We can talk about playing the Google game, but we all know it’s more serious than that. Google rankings matter ... a lot. And while Google will never reveal all of its secret algorithm, those of us in the know can help you stay on top of best Google practices both now and in the future. For over 18 years, I’ve been working with clients across the world, helping them secure and maintain top SEO rankings. I have seen it all. SEO is a key component of successful websites and a necessary strategy to drive business goals. I’ve spent some time gazing into my crystal ball and here’s what I foresee.
Google Generalities
An overview for those of you who aren’t Google professionals: It’s important to understand a bit about how Google ranks pages. Fresh, relevant, authentic content is a must. While you can try to game the system by paying someone to spin one article into dozens, what matters more is content that’s actually useful -- to real people.
Why does relevant content matter so much? Because Google’s RankBrain AI factors in dwell time when evaluating websites. The longer a user spends on your page, the higher it will rank. RankBrain also factors in click-through rate (CTR), assuming that when your website or page comes up for given search terms and a user clicks through, that your page is more relevant than others.
But in addition to building a quality site with relevant, fresh content, there’s more to your Google ranking than just the basics.
Mobile-First Indexing
We’ve known it was coming, and now it’s here. Google started transitioning some websites in late 2017, and more will follow. What is mobile-first indexing? If you have two versions of your website, a desktop version and another that’s optimized for mobile, Google used to default to the desktop version. Those days are drawing to a close.
For years, more people used desktops to search for articles and posts than mobile. Not anymore. According to Hitwise research, roughly 60% of searches are conducted on mobile devices, with some categories as high as 72%.
What does that mean for you? You need a great mobile site. If you’re concerned about your website, Google has created a handy tool to let you know if your site is mobile-friendly.
Speed Update
Beginning in July 2018, Google will begin downranking websites that load slowly. That means if your website doesn’t perform well, you risk losing your valuable ranking. Google is careful to explain that they expect the speed update to affect a small number of pages, and they point to a few tools that may help you evaluate your site’s performance. Check out PageSpeed Insights to take a look at how your site fares.
SSL Certificates
In a move that will call user attention to website security, Google also plans a July 2018 update for sites without an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate. SSLs encrypt data between a web server and a browser, and sites that have SSLs are designated by HTTPS, rather than HTTP.
Beginning in July 2018, HTTP sites will be clearly marked as not secure by Google Chrome, a move that will certainly encourage wary users to select other, more secure sites. Sites without SSLs are likely to fall in Google rankings.
Voice Searches
Just as mobile searches are rapidly increasing, so are voice searches. And with Siri, Google Home and Alexa competing for market share, there’s no doubt voice searches will continue to grow.
Voice searches change the SEO game a bit, in part because voice search terms are likely to be both more conversational and longer than typed searches. Additionally, voice searches are more likely to be in the form of a question, so pages that contain that question are likely to show up first. Tweaking your content to use more conversational language and include questions and answers can boost rankings for voice searches.
Another huge component of voice searches is that many of them focus on location -- typically, the location of the user at the time of the search. For brick-and-mortar businesses, including not just your address but also your neighborhood and relevant location descriptors can make your site more valuable and popular for voice searches.
Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are one strategy Google employs to deliver concise, relevant answers to searchers’ questions. You know what they look like -- they’re the answers in little boxes that appear at the top of Google search results.
Featured snippets dramatically increase click-through-rate. While the magic required to get your website to appear as a featured snippet for a given search query is complex, there are a few strategies even a novice can apply.
Like you would for voice searches, including both common questions and answers that might bring users to your site can help. Including keywords in the headings of your pages can also help bring your content up as a featured snippet. To learn more about featured snippets, check out Google’s guide here.
Sure, I realize that Google isn’t the only search game on the planet. But just in case you think you can afford to ignore your Google game, consider this statistic: In this past year, Google captured 72.8% of the search engine market share. You can’t ignore its power.
