2016 Web Predictions - Changes to SEO

By Chloe Mark | December 2015

In digital marketing it can sometimes feel like there's no way to keep up with SEO. Just when you think your recent content has been optimized and will show up on search results, there's a new factor that lessens its influence.

Thank goodness that we have experts, like ArcStone's marketing manager Joli, to keep us in the know, and even give us some insight into next year's updates. Read on for my interview with Joli and some of her predictions for what changes we can expect for SEO in 2016.

changes-to-SEO.jpg

 

What will be the biggest change to SEO in 2016?

Joli suggested content will be even more creative as brands try to make users' experiences more personalized. She emphasized how content will be the main way brands can advance UX. There are so many potential forms of content that can cater to many different individuals' preferences. 

What's especially notable about Joli's prediction is her point that this constant improvement in content also results in an increase in users' expectations. The norm will be...

"finding the content they need / want when they first land on a website... The huge boom in content we’ve been experiencing will keep trending toward tailored, well-written, well-thought-out content, instead of the 'we just need to put something up' attitude."

Do you predict a greater use of social media posts in search results for 2016?

With the boost in social media's importance and the ever-increasing influx of posts, Joli predicts, "it’ll get harder and harder to reach people / followers with organic social content." As a result, paid ads and sponsored posts will also take on greater importance in order for your posts to show up in front of users. 

As for the shift towards voice search, how will this continue to affect SEO?

The biggest shift we're seeing for content is, "away from keywords toward topics, questions and phrases in search." For more on staying on top of SEO, read Joli's Modern Keyword Strategy Guide.

And what about Bing? Will other search engines stay or fade away?

Overall, Joli asserts they'll never be a real force of competition for Google. "They continue grabbing small shares of search queries, and we shouldn’t discount them entirely when performing web marketing campaigns, but they’ll stay with that small percentage of queries." This will remain unless, as Joli put it, "Google screws up really, really badly."

What are some resources to stay on top of SEO for 2016?

Joli's favs:

For more on 2016 web predictions take a look at my interview with our web designer and one with our video producer. You can also download our free ebook below to be aware of 10 common SEO mistakes.

Topics: Digital Marketing