Future of SEO & Content

In today's Search Engine Optimization world, content and user experience is still the undisputed king. Search engines, notably Google, have become so smart that it would be easy for them to determine if a particular website is providing real value to its users or if they are just optimizing on some set of keywords with rubbish content to rank better in the search results.

Now if your site is designed so badly that visitors are having trouble finding their way through it or if your content is written poorly, Google will know immediately, and the instant result would be an irrelevant spot in its search pages. But the same can be said with the opposite—if you make sure that your site is optimized for seamless use and navigation and its content is written with considerable quality, you will most likely enjoy a better ranking in Google.

While you can certainly find plenty of marketing predictions for SEO and content marketing in 2018, from various blogs and articles all over the net at this moment, we may have the perfect guide in place for you. Below are some of the most important predictions for this year and possibly beyond that you need to be aware of to ensure that your very own SEO & content marketing strategy is on the right track.

1. A broader spectrum of content is needed.

SEO & Content marketing has been experiencing a significant change in recent years and the companies that have enjoyed optimum success are those that have provided their users with a broad range of content.

Simply put, establishing a talented and professional writing team is just one crucial element that is needed to succeed in the field of content marketing in 2018. A much more extensive content strategy is required so you can satisfy the growing needs and demands of internet users and this entails bringing in an array of skills, knowledge, and talents for:

1. Creating and editing videos
2. Graphic art, design, and editing
3. Audio generation and improvement
4. Optimizing content for every possible format
5. Content advertising and disbursement
6. Content management and strategy implementation
7. Making accurate analysis, measurements, and summaries

Based on the latest trends and reports for content marketing in 2018, the majority of companies and parties that have been successful are those that utilize more than just one type of content in their marketing strategy. The more extensive your content and the better its quality, the more appealing it would be to consumers.

2. Transparency is crucial.

One of the most basic but important marketing predictions for SEO is transparency. Online users and consumers are increasingly becoming wary of misleading claims and empty promises from various brands, products, and services. The majority of potential customers would favor honest and reputable businesses and have become quite adept even in pinpointing "snake oil salesmen" and their fraudulent tactics.

And with numerous online watchdogs like the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) patrolling the online market from false claims and misplaced advertising practices, its best to seriously consider how your company will adhere to correct marketing strategies.

With that being said, the best SEO and content marketing strategy moving forward would be:

To make sure that any and all content that you generate is 100 percent transparent. Every content that you post should completely reveal who the involved parties are and all the other companies that it is advertising as well. As an example, including the statement, "In partnership with company X" or "In close participation with company Y" in your video ad would be ideal as it would allow viewers to determine if there are other parties behind the video promotion.

Constantly be updated with the latest advertising rules and regulations – Advertising rules and regulations can change from time to time so it would be wise to continuously become up to date in all of them. This way, you can ensure that all the SEO and marketing strategies and techniques that you are using are in complete compliance with the organizations that patrol the online marketing sphere particularly the ASB and FTC.

So you can earn and maintain the full trust and confidence of your customers, the next phase of content marketing in 2018 is to make sure that anything that you generate must be 100 percent transparent.

3. Customer experience and satisfaction is the most important factor.

If you try to summarize all the marketing predictions for SEO, it will all boil down to one word: CUSTOMERS. Every SEO and content marketing endeavor that you pursue should have the customer's experience and satisfaction in mind. This means generating a customer-centered content strategy that puts quality over quantity.

Always remember that you will no longer be generating content for an AI that follows a simple algorithm but for real people who have real needs, preferences, and concerns. And ironically, the more you shift your attention from ranking in Google to satisfying viewers and readers, the more the search engine will reward you with better search rankings.

With that being said, the single most important question that every marketer should ask themselves with regards to their SEO and content marketing strategy is this: How can we help customers?

Again, you are no longer creating content for Google, because the search engine is actually just doing its best to offer the optimum answer and solution to every problem and query users are asking online. Try to cater people's questions and concerns with the best content that you can come up with, whether it involves videos, informative and easy to comprehend blogs, graphic illustrations, or a combination of the three and you will surely enjoy considerable success.

You can certainly find a long list of marketing predictions for SEO from numerous blogs and experts in the field today. However, you can easily summarize all of them into a customer-driven strategy that offers a diverse range of content and values trust and transparency. As long as you put your customer's experience and satisfaction at heart, then you will be on the right track.

Written by: Jason Valasek, CEO of CloudLGS.