2015 content predictions

It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys are being prepped. New Year’s celebrations are being planned. SEO content predictions are being made. We published a 2014 Social Media Guide at the start of the year that talked about new trends, solutions, and predictions. We covered social media and marketing trends to live by in 2014. Let’s take a moment to see just what panned out before we jump into a sneak peak of what we think 2015 SEO content will look like. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of 2014 Predictions can be like the weather, sometimes good, sometimes bad, and every so often, downright ugly! We are happy to report that our 2014 SEO content predictions didn’t mirror the weatherman, whose reports end up wrong or slightly off. In a nutshell, here’s what we predicted for SEO content in 2014: Audience engagement and an in-depth understanding of your audience would be vital. Social media would grow in leaps and bounds becoming even more crucial to your SEO. Mobile optimization would be a must. Predictive tools would begin to replace analytical tools. Facebook video ads, Twitter ads, and possible G+ ads would start to be incorporated in marketing strategies. Video and mobile marketing would skyrocket. Offline material would be just as important as online and would need to lead people to your virtual doorstep. Easy to understand SEO best practices would be adopted. A social media strategy would be vital to lead generation and audience engagement. Engagement and inspiration would become the cornerstone on successful online presences. 2014 predictions the Internet over hung on the idea that social media would explode. Consumer engagement would radically determine success. And there would be a migration from best desktop display practices to mobile readership. Check out the growth social media saw in 2014: by Digital Insights Image Source: DigitalInsights.com There’s no denying that our predictions were spot on. 2014 has been the Year of the User. From algorithm updates to content creation, everything we’ve done has been based on what our target audience wants and needs. Those of us who created and stuck to a strong content plan, coupled with social media, audience engagement, mobile optimization, and SEO best practices have reaped the rewards. Facebook advertising and the takeover of predictive tools phased out, but everything else came true. Based on what has worked and what has changed, what is in store for 2015? What should we be planning, and what trends should we watch? What to Expect in 2015 2015 is shaping up to be a great year for SEO content. And there’s awesome news in the air. SEO best practices got a lot simpler in 2014, and they’re looking to get even simpler in 2015. In fact, we dare to say SEO is on its way to becoming as simple as the production of high quality, amazing content. End of story. Okay, it’s not really the end. It’s never the end. But 2015 is gearing up to be the year of local search, organic ranking, natural writing, great storytelling, and some data and analytics thrown in for good measure. Let’s break down what to expect in the New Year. Content Will Reign Supreme Content has rapidly become an all-encompassing term. At its core is expertly crafted copy that speaks to the reader. It incorporates great storytelling, research, backed statements and facts, calls to action, and humanization. It’s neither simple nor impossible to create. And it will reign supreme in 2015. We predict that content will become the new face of SEO. It will be at the core of everything we do, and it will organically build rankings. It will be the best SEO practice, a timeless optimization tool that will never go out of style. What’s more, it comes in a variety of forms. There’s no such thing as black and white content. It comes in every form possible. And as we step into the New Year, here are some content ideas to contemplate: Create and manage a blog, if you aren’t already. Repurpose your content into new mediums like infographics and videos. Expand into content types that are friendly for on-the-go audience members, like podcasts and videos. Blast newsworthy press about your company to the media via a press release. Mobile Traffic Will Invade Epicnewmedia.co.uk predicts that mobile will be king in 2015, and we have to agree. We saw an epic boom in mobile traffic and search in 2014. The predicted migration happened, and you’re the proof. Just stop and think about how many times you use for mobile device—whether phone or tablet—to conduct an Internet search or check out a recommended website. We use our mobile devices to stream and track content of interest. We’re practically chomping at the bit to check in on our social media. Mobile traffic will invade in 2015, staking a permanent claim to SEO. In other words, mobile searches are about to overrun desktop. If you’re one of the thousands of businesses still ignoring mobile content, it’s time to change. If you don’t, you’re in for a sobering experience. Currently, 48 percent of users who land on a business website that doesn’t perform on mobile take it as an indication that the business just doesn’t care. We predict this percentage to grow in 2015. Ignore mobile traffic needs, and you’re setting your business up failure. Be Social or Die Here’s the thing; Google uses social media to rank your website. In fact, social media affects your SEO in numerous ways: Social sharing equates to link building. Link building has always been crucial to SEO. The more social sharing you receive, the more potential there is for an inbound link. Social sharing equates to activity and authority. The more your content is shared over social media, the more activity Google sees. As more people share, comment on, and discuss your content, Google takes note. Before you know it, you’re seen as an authority. Google gauges the activity as something worthwhile, … Read more