4 Major SEO Trends to Expect in 2018

1. Digital Assistants 

Siri, Alexa, Google… In a matter of years, we’ve become increasingly reliant on our digital assistants to communicate and obtain information. According to Google, 20% of mobile queries are voice searches. Voice technology has completely changed the nature of the search query, and it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. 2018 just may be the year of voice search.

The rising popularity and ubiquity of voice search present an interesting challenge when it comes to developing an SEO strategy. Long-tail search terms and language that matches a real, live person’s speech will be integral in building a voice-search-friendly strategy.

2. User Experience 

UX is never not going to be important, and 2018 doesn’t seem to be any different. It’s all about the user, and it’s no surprise that users prefer good UX over bad UX. If you can create an intuitive, responsive experience users enjoy and find useful, Google will reward you for it. Improving UX doesn’t necessarily require a total website overhaul. There are a few quick and easy fixes you can make, including:

• Speed up your site. According to an Akamai study, 40% of users will abandon a web page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Load speed is crucial not just for keeping a user’s attention, but for a good Google ranking too. Things like maximizing your above-the-fold content, optimizing images and reducing the number of plugins can help speed up your website.  


• Improve readability. Comb through your content and make sure font style and size are legible and that content is structured in an easy-to-read way. Think bold subheads, chunky text and bullet points.
 

• Finetune navigation. Your navigation needs to make sense. A site menu that includes fewer levels of pages is more straightforward and easier for everyone to understand. Try combining content from multiple shorter pages into one.


3. Featured Snippets 

The popularity of Google’s featured snippets is making the already cutthroat search ranking real estate market even more competitive. With so many pages competing for the coveted position 0, it’s vital to optimize your page content for snippets. Structuring your content in a Q&A format and incorporating tables, graphs and lists make it easy for Google to pull just the right content for a snippet.

The best way to land a featured snippet can be chalked up to one simple formula:

• Identify a commonly asked, relatively simple question related to your product or service area.

• Provide a clear, succinct answer to the question.

• Don’t just answer the question. Provide additional value and information.

• Make the answer easy to find on the page.


4. Mobile Optimization 

In 2016, internet usage on mobile devices exceeded desktops. We spend the most time using our smartphones and tablets, which is why mobile optimization is a top priority for 2018. Without a website that is responsive across all devices, you risk losing out on a lot of potential business. For e-commerce websites, where online shoppers are already finicky to begin with, mobile optimization is even more critical. Make sure users can navigate your site efficiently.

Bring Your SEO Strategy Up to Speed 

The New Year is the perfect time to give your business’s SEO strategy a competitive edge. Still, it can be tough to keep your strategy current when SEO is continually changing. Webconsuls can help you apply these SEO tactics and get your SEO strategy geared up for 2018.

Webconsuls offers a wide range of web marketing experience, with expertise in web design and development, SEO and pay-per-click. Contact Webconsuls to learn more about our services and how we can create a customized, cost-effective SEO strategy unique to your business.