SEO Trends 2015: What You Need to Know
The world of SEO is constantly changing, and if you want your website to be competitive, you need to keep up. So what are some of the latest SEO trends? A recent study from Searchmetrics reveals some surprising insights into the world of SEO. The team at Searchmetrics looked at the top 30 search results for 10,000 keywords and 300,000 websites on Google in 2015, so suffice it to say they did their homework. What did they find? Keep on reading to find out.
SEO trends 2015
SEO Trends 2015: What You Need to Know
Google wants relevant content.
Google has gotten a lot better at finding content based on relevancy to the user’s search query. The search engine no longer relies on factors like keywords. Google has increased the amount of weight it puts on other ranking factors. Word count and Flesch readability in particular are becoming more important, with Google showing preference for longer texts that are easier to read. Content creators should place more emphasis on creating relevant, interesting content, structured in a user-friendly way.
Keywords aren’t what they used to be.
Interestingly, Searchmetrics found that “increasing numbers of high-ranking URLs are not using the corresponding keyword in the body or description.” They noted that while keywords are still important for good content, the content needs to be relevant and structured in order for keywords to have meaning.
Backlinks are also on the decline.
Backlinks used to be a huge part of the SEO strategy for any website. But it seems the importance of backlinks has been declining for some time now. While it’s unknown how much weight Google gives to backlinks in its rankings, the data suggest that backlinks no longer play the important role they used to, according to Searchmetrics.
Responsive design is important.
Mobilegeddon may not have been the juggernaut it was touted as, but have a mobile responsive design is likely to improve a site’s rankings. And as mobile use grows, this will only become more important.
A strong social media presence may provide a boost.
While Google says that a company’s social media presence doesn’t play a direct role in its site’s ranking, Searchmetrics’ data suggests that there is a relationship. “Social signals remain important for brand awareness and help to drive organic traffic to top ranking sites.
Searchmetrics white paper on SEO trends for 2015 is available for download here.
Search Engine Optimization from Adventure Web Interactive
While you might not have time to keep up with all the latest SEO trends, we make it our business to do exactly that. Talk to Adventure Web Interactive today to learn how we can help optimize your website to perform better in Google rankings. Call us at 410.788.7007!
