Google and other search engines make changes to their algorithms many times within a year to offer searchers with satisfying results. These changes define the trends in the industry and change the way you optimize your website. You need to keep up with these changes to improve your SERP ranking and web traffic. These changes include writing better web content, updating your website design, etc.
Following are some emerging trends in search engine optimization that you should be aware of:
Mobile Optimization
If the 2015 Mobilegeddon didn’t force you to make your website design more mobile-friendly, then Google’s plan to apply mobile-first indexing to all websites should. This means search engine bots will see your mobile version as the primary version and index it before other versions. You need to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly to rank well.
You can start by applying responsive design which Google recommends due to its user-friendliness. This design allows your website to work on smartphones, tablets and desktops with ease. You also need to make other elements of your mobile site more user-friendly, like improving loading speed, making large easy-to-click buttons, applying a hamburger menu, etc.
Featured Snippets
Google came up with featured snippets to give searchers find answers for their queries with ease. A snippet shows up below the ads but above ranked results, which is why it's also called position zero. People tend to click them because they give immediate information through text, image and video. It’s why every SEO firmstries to rank their client’s content for this position.
To rank for position zero, you need to aim for question-based queries and keywords. You can refer to the ‘people also ask’ section on the SERP. You can write it in paragraph or listicle format as long as it’s clear and concise. You should use headers for better readability. You must also ensure that your website works well on multiple devices.
Voice Search
With improvements in the voice search technology, more and more people are relying on it (50 percent users to be more precise). Moreover, 43 percent of the users shop through it while 58 percent use it to find local businesses. That’s why SEO companies in New York optimize their client’s websites for voice searches as much as possible.
Voice searches usually come from smartphones and home voice assistants. It’s more convenient for users than tapping on the touchscreen or using the remote. Searchers tend to use proper sentences instead of choppy keywords to find precise results. They tend to use “near me” instead of precise locations for local searches.
Companies are keeping up with the voice SEO trends by restructuring their content with long-tail keywords and making it more conversational. You should also optimize your content for featured snippets, knowledge panels and other rich answers. Do make use of Google My Business to rank for local voice searches.
Zero-Click Searches
Thanks to Google features like feature snippets, local packs, knowledge graphs, etc. searchers don’t need to click on a link to find their answers. So more than fifty percent of searches are now zero-click searches. This can be an issue if your goal is to increase your CTR.
But you may not need to worry because zero searches are used by people looking for quick info like the current score, company contact details, etc. People looking for more details will click your link. An SEO firm in new york can help you identify keywords with high CTRs to help you grow your web traffic and conversion rates.
You shouldn’t completely avoid rich results either because they can help you build authenticity and improve your brand image. So claim your knowledge panel and make edits to it for better engagement with your target audience. These are just some emerging SEO trends that you should make use of. Think about how these trends can help you achieve your goals before trying to make use of them.