Know the SEO Trends of 2016 of the Present to Reign the Future
Before you step into the world of modern day search engine optimization, get ready to be bombarded with lots of technical jargons. The stuff gets complicated and new at times even for seasoned search engine analysts because Google loves to be one step ahead of their patrons to serve what they are actually looking for.
By knowing the latest and the most important SEO trends of 2016, it’s much easier to optimize a website and reach your target audience.
The All-New Semantic Search
A completely innovative and the most wanted feature is Semantic search which Google launched with their Hummingbird update. The search engine no longer reads the search queries made by users literally but seek its underlying meaning to deliver what they need. Semantics is the study of meaning in linguistics which allows the service to identify when users type words like ‘where’ and ‘when’ among other conversational queries.
Mobile Optimization is Compulsory
While multiple marketers reiterate this point again and again, we have to do it one more time because mobiles have gained more importance than desktop websites. Be it reading news, shopping for new items or watching videos, tablets and smartphones are the most preferred way. According to a Screenweek statistical study, over 50% of local search is done on smartphones. Over fifty percent make their purchases on phones which is why you should ensure that you deploy a mobile friendly website or optimize the existing one.
User Experience Determines Rankings
The time when keyword density and link building helped websites gain rankings is long gone. Google is all about user experience at the moment to ensure that they give what their customers are looking for. A lot of factors like bounce rate, responsive design, content, content relevancy and the website’s ability to meet a visitor’s query plays an integral role in determining its overall ranking.
Keywords are no Longer Important
Recent statistics conducted in 2016 reveal that most high ranking websites have stopped relying on relevant keywords and keyword density to achieve search engine rankings. Only 6% of them use relevant content in their title, meta description and body whereas majority of them have switched to focusing on adding value to the visitor. When a content writer creates a content, it naturally leads to using the primary keywords a couple of times which is more than enough. If you are still focusing on density, primary and secondary variants, it’s time to get rid of the old school habit.
Usage of Citations and Brand Names
Times have changed and Google is capable of searching the entire web including review sites, yellow pages, third party forums and more to find citations or usage of your brand name. If it finds it in more than one place, the website is bound to receive good rankings. The usage of a brand name, address or contact details should be in legitimate places done by real people and not as spam in order to utilize them properly. Citations work for almost every business, product and service provider.
