Search engine optimization is all about making the task of search engine crawlers easier. Doing so will help you ensure that you are always one step ahead of your competitors. One way to do this is by knowing how search engines are changing and then adjusting your strategy accordingly to remain afloat. The SEO industry is all about catching up with search engine updates. You should, therefore, keep a watch on these trends to stay ahead in the game:
- Rise of ‘AMPs’
AMPs, accelerated mobile pages, are an open–source protocols that help webmasters produce articles on mobile devices. Their use can allow you to load your website 4 times faster with 8 times less data consumption. Google has started favoring the sites that have migrated on AMPs by giving them more visibility in carousel, which indicates their AMP status. It may start favoring AMP sites even more in 2017. - Emergence of dense content
Earlier, content marketing efforts were targeted more towards the production of small-length articles, but in the last few years, we saw the continuous rise of epic content. These are long pieces of content that cover a particular topic comprehensively. In 2017, a new trend may emerge in which content marketers may focus on providing as much information as possible in the smallest possible space. Such dense content may also appeal to a wider section of readers. - Machine learning likely to change the search engine algorithm
Google’s search engine algorithm RankBrain made a move towards machine learning. Now Google won’t release frequent SEO updates; however, search engine updates like Hummingbird have been incorporated in the search engine algorithm on a real time basis. Search engine may automatically learn how searchers are searching and update the algorithm automatically. Google may start releasing more machine learning updates in the next year. - Personal branding could increase
Personal branding comes in handy in SEO. It helps secure more guest posts, earn more links, and drive more traffic. Surprisingly, not many brands have realized its power completely. Even social media platforms such as Facebook are favoring individual posts over branded content. Jayson DeMers, in Forbes online, predicts, “I anticipate we’ll see more companies and organizations taking advantage of personal branding. This will simultaneously lead to more opportunities and more competition.” - Rise in user experience optimization
User-experience elements have been important from SEO point of view for some time since Google favors those websites that are properly optimized for mobile sites, have better navigation, and more. The emphasis on user experience is likely to increase further in 2017.
Wrapping up
Predicting trends is a difficult task and it becomes all the more complex to point out what search engines like Google and Bing will offer in the coming year. Yes, but some minor trends of today may become major ones next year. Though you don’t require to change your strategy completely, yet knowing how these new trends can impact your marketing in future is important. The more aware you are, the better you will be able to anticipate the changes in the pipeline and stay on the top of your SEO game.
