We all know that 2017 was a big year for the advancement of Search Engine Optimization. Since the internet is constantly changing, the tricks of the search engine world do the same thing. However, the team at Hozio knows that there will be some things that we will keep doing in order to make sure that your rankings stay as high as possible.
Content Is King
It remains absolutely true that your web content needs to be fresh, original, and current. Not enough can be said for this. Continue to provide relevant blog posts, pic updates, and useful tips relevant to the new year. Don’t be afraid to keep your content long form either. Some of the highest rankings come from websites that have posts of 1,000 words or more. There’s a reason that the Content King is still wearing the crown, and we don’t expect 2018 to change that.
Keep on, Keep on, Keep on Movin’!
It is an absolute fact that mobile devices are running the internet these days. Is your site as mobile responsive as it should be? Be sure that all of your sites and content are mobile friendly, and ready to get on the go with its users. There is a free tool on Google to make sure you are as mobile responsive as you can be, but remember that mobile friendliness is page specific. Each page may provide different results. Aside from making sure your site meets Google’s requirements, think about the mobile experience your site gives visitors versus your competitors’ sites. This can help you identify ways to improve your site going forward into 2018 and beyond. Compare your site to the following checklist to make sure your site is as modern, and mobile as possible:
- Focus on reducing your load times by simplifying code and removing unnecessary code
- Add Accelerated Mobile Pages to your site for increased speed
- Make sure your mobile user experience is engaging and easy to use
- Get rid of popups on your website and identify new ways to capture emails on smaller screens
The Competition Thickens!
Major search engines have been working on reducing the amount of time it takes a web surfer to get what they need through new search features. Shown at the top of search results, Featured Snippets, Quick Answers and other new search engine page features have started to reduce the available web space for websites to rank in search engines. While in the past there were consistently 10 results on the first page of search results, the past year saw a drop in available spots for websites. What does this mean for your site? Well, for one thing, you will be
competing with more websites for fewer top spots, and you need to consider how you can secure search engine result features to get as much traffic as you can. Looking at the year ahead, simply remember that your content should be more creative and specific with keyword research. Target the right information, find the right and most effective keywords, and you should be good to go. Do your best to be up to date on what your competitors are doing. Identify their results and see how you can expand on your own site. Look to as many sources as possible for keyword information. This will further help you target the right keywords in not only your content but your website optimization as well.
The SEO experts here at Hozio want you to get only the best results. One of our New Year’s Resolutions is to make sure we provide you the most accurate and timely updates on what is going on in the world of SEO. From our team to yours, here’s to a happy, healthy, and high ranking 2018!
