Search engine optimization remains a critical component of any online business. But, SEO is always changing, constantly modified by algorithms, optimization, and trends. It’s important then that your website – regardless of content – follow said trends to keep you at the forefront of search results. It’s a crowded market, and the last thing you want is to fall into irrelevancy. To help, here are five SEO trends your business should follow.
1 – Speed and Website Performance
In the context of the titan search engine, Google, rank is everything. And one of the key factors determining a health rank is speed. That is to say, how fast a web page will load. Ideally – with an optimal internet connection – this should take no longer than three seconds. That’s especially important for mobile performance, where enormous chunks of user traffic occur.
No matter how SEO changes, the performance of your website will act as a pillar to good SEO.
2 – Mobile Compatibility
It’s worth emphasizing again: your web space needs to perform on mobile. Massive chunks of the global population use a smart and/or mobile device in some capacity. Phones, tablets, and traditional laptops make up this market, and how well your website looks on them is a major factor when determining SEO rank.
Additionally, not only does mobile comprehension lead to better SEO rank, but it also provides valuable click-through and user attention. If your website runs and looks like a hot mess when viewed on a phone, don’t your reader to stick around long.
Have A/B versions (desktop and mobile) to assure good SEO.
3 – Image Optimization
Images don’t just enhance the user experience, they’re also a part of how Google will start ranking content. Google and similar web engines will identify pages with unique image content, meaning quality material accompanied by diverse media has a better chance of appearing in search results.
And for what it’s worth, images tell a big story. You should naturally start incorporating them into your web design, regardless of subject matter.
4 – Use Unique Keywords
While it’s tempting to conduct a quick bit of research with something like SEMRush and utilize the most known keywords, relying on this saturation technique is a lose-lose scenario. You forfeit your ability to remain unique among competitors and also forego any kind of creative input. It’s important to establish unique, quality keywords synonymous with your own website for this reason.
5 – Prep for Voice Search
Virtual and digital assistants are slowly integrating their ways into our lives, both personal and professional. This extends well beyond asking Siri or Cortana a basic question, too. Soon, voice search will draw and incorporate from SEO, and it’s important to identify these trends now. Pushed by the “trendsetters,” this technology will continue to rise in prominence until it’s commonplace. Factor it in when targeting good SEO.
And there you have it. Not too complex, right? Though the SEO format changes, many of its core principles remain intact. The key idea is to always produce quality, relevant content which is both compatible and optimized for new technologies.