In the world of search engine optimisation, 2017 was a busy year in terms of an increase in voice search and stricter rules for AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). In 2018, there have been some more exciting developments that you can adopt to stay ahead of your competitors. Keep reading to stay up-to-date with the latest SEO marketing trends.
Personalised Search Results
During the last few years, customised search results have developed steadily and are taking centre stage in 2018. Irrespective of whether it is browser cookies, individual search history, location or interests, Google has been emphasising on the importance of personalising SERPs (search engine results pages) for individuals. Personalised is expected to continue to be the point of emphasis thanks to proliferation of smart speakers and other such technological advancements. As this is making it a daunting task for businesses to determine how they are ranking or what they are ranking for, more and more businesses are turning to professional SEO marketing agency for assistance.
Improved Image and Video Search
Videos and images have heavily featured in online interactions over the last couple of years. Faster Internet speed and social media platforms like, Facebook and Instagram are some of the contributing factor to this, which led to increased engagement. To keep pace with enhanced engagement, Google and also other search engines have been modifying the way videos and images show up on search results. Even though SEO marketing with videos and images is challenging, it fetches high return on investment.
Voice Search is Gaining Traction
In 2018, the sale of smart speakers, such as Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo and Google Home continue to increase. This is making voice search grow in importance. As opposed to typing in a search query on mobile devices or computers, users can now save time and use their voice to get the search results that they are looking for. However, voice search queries greatly differ from typed search queries. To keep up, you need to ensure that the keywords or phrases used are as natural-sounding as possible.
Rise of Hyperlocal Marketing
Hyperlocal marketing took off in 2017 as a way to target audience in close proximity to one’s business. Thanks to technological advancements, it is now possible to target the local community a lot more closely. In fact, you can even target individuals by analysing user behaviour, purchasing history, location, interests and so on. So, you need to pay attention to your local SEO efforts in order to grow your brand locally.
Prevalence of the Knowledge Graph
Knowledge graph of Google has been around since 2012, but it has only recently started to replace featured snippets when web users are asking questions. Compared to featured snippets that include an extracted summary from a webpage, along with the link to the page, knowledge graphs provide users with a lot more. For instance, if you search for a movie, the results will not only show you the usual summary, but also information about the actors in the movie, movie times, theatres, movie’s social media pages and so on. Since knowledge graphs provider users with more information than what they have entered into Google search, it is increasingly replacing featured snippets to provide users with a fantastic search experience.
Moving Beyond Google
Google is undoubtedly the dominant search engine and you need to optimise your web pages according to its algorithms. But, everybody is not using Google and you cannot depend on one single source for getting search engine traffic. Moreover, search engines like, Yahoo and Bing have a high conversion rate. So, optimise your web pages for Google, as well as, other search engines.
Stay ahead of your competitors by implementing the aforementioned SEO marketing trends. If you require more information, get in touch with well-known professionals offering SEO services.
