We live in a time where practically for every question we have developed the habit of logging onto the Internet. Considering the current user behavior, SEO has become more relevant in getting quality traffic and boosting the brand image of a particular company more than it has ever been before. However anyone who has worked in this industry can vouch for the fact that the industry is a dynamic one where trends and predictions never seem to work and something new is being developed or launched every other day.

Here is a list of some of the top trends in the SEO industry which dominated the year 2016.

Google AMP

Google MP was hailed as a dynamic SEO software when it was rolled out in 2016 with the promise of delivering faster page loading speed for mobile sites which were heavy on content. There were some issues regarding compatibility with some sites, however web sites who have successfully implemented AMP have reported better visibility and more traffic from search engines. It is expected that AMP would continue to remain relevant in 2017.

Digital Assistant and Voice Search

Just like the rise in mobile content, search engine results were increasingly being dominated by voice search commands in 2016. This new development is good for the consumers but can be quite problematic for marketers. In order to maintain their current ranking, companies should now use words and phrases which are used in spoken language to optimize searches based on keywords.

Prominence of Social Content

Already 76% of marketers use Social Media to boost the ranking on search engines and the number is likely to rise in the coming years. The lines between web and social media in terms of SEO strategies have already become blur and very soon they might be completely obliterated.

Performance by Video Content

With the widespread availability of Wi-Fi connections in all major public places and increased access to high end smart phones, video sharing capabilities have increased by leaps and bound through various social media pages. Social media sites like Facebook have started ranking brands and companies who are using more video content higher for better visibility and promotion.

Long Content Divided Into Short Parts

Content is still the king in the SEO business; however a drastic change in presenting content was easily noticeable in the year 2016. The Search Engines giant Google prefers crisp and short content below 2000 words. Writers are advised to use short paragraphs and subheadings for more impact. Correct grammar and punctuation are more valued than stuffing keywords unnecessarily.

Local Content

Local content has been playing a major role in SEO since 2015 and their importance in the business of SEO is likely to continue. As more and more small businesses and local enterprises are embracing SEO, local search remains their best opportunity to stand out in the competition.

As far as SEO tools are concerned Google’s knowledge graph has played a big role in increasing the visibility of organic search results. On another interesting note Bing is predicted as the possible competitor of Google. This basically means SEO search has come to include mobile, voice, local, social and all other forms of relevant content.