As we gradually step into 2018, there are already a number of SEO trends which are coming forward. This happens literally every year and there is no surprise in seeing these trends surface out again. However, out of all the SEO trends which are the ones that will really matter to your business? The purpose of this post is to address this question.

Below, we are going to discuss the top 10 SEO trends that will enable your business to stay ahead of the curve in 2018. So, let’s get started.

AMP for Better User Experience

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) has become the new standard for web content. It is an open source initiative of Google and has been undertaken to make the web suitable for the different mobile devices. As more than half of the searches come from the mobile devices the importance of AMP has increased further. Most of the web pages have been compliant with AMP which is the reason behind their fast load speeds on mobile devices. This has a huge impact on a website’s ranking and the traffic that gets generated on it.

Voice Search Optimization

Voice search has completely changed the way users communicate and perform search queries. People are preferring the voice command for getting the search results as they do not have to type a query. Out of the five online searches which are conducted, there is at least one which is a voice query. In 2018, more and more people are going to shift to voice searches. One of the major reasons for the rise of voice searches are the digital assistants. Still, there is a lot of work that needs to be done for improving the accuracy of these digital assistants which will further lead to more and more people shifting to voice-based search.

Visual Search Will Increase Further

The Internet has become more and more visually focussed in the last few years. There is an ample opportunity for exploring the complete potential of visual search. A few of the tech giants like Google, Bing, and Pinterest have invested in powerful visual search engines in order to capitalize on this trend. Rich visuals are the way to go for engaging your visitors and move ahead of your competitors in 2018. The visual content needs to be optimized for the SEO purposes.

Personalized Search Results

The search results which are offered are personalized with respect to the users on the basis of their specific requirements. The results which are showcased to the users are on the basis of the search history, location and the interests of the users. When a user fires a particular search query on your website then the site will become the preferred choice for similar queries. This will be viewed by the search engines your website on top for these people and their related queries. 

Utilize the Different SERP Features

Just getting a higher rank in the search results will not be sufficient for a website to generate leads. There are quite a few new SERP features like rich snippets, universal results, knowledge graph which are an important part of the search results. By targeting these features you will definitely be able to get more conversions for your business. Relying on a set of strategies will not be sufficient for generating positive results in the long run. 

Mobile SEO

Most of the people these days are addicted to their mobile phones or smartphones. There is nothing wrong in saying that mobile devices have overtaken the traditional computers or laptops as the preferred choice of device. In 2018, this trend is only going to increase further. So, it is vital that you start working towards it. Mobile SEO is on the top of the priority list of SEO experts all over the globe. A few of the best practices which can be adopted in this respect include leveraging browser caching, having a mobile-friendly design of your website, reducing redirects for boosting the speed of a page etc.

Link Building Is Here to Stay

Link building is a term which you would be aware of if you have implemented the SEO of a website. Come 2018, link building will become more important than ever for a business. However, in the coming time importance will be given to the quality of the links than their number. The link that your business website gets should build its authority and add value to its target niche. Link building is an important aspect of relationship and contact building strategy of businesses in 2018. One challenge which most businesses face is the inclusion of guest blogs in the link building strategy without denting the reputation of a business. Instead of relying solely on guest posting you need to devise a diversified link building strategy.

Faster a Website Loads the Better It Is

The load speed of a website has been one of the pivotal factors for the success of a website. A website which loads slow impacts its rankings and also spoils the whole user experience. Online visitors do not compromise with low page load speeds and start looking for other better and faster options. It becomes crucial that you adopt some measures and remove all those factors which are slowing down a website. 

Emphasis on Social Media and Content Marketing

Business owners are moving over the traditional ways of marketing and adopting the digital ones. Social media and content marketing is one which will be laid emphasis upon. The way you present and market your content also plays a crucial role apart from its quality factor. Usage of infographics, incorporating videos are a great way to market a content.

The number of social media users is at an all-time high. These users will only increase in 2018. These platforms are a great source of generating direct traffic on your website. All the big business rely on them for getting traffic.

Quality of Content Cannot be Neglected

There have been numerous blogs and articles which have written showcasing the importance of content for a website. This is not going to change in 2018 and more importance will be given to the quality of content. The content that is displayed on a website must be such which engages the visitors and offers them wholesome information. The content must be unique and thought-provoking which will make more and more visitors come to the website and will naturally be ranked higher by Google.

Summing Up

After going through all the trends which have been highlighted in this post it is sure that the dimension of SEO is going to change in 2018. Traditional techniques still hold equal importance but it is vital that new SEO techniques and strategies are adopted by businesses.

I hope that all the information mentioned in this post will prove to be valuable for you. Looking forward to your positive feedback about the article in the comments section below.

Author Bio:

Sarah Clarke is the writer here. She has been working with Media Fortress for over 4 years as an SEO Expert. Media Fortress is one of the best search engine optimisation Company in Brisbane. If you have a business website then you could do a lot by listening to some of what Sarah has to say.