2016 could mean big changes for search engine optimization. There are going to be the standard revamps and algorithms updates, of course, but it’s also possible that the entire path of SEO is going to see a shift during this coming year. While mobile is going to take over more than it already has, the bedrock of SEO is going to essentially stay the same.
Quality content will continue to reign, increasing visibility online will be vital, and having a strong social media presence will also be important. These are three things that have been important for at least the last three years. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can just keep doing what you’ve been doing since 2014. Here are the five things you need to know about search engine optimization in 2016:
- Making meaningful connections is going to be extremely important. Google is putting more and more focus on the mobile, busy consumer. We know this because they’ve changed their algorithm to harshly penalize any website that doesn’t have a mobile version or is not responsive. During that same update, there was an emphasis on not just content, but quality content. Google is cracking down on garbage content in an effort to bring their searchers better information, faster. That means that now, more than ever before, it is important to try to put out content that is going to connect with your readers, that is packed with information (not just keywords) and which is easy to read, even on mobile devices.
- The digital assistant will revolutionize SEO. Fewer and fewer people are actually picking up their phones, swiping to unlock it, opening the search app, and typing in their query. Every operating system now has a program that allows you to just say “Hey (insert digital assistant name),” and then state their search query. How we as humans speak and how we type is very different. When we type, we’re often using the shortest search query possible. When we speak, we’re much more likely to use long-tail keywords. What does that mean for search engine optimization? That long-tail keywords are going to become much, much important than they are now.
- Social content will be favored by search engines. Why? Because Google is building relationships with Facebook and Twitter, so that their stories show up higher in search results. Google is going to start indexing Tweets and Facebook posts, making them part of the ever-growing lexicon of content online. Right now is the perfect time to start making sure that your social media accounts are ready to be indexed and that your posts are keyword optimized. 2016 will likely see a much more social type of search emerging.
Mobile search will outstrip the importance of desktop search. There are already more people searching on mobile devices than there are on desktops and laptops. This, of course, means that your website needs to be prepared for mobile visitors, and that means more than just having a responsive website. What does that mean for you? Primarily that local SEO is going to be more important. Developments like the three-pack prove that Google is now more interested than ever before in providing the most relevant local results first, and that this is very easy, as Google has access to a person’s exact location when they search via mobile device. Instead of making desktop search work for mobile devices, they are going to make mobile search dominant and retrofit it to desktops.
- The amount of attention you get on social media will have an even heavier influence on your ranking. How often your followers engage with you and how much your posts are shared and liked on social media does influence your standing right now. It will only continue to influence your page ranking as social media continues to grow and diversify. Invest now in follower growth and strategies that up engagement. This goes back to creating valuable content. The better your content is, the more likely people are to follow you and the more likely they are to engage with your content. 2016 will be the year of the strong content game. While your social interactions are not the extent of your ranking factors, meaningful connections are going to be vital in the coming year.
It’s impossible to predict exactly what is going to happen in 2016 and what will be the most important. These predictions simply follow the most obvious trends, based on what Google has done in the past and what they are currently doing now. Of course, Google has surprised us before, but following these predictions is still likely to find you on stable SEO ground when those surprises do come.
2016 could mean big changes for search engine optimization. There are going to be the standard revamps and algorithms updates, of course, but it’s also possible that the entire path of SEO is going to see a shift during this coming year. While mobile is going to take over more than it already has, the bedrock of SEO is going to essentially stay the same.
Quality content will continue to reign, increasing visibility online will be vital, and having a strong social media presence will also be important. These are three things that have been important for at least the last three years. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can just keep doing what you’ve been doing since 2014. Here are the five things you need to know about search engine optimization in 2016:
- Making meaningful connections is going to be extremely important. Google is putting more and more focus on the mobile, busy consumer. We know this because they’ve changed their algorithm to harshly penalize any website that doesn’t have a mobile version or is not responsive. During that same update, there was an emphasis on not just content, but quality content. Google is cracking down on garbage content in an effort to bring their searchers better information, faster. That means that now, more than ever before, it is important to try to put out content that is going to connect with your readers, that is packed with information (not just keywords) and which is easy to read, even on mobile devices.
- The digital assistant will revolutionize SEO. Fewer and fewer people are actually picking up their phones, swiping to unlock it, opening the search app, and typing in their query. Every operating system now has a program that allows you to just say “Hey (insert digital assistant name),” and then state their search query. How we as humans speak and how we type is very different. When we type, we’re often using the shortest search query possible. When we speak, we’re much more likely to use long-tail keywords. What does that mean for search engine optimization? That long-tail keywords are going to become much, much important than they are now.
- Social content will be favored by search engines. Why? Because Google is building relationships with Facebook and Twitter, so that their stories show up higher in search results. Google is going to start indexing Tweets and Facebook posts, making them part of the ever-growing lexicon of content online. Right now is the perfect time to start making sure that your social media accounts are ready to be indexed and that your posts are keyword optimized. 2016 will likely see a much more social type of search emerging.
- Mobile search will outstrip the importance of desktop search. There are already more people searching on mobile devices than there are on desktops and laptops. This, of course, means that your website needs to be prepared for mobile visitors, and that means more than just having a responsive website. What does that mean for you? Primarily that local SEO is going to be more important. Developments like the three-pack prove that Google is now more interested than ever before in providing the most relevant local results first, and that this is very easy, as Google has access to a person’s exact location when they search via mobile device. Instead of making desktop search work for mobile devices, they are going to make mobile search dominant and retrofit it to desktops.
- The amount of attention you get on social media will have an even heavier influence on your ranking. How often your followers engage with you and how much your posts are shared and liked on social media does influence your standing right now. It will only continue to influence your page ranking as social media continues to grow and diversify. Invest now in follower growth and strategies that up engagement. This goes back to creating valuable content. The better your content is, the more likely people are to follow you and the more likely they are to engage with your content. 2016 will be the year of the strong content game. While your social interactions are not the extent of your ranking factors, meaningful connections are going to be vital in the coming year.
It’s impossible to predict exactly what is going to happen in 2016 and what will be the most important. These predictions simply follow the most obvious trends, based on what Google has done in the past and what they are currently doing now. Of course, Google has surprised us before, but following these predictions is still likely to find you on stable SEO ground when those surprises do come.
Published on January 12, 2016
About the Author: Chris Williams
