SEO in 2018 just got a lot harder, but here's how to beat it

The SERP (Google Search Engine Results Page) has enhanced its capabilities and expanded its features including non traditional, organic indexed and ranked listings.

Pay-per-click advertising

The fact that paid Google Adwords and Google Shopping are higher ranked SERP features, pushing down organic results, is a sure sign that like Facebook, you need to start paying to be seen. 

Marketing Eye has for the past 14 years has never used paid advertising for our own brand. We have been consistently been ranked on the first page for all keywords in our focus markets but we know that things are changing, and so we too have to adapt to a new marketing paradigm that requires us to invest in our rankings. The free times are over and anyone who has relied on their traffic ocming from organic search needs to be on the front foot in diversifying traffic sources. Pay-per-click advertising, image SEO or optimising YouTube videos is all part of the parcel. 

Mobile searches

In 2015 mobile searches surpassed desktop searchges. One in five searches were voice-based in 2016, which is now paired with the use of smart speakers, taking the use of voice searches to a whole new level.

Keywords used need to be based on user behaviours for mobile devices, more so than for a desktop. 

Fake results

Google's RankBrain, an artificial intelligence-based tool that helps company's evaluate the relevance of search results, is closely aligned to a detective rather than the traditional traffic guard. Google is trying in earnst to get rid of all the fake results based on non-authentic reviews and tools. Unfortunately for marketers, there is no template for pleasing RankBrain because Google keeps its exact inputs closely guarded. However, writing in natural language rather than producing machine content, will be a big advantage for anyone wanting to play by RankBrain's rules - otherwise, you will be un-optimised.