2016 was anything but predictable, and this year may well be the same way. We’ve done the research, though, and found the most probable SEO trends for 2017. Read to discover what digital marketing highlights and advances that you need to know to make the most of your next SEO campaign.
SEO Trend 1: Mobile First Index
Mobile searches are rapidly growing with each year, and in 2015 they surpassed desktop searches. Recent studies have shown that 20 out of 24 main industries saw more mobile searches than desktop searches in 2016! So, it is no surprise that 2017’s SEO will be all about Google’s mobile first index.
What does that mean? Now Google will crawl the mobile version of your website before the desktop or “regular” version of the site. This is huge news for anyone creating website content, and may require special attention if you currently have drastically different versions of your site for mobile and desktop viewers. Many people already have a mobile responsive version of their site in place, and therefore won’t need to make many changes. If you have a stripped down version of your site, though, with less content and media, you may want to consider some updates.
SEO Trend 2: Voice Search
Another trend that has been gaining traction over recent years is that of voice search. Most smartphones are now set up with a virtual “assistant” who responds to voice search requests, and there are now in-home units that offer the same capabilities. Between Siri (Apple), Cortana (Microsoft), and Alexa (Amazon), there are more voice search options than ever before. But what does this mean for SEO?
The simple answer is that we tend to use different phrases and sentence structure when searching by voice versus typing in a request. The predicted trend is that question words (who, what, when, where, why, and how) will become more prevalent in searches moving forward. As such, marketers need to incorporate these words and associated sentences into their keyword strategy. Instead of focusing on “best burger San Diego”, it could be valuable to focus on “where is the best burger near me?”.
SEO Trend 3: Video Content
Is it any surprise that video content is giving written content a challenge for SEO dominance? According to Facebook, video is expected to be the main type of content by the year 2020. The past few years have shown a rapid rise in video options, be it apps, ads, or user-generated content. Marketers need to stay ahead of this trend by including plenty of video content on their website, having a prominent presence on YouTube, and even setting up social media accounts on popular video services like Snapchat and Periscope.
Video advertisements are nothing new, but we’re seeing them in different places. There are still commercials on television, of course, but there are also PPC and Facebook video ads to contend with. Live video exploded in 2016, with Instagram and Snapchat stories taking prominence, and Facebook’s live posts getting top notification priority in newsfeeds. There’s almost always a way to turn traditional content into video if you’re looking to maximize on this trend. For best results, combine both to appeal to all kinds of searches.
Increase Your Profits offers video review commercials, targeted Facebook advertisements, and optimization of YouTube videos, among other related video marketing services. Contact us today for further information. Click here to schedule your discovery call!
