Search engine optimisation is evolving each year. It is important for practitioners, business owners, and website designers to be aware of the changes so that they can adjust their SEO strategy and content. And because SEO is always changing, it is vital to be aware of the changes ahead of competitors.
The first quarter of 2017 has brought several interesting trends. Most of them are likely to carry over into the rest of the year. Below are some of the trends that you need to keep an eye out for to stay competitive in 2017.
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SEO for User Intent
Keywords are still important in SEO strategies, and looking for specific phrases can lead to results. However, consumers already know what they are looking for. Google and other search engines have improved their capabilities to identify user intent. And this is the reason why users are now looking for phrases and full queries in search engines.
For the rest of 2017, you need to find out what brings users to the page. Make sure you determine the questions they need answers. Then use your research data to optimise the page and improve ratings. It is improved to keep an eye on the analytics and see what is working or not.
Increase Use of Accelerated Mobile Pages
Accelerated Mobile Page or AMP is an open source protocol that lets webmasters develop pages that can load on mobile devices right away. The beauty about AMPs is that they use less data and loads faster compared to traditional pages. Google began giving AMPs better ranking over other websites. And in 2017, it is expected that more brands and blogs will be switching towards this option.
Mobile First Index
Most consumers today already use their mobile devices to browse online, and Google has already taken notice. The search engine giant has stated that it prefers a mobile experience across all devices. It also announced that it will crawl the mobile version or responsive version of the site first, before the full desktop version. The mobile version will then be used in the results page.
Improvement in Content Density and Quality
Content remains king in 2017, but search engines will now put more value on content density, which is the content’s value for each word. A denser content is described to be more focused on function than form, and deliver valuable information to users within the smallest amount of words as possible.
These are some of the trends that you will likely to see in the next couple of months. It is important for business owners, Digital Marketing Agency and SEO practitioners, and web designers to pay close attention to the trends, and plan accordingly. That way the brand or business can remain competitive in the long run.