1. VOICE QUEST
Voice search builds up 20% of all online searches. By 2020, this number may very well reach 50%. We are standing on the cliff of a new Internet era, meaning new things for would-be SEO experts like you and me to learn and master.
As ever, Google would favour websites that provide users with a nice and engaging experience. Conversely, the websites that fail to deliver will see a drop in rankings instead. As the quality of websites globally rises, user expectations will keep rising simultaneously, henceforth be mindful not to fall behind.
Content will persist to be one of the prevalent ranking factors. However, Google hates stagnation. Their policy is to give users the best the Internet has to offer, henceforth the standards for what content counts as good are bound to rise again in 2018.
Inbound links are among the most powerful ranking factors and will remain so in 2018. However, we should be extra cautious about how we obtain them. Earlier, Google noticed an increase in spammy links from guest blogging and will keep a watchful eye on any guest contributions in future.
Google is determined to make speed a factor in giving users the information they need. That is why there is so much extra fluff on page one: quick answers, carousels, “people also ask.” They are shown above the highest ranking results, this being the reason why their space is called “position zero” – which is de facto the new position one. If your site is already on the first page, it opens up a possibility to claim a spot at position zero, too.
Position 0 offers a lot of room for all those ads and featured snippets. However, it stages issues for organic search results: they get buried under all the fluff and sometimes even pushed down below the fold. If you do not occupy position zero yourself, your site could be pretty hard to identify even if you are on Google’s first page at Position 1.
For business holders, Position 0 is the most appropriate place to be in search results. Advertised snippets are like billboards: big letters, bright logo, address and phone number, a couple reviews as a bonus – all housing a huge chunk of the screen and shamelessly in your face.
Promoted snippets are not the only thing stealing the users’ attention from organic results. There are pay-per-click advertisements, too. Many of them return organic results right away.
When your keywords are ranking higher than yesterday, it is always a joy. This can be only compared to watching your conversion rates grow. To have an adequate image of how well your pages convert, you will need to attach UTM tracking code to all your major links and closely observe everything in Google Analytics.
The dominion of mobile devices promises to be long and prosperous. We doubt large screens will ever go in vogue, still can guarantee we will see more small screens in the future. With such wide variety of sizes, it will be an obvious necessity to make websites look good on all kinds of displays.
An immense loading speed is an incredible thing in general, not just for mobile-friendly sites. Instead, users are less likely to lose patience and more eager to stick around and lurk deeper.
Majority of search engines have an image search function, but we are yet to meet anyone who believes it to be perfect. However, search engines are both able and willing to improve it, as evidenced by steps they have made towards enhancing their visual search capabilities.
We are amazed how many websites still have not done this. Google approves of secure connections and made them a lightweight ranking factor back in 2014. They went down to mark HTTP sites as non-secure in Chrome, scaring users away when they see this.
Majority of users do not like looking past Google’s Page 1. If something is not there, it does not exist to them. Does this mean your website will definitely start getting clicks once it makes it there? Not certainly, as there are other options on the same page. But your chances would greatly improve if your brand was more observable.
The Internet is crazy about video content. A study by Hubspot indicated that 43% of users want more of it online, and it is expected to take up a staggering 80% of all online traffic by the early 2020’s.
The most important advice of all is that it will be mandatory to use powerful SEO tools. Your expedition relies on your ability to measure progress and detect issues before they cause lasting damage.