SEO Marketing 2018: Top Trends to Focus On

In the world of search engine optimization, 2017 was a busy year in terms of an increase in voice search and stricter rules for AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). In 2018, there have been some more exciting developments that you can adopt to stay ahead of your competitors. Read on to keep up with the latest SEO marketing trends.

Personalized search results

Personalized search results have been steadily developing over the past few years and are taking center stage in 2018. Whether it’s browser cookies, individual search history, location, or interests, Google has emphasized the importance of personalizing the SERPs (search engine results). pages) for individuals. Personalization is expected to continue to be the focus thanks to the proliferation of smart speakers and other similar technological advances. As this makes it a daunting task for businesses to determine how they rank or what they rank for, more and more businesses are turning to a professional SEO marketing agency for help.

Enhanced image and video search

Videos and images have featured heavily in online interactions in recent years. Faster internet speed and social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are some of the factors that contribute to this, leading to more engagement. To keep pace with the improved engagement, Google and other search engines have been changing the way videos and images appear in search results. Although SEO marketing with videos and images is challenging, you get a high return on investment.

Voice search is gaining ground

In 2018, the sale of smart speakers, such as Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo and Google Home, continues to increase. This is making voice search grow in importance. Instead of typing a search query on mobile or desktop, users can now save time and use their voice to get the search results they are looking for. However, voice search queries are very different from typed search queries. To stay up to date, you need to make sure that the keywords or phrases used sound as natural as possible.

The rise of hyperlocal marketing

Hyperlocal marketing took off in 2017 as a way to target audiences close to one’s business. Thanks to technological advances, it is now possible to address the local community much more closely. In fact, it can even target individuals by analyzing user behavior, purchase history, location, interests, etc. Therefore, you need to pay attention to your local SEO efforts to grow your brand locally.

Knowledge Graph prevalence

Google’s knowledge graph has been around since 2012, but it only recently began to replace featured snippets when web users ask questions. Compared to featured snippets that include a summary taken from a web page, along with the link to the page, knowledge graphs give users much more. For example, if you search for a movie, the results will not only show you the usual summary, but also information about the movie’s actors, movie times, theaters, the movie’s social media pages, and so on. Since knowledge graphs provide users with more information than they entered into Google search, featured snippets are increasingly being replaced to give users a great search experience.

Go beyond Google

Google is undoubtedly the dominant search engine and needs to optimize its web pages according to its algorithms. But not everyone uses Google and you can’t rely on just one source for search engine traffic. Also, search engines like Yahoo and Bing have a high conversion rate. Therefore, optimize your web pages for Google as well as other search engines.

Stay ahead of your competitors by implementing the aforementioned SEO marketing trends. If you require more information, contact recognized professionals who offer SEO services.