Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

The Five Rising SEO Trends You Need To Master in 2017 The future of SEO involves artificial intelligence, machine learning and digital assistants.

By James Reynolds

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

The future of SEO involves artificial intelligence, machine learning and digital assistants. And also: voice search, irresistible content and personalized, really specific user experiences. In other words, we're seeing the rise of SEO that is intensely becoming both machine- and human-focused, in amazing, astounding ways.

Then again, here's the thing: search is always in evolution mode. It's shaped and reshaped by the constantly shifting needs and wants of humans. So its exact future is not precisely predictable. What we can (and must) do is to understand some key trends and patterns that indicate where the direction/s of SEO is heading.

It's important to ask, what are the movements that are reshaping SEO in 2017 and the years to come? The answers will clue you in on how your business will be transformed by these changes– and how you can lead transformation as well.

Based on industry developments, SEO experiments and our own experiences in the field, the following are the areas of potential impact that I believe SEOs, digital marketers and business owners need to master in 2017:

1. Moving forward to a mobile-first world

Google has long been emphasizing how important it is to make web content friendly for a mobile-first, cross-device, fast-moving audience. It's building a mobile-first index. It shows preference for mobile-friendly sites and strengthened mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMPs) are enjoying heightened visibility in search results.

And with statistics showing that more than half of global web traffic now comes from mobile users, it looks like there is no turning back. Your digital strategy needs to consider the multiple devices, channels and formats your customers are using.

2. Machine learning x SEO

Google queries are filtered by its sophisticated artificial intelligence system called RankBrain. Right now, RankBrain is also one of the most important ranking signals used to rank search results. With AI, Google is able to understand and learn about the content on each site faster and better than ever before

But here's where it becomes more interesting: AI doesn't just study the web when doing its work. A major core of its learning is to study the human users as well. To make decisions, RankBrain is tracking, analyzing and interpreting the behavior of people using Google– what they type, what they click on, and even whether they like the content that they have chosen.

RankBrain is changing how search works because it's looking at the data, so it's looking at you and me as well. But isn't that how good SEO works?

3. Personal and predictive is the new normal

Voice search is no longer a novelty in many markets, while in others it still has a long way to go. But even without Google Home, there is no denying that search has become increasingly personalized and queries have become conversational.

Case in point: people are no longer typing "restaurants + location" when researching for their next dining adventure. Instead, "restaurants near me" is now the top query about that topic.

Thus, it pays to approach search as if you are a sophisticated digital personal assistant: efficient, more personal, intelligent and predictive. If you'd like your SEO to be future-ready, understand that user intent, context and history are everything.

4. The urgent need for content amplification

The more SEO becomes tech-dependent, the more it relies on content. Remember: you're dealing with a primarily on-the-go, information-hungry, but attention-deficit audience. At the same time, you're being reviewed by learning machines. So you'll need to engineer the structure, information and style of your content in a way that suits this hard-to-please duo.

So, provide solutions even before users reach your website- appear in Google's answer boxes, guest in other authority sites, be social. Explore other modes of engagement such as videos and images. Highlight your brand and your voice. Simply put, your content (and how you promote it) needs to be not only good, but incredibly awesome, irresistible, searchable and shareable.

5. Total user experience as the new currency

Mobile-first, machine learning, personalized, predictive search, content engineering- all these lead to one thing: building a more positive, authentic, meaningful and memorable experience for your users.

The main takeaway is old-fashioned, but refreshingly relevant: understand the people who matter most in your business. In this time of intelligent machines and smart algorithms, the only way to survive is to bank on SEO that's faster, better, more cutting-edge- and definitely more human.

Related: Infographic: Seven SEO Trends You Need To Know

James Reynolds

Founder, SEO Sherpa

James Reynolds is fanatical about all things search, social, and content on the web. James is the founder of SEO Sherpa, an organic search engine marketing agency servicing enterprise clients like Pretty Little Thing, Farfetch, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Nissan, Guinness World Records, and Bulletproof.

SEO Sherpa is the 2023 Global Search Awards Best Large SEO agency, and a three-time winner of the Best Large SEO Agency winner at the MENA Search Awards. In 2019, James was awarded the title of MENA Search Personality of the Year for his outstanding contribution to the search engine marketing industry.

James regularly shares content via his SEO blog, Twitter (@FollowJames), and LinkedIn and is a contributor to several leading publications, including Entrepreneur. James hosts the Click Jam inbound marketing event and mentors startup companies in his free time.

Business News

These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey

The survey also found that having a side hustle doubled as a path to becoming more employable.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Business News

Meta Fires Employee Making $400,000 Per Year Over a $25 Meal Voucher Issue

Other staff members were fired for the same reason, per a new report.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle I Discovered in College Is Earning $500,000 This Year — and It Can Be a Passive Income Stream. Here's How to Set It Up.

Zach Downey stumbled upon a lucrative opportunity after his plans to put a pizza vending machine on campus fell through.

Starting a Business

Five Startup Networks At Your Fingertips In The UAE

Five networks available in the UAE that can help you progress with your startup- through advice from experts to professional business services.