

As brands continue to use video marketing and advertising, YouTube is becoming a mainstream channel to help create brand name awareness and advertise products and services. It is estimated that among millennials, YouTube accounts for about two-thirds of online videos that are watched across devices including PCs and mobile phones. Again, the number of users searching “how to” videos on YouTube channels have been growing steadily; 70 percent every year. So, website owners should consider integrating YouTube videos in their online marketing strategy.

There is More Focus on Mobile UX and Navigation

It seems that Google is favoring sites that have properly been optimized for mobile devices. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile search, it isn’t going to rank high in Google search engine results. Google also favors websites that load easily and quickly and those that allow users to enjoy their experience. When a visitor lands on a website, they should be able to navigate it easily whether they are using a PC or a mobile device.

Machine Learning Continues to Impact Algorithm

Google released RankBrain algorithm in which it uses machine learning technology to help in delivering its search results. RankBrain allows Google to process search results in one-of-a-kind queries. The machine-learning artificial intelligence system mainly focuses on helping refine the queries that Google processes. On top of that, the system also helps in ranking websites. Users can now easily be able to find the information they need from their search queries.

Social Media Content is a Big Part of Search Listings

Among the top results, you will find in search listings for brand names is social media profiles. Google has put more focus on social media content to help in search results. Many marketers still believe that links to your site that are coming from social media accounts may impact your website ranking.

Today, links are mostly achieved through developing content that is original, which in turn is shared across social media. The links to your social media content in Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and other social networks can help search engines understand if a website is credible or not and whether or not it should be ranked for the keyword phrases. While the authority of a social media account may not necessarily impact search rank, the links that are published on social media could be seen as credible back-links, which influence the ranking of a web page.

Responsive Websites are Equally Important

Having responsive websites isn’t going to be an option for website owners. Google will be giving a boost to responsive websites; if you have not taken advantage of responsive web design, you should think about it.

Responsive web design allows your web pages to look good on different devices including tablets, PCs, and phones. This web design uses CSS and HTML elements to resize, hide, enlarge, shrink, or move content on a website so that it can easily be read on any screen. Google will continue to separately measure user experience in mobile and PCs.

Schema Markup Helps Increase CTRs in SERPs

Schema is a specific micro data that can be added to HTML to help improve the way your website pages display in SERPs. When you add Schema markup, it enhances the rich snippets being displayed below the page title.

Schema markup helps search engines understand website content thereby allowing the site to display the information in a way that’s helpful to users. In a study conducted by Stone Temple Consulting, it indicated that the volume of rich answers that are listed in search results has almost doubled from 2014 to 2016 an indication that Schema markup helps bring about higher click through rate.

Links are Still Considered the #1 Ranking Signal

In Google’s algorithm, links are among the top three ranking signals, according to Google’s Andrey Lipattsev, however, SEO experts see them as the number one ranking signal. The links may be internal as well as external. For example, you could have links from social media content and blog sites.

In 2017, MOZ said that local search ranking factors including signals like inbound anchor text, linking domain quantity, linking domain authority, and others accounted for nearly 29 percent of localized organic ranking factors.

The Speed and Load Time For Websites Impact Rankings

Since 2010, site speed has been used in Google’s algorithm to help in site rankings. Website owners should ensure that their website loads fast so that visitors don’t abandon the sites. About 40 percent of website visitors will most likely leave a web page that takes more than three seconds to load.

These are some of the SEO trends you will be seeing now and in future, and if you have not embraced them, you should be looking forward to ensuring they are integrated into your online marketing campaigns. Remember that search engine optimization consists of many elements that work together to help rank your website on the top of search results.