Like every year, there was a lot of talk at the end of 2015 about SEO and how best practices thereof would change in 2016.
Well, 2016 is finally winding down, and we figured that there was no better time to review how SEO actually has changed over the past year and where marketers stand as 2017 comes into view.
The Google of Things
Of course, any discussion of SEO must begin with Google and its shenanigans over the past year. In 2016, Google released several high-impact updates that changed the way the SEO game is played.
A shout-out to Moz for compiling the key dates:
- Jan. 8: A quality update to Google’s core algorithm made waves in the marketing world, though Google noted that it wasn’t Penguin related.
- Feb. 23: An AdWords-related change removed right column ads, altering paid ad visibility and possibly altering the landscape of PPC management.
- May 10: An update unconfirmed by Google May 10 saw noticeable fluctuations within multiple marketers’ risk index and SERP tracking.
- May 12: May 12 saw a change in Google’s “Mobilegeddon” update, first deployed back in 2015. Though small, Google confirmed the improvement to mobile-friendly page ranking.
- Sept. 23: Following a series of SERP fluctuations in early September, Google recently rolled out the Penguin 4.0 update. This move integrated the 2012 Penguin signal into Google’s core algorithm.
As always, Google has been busy this past year with its constant refinements to our online experience.
SEO of the Future
Having said all that, we must point out that Google isn’t the final word in SEO mastery. A major player? You bet. But its algorithmic advancements aren’t shaping SEO so much as they’re responding to the SEO trends that develop naturally over time. Fortunately, using Google as a barometer, we can ascertain which trends have been most significant over the past year and where the future may be headed.
- Mobile-Optimization: Although 2015 saw the genesis of Google’s true mobile-optimization update (and more mobile searches than desktop searches for the first time ever), the trend toward mobile isn’t going anyway. We’re using our mobile devices for online activity more now than ever, and we must be conscious of this trend moving forward. All web pages and applications should be mobile-optimized and will ideally be designed for coordination with Google to achieve maximum visibility and SERP priority.
- Audience Intention: Keywords are out; intention is in. We all know keyword stuffing is dead, and major search engines are refining their algorithms to look beyond the words to determine what people are searching for and why they’re searching for it. This trend toward audience intention speaks to Google’s desire to optimize the user experience. It wants to help users find information faster and more efficiently than ever before. Along those lines, longer web pages (1,200 to 1,500 words) are seeing better SEO results. Google is prioritizing authoritative and helpful content—something to keep in mind the next time you review your content marketing strategy. According to Cyrus Shepard, director of audience development at Moz, understanding your market’s needs and intentions is one of the biggest forces shaping the future of SEO:
“In the past, it was about marketers trying to promote what they wanted people to see. Today it’s about delivering what people actually want to see that will give you an SEO ranking boost.”
- Competition: As SEO refines itself over time, the competition is heating up. Businesses are leveraging the power of website analytics now more than ever to derive meaningful insights from on-site user behaviors. In the coming year, we expect to see more of the same and increased competition for high-ranking long-tailed keywords that are becoming the standard in online search.
Although the SEO sands are shifting slowly, marketers can’t afford to fall behind. Just like Google, businesses need to keep up on the trends and make small adjustments to their marketing in accordance with the needs of users. And as the year closes out, we expect that each of these notable trends from 2016 will form the backbone of all effective marketing strategies in the coming year.