Search engine optimization is integral to the online development of any business and for this reason every business house has to focus a considerable part of their energy on developing the best practices in this regard. While Google had been quite busy over the last year generating some of the most comprehensive algorithm updates, it is now time to evaluate what we have seen so far in this year’s SEO trends. Numerous online platforms specializing in SEO news & updates have been discussing the developments that have taken place so far this year, and it is time we do the same as well.
Increasing importance of Google Authorship
As more and more business houses are realizing the growing significance of Google Authorship, they are also taking the Author Rank even more seriously than they ever did before. This is so because Google has actually confirmed that they do use some type of Author Rank, particularly when it comes to ranking the in-depth articles. While at the end of last year we saw Google reducing the authorship snippets by around 15% to try and increase the number of click throughs only to the highest quality of content. This has led to the reduction of total number of overall search results that are being followed by authorship info as well as increased competition among the authors.
A tiered system can also be noticed when it comes to what is being displayed next to the search results. Some of the search results are getting displayed with their complete authorship details whereas others are simply accompanied by a byline. The factors that influence whether the authorship snippets are being included or whether tier is being used include trustworthiness and reputation of the authors and also the website where a particular content is being published.
New trends of guest blogging has emerged
Guest blogging was the most important buzzword for the previous year. Numerous online marketers and SEO professionals practiced posting social media blog & news to build links, credibility, brand authority as well as a number of other benefits. However, while blogging still continues to be a popular practice, the so-called bad blogs are losing their prominence and credibility day by day. Bad guest blogging is associated with the practice of coming up blogs for the sole reason of generating links. On the other hand, the main aims of good guest blogging include developing audience confidence and garnering a solid reputation through the creation of excellent content.
Content marketing is coming to the forefront of SEO practices
As days goes by, content marketing is becoming the principal method of SEO practice that is used for generating traffic. Marketers and business owners need to focus on developing content that is high on quality, is written with proper keyword research and focus on long-tail and topical keywords. However, companies should not just put in a number of keywords randomly and expect to do good business. They should be used appropriately wherever needed and should never look forced under any circumstances.