4 SEO Trends To Keep An Eye On In 2018

So 2017 is over and you finally took the time and effort to get your business and its web pages SEO-friendly. But now 2018 is upon you and all the strategies you implemented are losing relevance as algorithms are being changed and the trends of SEO shift.

Was it all for naught?

Not at all. While those strategies may have depreciated in value, they do still hold value. But there will be some changes coming and you will need to be ready to adapt to stay relevant.

Many experts have brought their opinions to the table to try to estimate what some of those changes might be and the answers vary across a range as you might expect. But among those differences in opinion, one can see definitive commonalities between these predictions.

And those are the trends we wanted to tell you all about today!

So without further ado, the 4 SEO trends to keep an eye on in 2018.

The Surge In Voice Search Will Change The Way You Write Your Content

When Siri was first introduced to Apple products in 2011, many users found it to be an exciting innovation, but just as many people thought it was just a fun gimmick; not seeing its true value in the modern world. Who doesn’t enjoy making Siri say something inappropriate or having her try pronouncing a town name that even a master linguist would struggle with?

As the technology has improved, and Artificial Intelligence tech has been brought into our homes through devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home, we are seeing a huge surge in voice searches.

In fact, with the improvement in these systems, statistics show that voice search is now 92% accurate.

And thus, the need to optimize your content to match voice search requirements has never been more important than now.

According to statistics from Google, 55% of teens and 40% of adults use a voice search daily and that number is only climbing every year.



So how will this affect how you write your content and plan your keywords?

Well, for one thing, you will need to start writing in a more conversational style. The questions posed by people using voice search will be asked in a much more everyday style, so your content will need to match that tone.

Someone is much more likely to ask “Where can I get a coffee near me?” as opposed to writing “coffee near me”. So you will need to adapt to this shift in tone to ensure you are still getting the online traffic that your business needs.

Along with the shift to a conversational tone, there will be a greater emphasis on the relevance of your keywords and phrases to the content that it appears in. No more pushing key phrases into your content - what they call "keyword stuffing" -  just for the sake of the traffic it could provide.

In this way, it seems that SEO is starting to shift towards more of a traditional marketing style.

More so now than ever do you need to understand the customer; not understand the system.

The Reign Of Mobile Grows Stronger

While the AI trend is picking up steam like never before, the trend towards mobile has been on the rise for quite some time and seems to be coming to the point of no return.

According to stats released by Google, currently, over 50% of all searches are done through mobile devices.

If you have not already brought your business into the realm of mobile-friendliness, you should do that as soon as possible!



Search engines like Google are going to begin prioritizing mobile-friendly sites over those that lag behind in that area. So, to stay relevant, your website must be mobile-friendly.

Hand-in-hand with a mobile-first index will be a focus towards the speed at which your website loads. Google recommends a loading speed of 3 seconds or less. So the margin for error is razor thin.

To see how your website stacks up you can use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. And if it is not up to par, you will want to discuss your options with your web developer. And if you do not have one, it might be time to hire one!

Linkless Backlinks? Yes. You Read That Right.

For too long Google and other search engines have been trying to combat the manipulative manner in which businesses tend to build backlinks.

Too often these links are paid for or are placed on websites with little to no relevance to your business and the industry it operates in.

Because of this, they are now beginning to move away from link building and beginning to focus more intently on brand mentions.

How does this differ?

It’s quite simple. Brand mentions are exactly what they sound like: mentions of your brand on other websites and content that the search engine is able to locate in the text of your page.

They are simply links without the actual link.

Inevitably, this method will eventually be taken over by those that have found ways to cheat the system; exactly as it happened with link building.

But for now, it seems Google wants to see more brand mentions and fewer links.

Nothing Is More Important Than User Experience (UX)

This one is not exactly a new trend, as User Experience has always been a major factor in any search engines operations.

This does tie into some other aspects we mentioned earlier in this piece, like website loading speed and making sure your website is mobile-friendly. But it also encompasses so much more.

How is easy is your site to use? Will prospective customers be able to find the products they want without having to jump through tons of digital hoops?


One factor you may want to consider in ensuring your website is user-friendly is implementing features for customers to engage with, like review sections. Another way to promote engagement is to make sure your call-to-action buttons are easy to find and are attractive to the user.

Visual aspects like infographics and tasteful use of pictures also influence the UX greatly and are some things you will want to put some thought and effort in to.

So What Does This Mean For My Business In 2018?

None of these trends are exactly reinventing the wheel, and none of these are unexpected changes; as you could see the trends rising in popularity over recent years and it was inevitable they would rise to prominence in due time.

This can be all very overwhelming, especially as the trends are likely to change again in the near future. This is where having a specialized team like ours to manage your content and website SEO can be essential to ensuring your business and its website remain relevant and visible.