SEO changed a lot during 2015, and it is set to keep changing in 2016 too, as Google looks to take advantage of changing trends in customer behaviour. The mantra of “evolve or decay” is something that is being repeated quite often in regards to SEO. Let’s take a look at the trajectory that Google is taking us on.
Organic Traffic and SEO
Traditionally, the top spot in the SERPs was the most important, and the one that generated the most organic clicks. This has changed, and today there are many other factors that influence the CTR of search results, including paid ads, rich snippets, knowledge graphs and more.
Rich Answers are Eating Your Traffic
Rich answers have started eating into the amount of traffic that the average website gets. Today, more than one third of all searches generate rich answers, so if you have a relatively simple question, you may be able to get an answer to it without leaving Google – and without giving traffic to any websites.
This is both a threat and an opportunity for webmasters, since Google will provide links to the websites that it pulls data for rich answers from. If you can become one of the sites that Google uses for rich answers, you could profit from this feature.
Local Matters
Local SEO is important, which is why it makes sense to hire a company doing web design in Taunton or elsewhere depending on your audience. Local knowledge, directory listings, maps and directions all play an important part in how well websites rank, as do things like mobile-friendliness and page loading times.
Most companies like www.somersetwebservices.co.uk, a firm providing web design in Taunton, and others elsewhere should be able to provide services tailored to a particular area.
Page speed is also an important ranking factor. The site that loads the fastest will outrank other websites every time – assuming everything else about the site is equal. If your site loads slowly, then Google will index fewer pages to begin with, and the longer the page takes to load, the fewer of those all-important mobile visitors (that are highly likely to convert to bricks and mortar visitors) will stick around.
If you want your website to remain competitive into 2016, you need to optimise in such a way that is mindful of the changing landscape of SEO.