SEO is always changing, and by the end of 2016, we’ll be in an entirely new era of optimization.
SEO is subject to a ton of different fluctuations. New Google algorithm updates like Panda and Penguin, new technologies like social media apps, and new user preferences all dictate what ultimately succeeds in getting to the top of the search results. Keeping up with these changes is difficult even for the most experienced marketers, and trying to predict and anticipate those changes is even more so.
Fortunately, if you look at past patterns and current trends carefully, you can make a reasonable prediction about the near future of SEO—we certainly have. Keep watch for these five ways SEO will change by the end of next year:
- Only the best content will survive. Today, there’s a pretty big gap between “good” content and “meh” content—only a small fraction of all posts ever receive any links or shares. In 2016, that gap will only widen, as only the best of the best content will survive.
- New mediums will start to emerge. Social media apps like Facebook are flocking to virtual reality platforms like Oculus Rift, and new wearable technologies like the Apple Watch are starting to catch on. Expect to see brand new mediums of content emerge in the coming year.
- Social apps will start to dominate everything. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, and other apps are adding new features and expanding their territory like never before in a bid for online domination. Expect to see social apps affecting search engines and user behavior in brand new ways.
- Desktop will no longer matter. Desktop suffered a huge blow to mobile traffic in 2015, and the fight is nearly over. By the end of 2016, desktop search traffic will plummet to new lows, and only mobile sites will matter to search engine algorithms.
- Digital assistants will rise in importance. Digital assistants like Siri and Cortana will start to replace traditional search engines, and the way people interact with search will start to evolve accordingly.
2016 isn’t far away, which means you don’t have much longer to prepare for the transition. Nothing will revolutionize SEO from the ground up, but expect to see some ranking and traffic volatility as these new constructs make their way onto the scene.
