Staying on top of the ever-changing world of SEO can be challenging. Just when you finally get the hang of one SEO strategy, you discover that it's either outdated or has been banned by Google entirely.
Long gone are the days when we based our decision to buy something on an advertisement we saw in the newspaper. Consumers of today want human interaction. They want to be part of the conversation with their favorite brands and the easiest way to do that is online. With 2016 quickly coming to an end, 2017 seems to be shaping to be the year of user experience.
Mobile phones have already made their mark in 2016 with 90 percent of the U.S. market using them for online searches. With Web technologies changing so rapidly, your site needs to entertain and be highly responsive. Consumers of today are constantly moving, so easy access to phone numbers, hours of operation and driving directions are a must.
The written word may be king, but interaction with possible customers is what makes the cashier register ring. Consumers want their voices heard. Think interactive quizzes, animated GIFs and videos to turn prospects into returning customers.
With Google allowing more characters in meta titles and descriptions, 2017 will be a time to make huge changes to secure high ranking in the SERPs. For example:
● Marketers need to continue using main keywords at the beginning of the title and meta description in the event they are restricted to original character limits.
● Increase meta descriptions so they don't get buried beneath ones with longer limits.
● Extra space is great for expanding descriptions.
If you're not familiar with the term, there's no better time than now to find out what Schema is all about. Simply put, it's the structured data that's formatted in such a way that it's universally understood. This means that search engines are able to find your web pages more easily than ever before. In addition, Schema allows search engines to return results that users will find more educational and useful.
[Related Post]: Heads Up! What to Expect? 2017 Content Marketing Trends
No doubt that SEO in 2017 will be just as exciting as in years gone by. Brands need to make the most of their time now. However, their focus should be on ways they can make their websites stronger for the trends of the future.
Charles Atkin is a researcher and blogger with experience writing on multiple topics including SEO, AdWords, PPC, and more. He is currently writing for Saba SEO, a trusted San Diego SEO company.