Evaluating 3 SEO Trends for 2016: Will They Last?

If you’ve been with our blog for a while now, you might have noticed how important staying up to date on SEO trends is. New information and techniques are constantly surfacing in the world of Search Engine Optimization. This blog post will give you our top 3 SEO trends for 2016 and whether or not we think they will last.

Trend #1: Video content will (continue to) dominate

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Would you rather read 750 words on how to put together the best birthday party celebration or watch an interesting tutorial on Youtube? Something tells me you chose the latter. I would, too. That’s because our brains are predisposed to visuals. There’s plenty of science to back it up, but that’s not why we’re here. We are here because it’s become essential for all businesses, especially small ones, to have quality visuals at their disposal. One important way to implement visuals is to create a Youtube channel for your business. Quality Youtube videos that engage and excite consumers can be time consuming to create, however, the payoff may make the time and effort worth it. According to Marketing Land, videos account for 62% of all searches on Google. That’s HUGE. What does this mean for you? If you are successful at creating great video content for your business, the chances of that content being seen will go way up, ultimately driving more traffic to your website, blog, etc.

So will this trend last? Absolutely. Our brain chemistry isn’t changing anytime soon, which means it will always be important to have quality video and visual content in your SEO arsenal.

Trend #2: Mobile optimization will become more important than desktop

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We are already seeing this trend in the business world. Consumers are no longer getting information in one place. Everything is on the go and in the palm of our hands. As a small business owner, if your company has a website, you must make sure that your website is optimized for mobile devices. According to this article on mobile marketing statistics by Smart Insights, consumers use mobile media 51% of the time, while desktop time rests at 49%. This makes it increasingly important that your website is optimized for mobile searching. Check out Emily’s post on Mobile SEO for tips on how to make your website mobile-friendly.

So will this trend last? Definitely. Mobile websites are only going to become increasingly important as time goes on. It’s quite possible that in a few years time, all websites will be optimized for mobile first, and any website that’s not will fade into obscurity. My prediction? Desktop will be virtually extinct in 5-10 years time and mobile will be the new way of defining “the web.”

Trend #3: Local search will become even more local

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This trend goes hand in hand with trend #2. We, as consumers, are always on the move. We have access to everything we could possibly want in the palm of our hands. Gone are the days when we researched where to eat before leaving the house. In an age of Yelp and Google Maps, it’s much easier to find food, attractions, shopping, etc. on the go. As a business owner, you will need to make sure Google and other search engines know exactly where you are so that you are present in location results. According to Search Engine Land, “local searches lead 50% of mobile visitors to visit stores within one day.” Some people, like Jayson DeMers in this Forbes article, predict that, rather than identifying businesses based on a state or region, we will begin to see search results based on street corners or neighborhoods.
So will this trend last? I don’t think so. In Mark Schaefer’s book, The Content Code, he talks about the misconception that people want a highly individualized feed of blog posts or content they would be interested in. He states that he likes seeing both sides of an argument as well as content he wouldn’t normally see if his feed was highly individualized. We, as humans, enjoy discovering new content. That’s how we find new and interesting ideas that can spur new thoughts or exciting ideas. It will always be important to be exposed to new things, regardless of immediate location.  While I would love to see what’s right around the corner from me, chances are I already know! If search results become too localized, I might risk overlooking a good business.

So there you have it! 3 of my top SEO trends in 2016 and whether or not I think they will pass the test of time. Leave a comment letting me know your thoughts or giving suggestions for more trends to talk about in a future post.