2017 is almost gone, and 2018 is around the corner. The internet is where everything is happening today, and where everything will be happening tomorrow. Enterprises have realized this and that’s why SEO is more important than ever; its value increments with every passing minute. The internet and its technologies are far from a maturity stage and that’s why securing a place online is more important today than it’ll be tomorrow. Once 2018 is here, you’ll find yourself left behind, lost, confused, and alone if you are not familiar with the subsequent SEO trends.
“SEO is the only marketing method that’ll help your business grow, improve its value online over time, and return better ROI than any paid per search method can,” says Paul Gordon, an SEO expert from 720digital.co.uk.
Google’s Algorithm
If you’re not up to speed, RankBrain is what everyone has been talking about since late 2015. It’s Google’s machine learning AI (Artificial Intelligence) used to rank search results according to user behavior. Yes, it’s that smart. What RankBrain does is that it monitors the websites people spend the most time on, as well as the ones they return to often. Once it determines which websites these are, it then gives them a higher ranking according to the relevance of the information in them and the search a user makes. It’s that simple.
If you want your SEO strategies to be successful, you must know everything there is to know about SEO. To have search engines prioritize your site, you must learn and understand how they function and think. Understanding RankBrain is the key to being successful with the world’s number one search engine; Google.
Mobile First
Most people are spending less time on their desktop computers because they go against human nature. We are social beings, we love to move about, and we prefer being able to do whatever we want wherever we are. The Geeks realized this a long time ago and that’s why we have mobile devices like laptops, iPad, tablets, smartphones, and the other ones we’ll be obsessed with in the future. Owing to the fact that these devices are so convenient most of the time, most people use them to conduct their daily activities. In the recent years, the number of searches done through mobile devices has far surpassed the number of searches done using desktop computers. That’s why Google has declared that very soon, it’s algorithm is going to consider mobile devices first whenever a search is made.
From an SEO perspective, it then makes sense that websites should be created with this in mind. The main contents of a website should be included both in the mobile and desktop versions of the website. This also means responsive web design will be even more crucial, and not just a preference. In 2018, we’ll be seeing SEO specialists insisting that web designers place more emphasis on developing websites for mobile devices first, and then making the necessary accommodations for the desktop computers.
Monkey See, Monkey Do
In the initial stages of communication, particularly recording information, we painted on walls, did hieroglyphics, wrote on paper, did plays, recorded the plays, and today we have advanced technology that enables us to even add special effects to make whatever we are communicating to be as real and original as possible. Watching stuff, and seeing images of various things, in a way, has more impact on the human brain than reading lines of text. Websites that contain images have a more lasting effect on the visitor than those that contain plain text. Furthermore, websites that have videos that provide the relevant information an individual is looking for have even more impact on them when they visit.
Statistics show that most people would rather spend 5, 10, 30, or whatever minutes watching a video than reading text with similar information. As such, most people prefer videos far more than mere plain text, even when some images are included. In fact, despite YouTube being the second most used search engine in the world, the number of searches being made there are starting to compete with the number of searches done on Google. This trend indicates that in 2018 and onwards, people are going to be opting for websites that contain videos, and the number of video searches is likely to increase eventually. It is possible websites will soon contain a banner, a heading, and then the entire body will just be videos. Go visual and you’ll do no one no wrong.
In-depth Content
It was highlighted earlier that you have to understand how a search engine works for you to tailor your website such that it’s given one of the highest ranks in search results. The most part of SEO is about understanding the algorithm of a search engine. Without this understanding, you’re likely to be working blindly, and your efforts will be in vain. Part of the thinks that Google will be laying emphasis on in its search results is the relevance of the content in a webpage. I gave a hint at this earlier; if you noticed. Just using keywords won’t be enough anymore. Websites have to employ the best keywords in their content, and must also ensure that the content is relevant to whatever the purpose of the website is. Remember, quality content is what will make a visitor stop and spend some time on your site, and even come back to confirm something, or check whether there are any updates. This is what RankBrain is after, and the secret lies in providing good in-depth content.
Backlinks
It makes sense that the in-depth bit is followed by backlinks. Visitors who visit your website and see quality content are likely to recommend your website to their friends, and alternative networks. If you’re employing SEO strategies, with good content, you can easily have other website owners include the link to your site in their websites and blogs, and you could do them a favor by reciprocating the kindness. In 2018, quality content will be a necessity, and backlinks will serve as proof that indeed your site contains gold.
Tips:
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