In the past few years, we have seen a seismic shift in search optimized content creation. As the blogging industry has grown up, so has the need for improved content that will be accessible by not only Google’s spiders, but also human beings who come to read the articles.
As content creators, we must start to anticipate what Google wants ahead of time.
5 Changes in the Future of Search Optimized Content
Responsive Design
Globally, 30% of all searches are now completed on mobile devices and tablets. This means if you want the best results for search engines, you need to have responsive websites. A responsive website changes to match the size of your browser in order to provide you with easy access to information whether you are on a 21 inch computer monitor or a 3 inch smartphone.
Not sure if your website is responsive? Open up your browser. Then shrink the browser size. If you need to scroll to the left or right to see all the content, then your site is not responsive. Check out sites like Google Plus and Mashable.
Matching Content to Your Audience
Content in the past was created to be evergreen. Something that would last for years, and sometimes decades. While evergreen content is still acceptable, content today needs to also fit the needs of your audience.
Increase in User Generated Content
Matching the content to your audience; however, is not enough. Instead, content in the future will need to include user generated input. Using tools like forums, surveys, and other collaborative content creation tools will help websites generate increased amounts of quality content on a site.
Structured Data
One of the big trends from Google has been semantic search. Semantic search attempts to combine human thought patterns with Google search. In order to do this, Google have come up with a structured data format that they want to see in blog posts. This structured data helps Google understand how to properly place an article.
Tools like the Structure Markup Helper and the Schema Creator by Raven help you create content that Google can read and then accurately place in front of the correct audience. A win-win for consumers looking to find the best content, Google for being a better intermediary, and content creators who get better targeted audience reading their information.
Following the Data
Looking at the future of content marketing and search engine optimization leads to one not so startling conclusion. We need to follow the data. It is the obvious solution, since being diligent with the data, gives us a better idea of how to get the most out of search engine positioning and traffic.
A Better Future for Search Engine Optimization
While some of the changes over the next year will be painful for content writers, in the end it will be a boon for quality writers everywhere.
Google forced all of us to follow a higher standard of excellence. If you are not sure that you can follow that standard of excellence, then you need to connect with a digital marketing agency that can convey the message your company wants to present. The right firm will understand that the future of search engine optimized content is about connecting to the human beings at the other end of your website.