The Shifting Nature Of SEO: 3 Updates For 2017

SEO is the key to online marketing success, but if you’re going to earn top rankings you’ll need to keep up with shifting search engine requirements. In the past this has meant dropping keyword heavy text in favor of high-density, shorter posts, adapting to mobile requirements, and upgrading site security. In 2017, SEO upgrades will be impacted by the rise of AI, continued mobile advancements and more.

If you want to boost your page’s visibility this year, start refining your page to meet these 3 demands. By getting ahead of the curve you’ll find yourself at the top of the rankings.

Evaluate Your Keywords

Keywords have never gone entirely out of style in SEO; after all, they’re necessary to direct readers to your content and identify your website. However, Google is currently revamping how it handles keyword searches so that intent is a factor.

When creating and promoting content, look carefully at your keywords to determine what they’re doing in your text and if there are more effective terms you could be using. Don’t say you “bake cakes” if you want to be identified as a bakery. Instead, bill yourself as a bakery, a cafe – words that peg your site more accurately. This will be vital with the new search term algorithm.

Image Source: Pixabay

Boost Those Visuals

Because advancements in AI are improving search engine’s ability to analyze visual content, the SEO value of non-text content is increasing. In fact, Google tends to favor YouTube results over text, showing them at the top of the page.

Now that Google can draw content-based conclusions about visuals, you’ll want to increase the use images and videos on your website – but make sure they’re well aligned with your content. It can be tempting to use appealing, neutral-seeming visual content and stock photos on your site, but these won’t do you any favors in the world of SEO.

Emphasize Speed

Though Google has stated that they don’t rank pages based on their use of accelerated mobile pages (AMP), this year the site plans to display the AMP logo beside sites using the technology. This will likely have little impact on sites lower down the ranking list, but for those on the first page or two, sites featuring the AMP logo are more likely to draw user clicks than those without it. Using AMP is a way of pulling views without improving your ranking significantly.

Anyone running a business needs to keep their eyes peeled for SEO ranking system changes – they tend to arrive suddenly with little buffer for upgrades. However, if you’re already doing everything possible to make using your site a positive experience for clients – improving your mobile accessibility, reducing redirects, and building high quality, well-supported content – you’ll be ready for anything Google and its counterparts throw your way.