The SEO trends for 2018 is expected to bring follow on from this year’s trends, showing a few interesting patterns that are surprisingly connected. As we get closer to the era of mobile-first, it goes without saying that search engines are starting to put more focus on how easily information can be accessed. User experience can no longer be ignored.
Make Sure You Watch These SEO Trends 2018
Which SEO trends 2018 should you be watching? What will the trends mean for the year ahead? Let’s take a look.
Some of the most interesting and relevant Search Engine Optimisation trends 2018 is likely to bring include the following:
Mobile-first index
2018 may be the year that Google implements its mobile-first index. Even if it is not, there is no doubt that mobile continues to drive search, design, usability and digital marketing. If you have not made the move to responsive design, it is essential that you start thinking about it now. Once the mobile-first index is in gear, Google will prioritise responsive websites over non-responsive sites.
Visual search
Combining technical innovation and user experience, visual search is another trend that is worth noting. According to the findings of a social media company, image-driven platforms such as Pinterest are slowly changing the way that people search. Bing and Google are both putting more effort into creating visual search engines that capitalise on this trend. You can make sure you don’t miss out by putting more thought into your images, optimisation, naming and even size and quality.
Machine learning
AI and machine learning are showing no signs of slowing down, changing the way that results are ranked in search engines. Machine learning even has the ability to facilitate how searches are done, offering contextual results to users when searches are done. Google’s RankBrain is one example that indicates the growing preference for this trend. Voice search and digital assistants are both on the rise, offering a way to benefit from this trend.
Featured snippets and Quick Answers
Both featured snippets and Quick Answers are continuing their rise. Getting a featured snippets in search results comes down to a few factors; including onsite elements such as tables, lists, graphs and Q&A style content. The easier Google is able to extract the right content, the more likely your SEO content will be featured as a snippet or Quick Answer.
Ideally, the best approach is to consider these trends and how they apply to your own SEO ranking strategy as well as the broader digital landscape. This will ensure that you are ready for any SEO trends 2018 brings.