In 2017, the digital marketing landscape underwent significant shifts impacting SEO strategies for U.S. businesses. The available data indicates a growing emphasis on technical SEO, content quality aligned with user intent, and adaptation to new search modalities like voice commands. Location marketing and a holistic approach to user experience were also identified as key areas for improvement. The data suggests a move away from solely focusing on keyword strings toward understanding “things” – real-world entities and their relationships – as search engines evolved. Furthermore, the importance of measuring and analyzing SEO performance through comprehensive analytics was repeatedly highlighted.
The Rise of Entities and Technical SEO
A central theme emerging from the source materials is the increasing importance of technical SEO and the shift towards understanding search as relating to “things, not strings.” This signifies a move by search engines to prioritize real-world entities and the connections between them, a trend building since the 2012 launch of the Google Knowledge Graph. The data indicates that SEOs needed to focus on linked data and the technical aspects enabling search engines to interpret these relationships.
The materials emphasize that a technically sound website was no longer a “like-to-have” but a necessity for ranking. Specifically, the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project was cited as crucial for mobile ranking performance. Sites not optimized for mobile were predicted to experience a “dramatic decrease in organic traffic.” UI and UX were also flagged as critical areas for monitoring, with bounce rate and pages per session serving as key performance indicators. The data suggests that Google was looking “deeper at your visitors’ experience with your site.”
Content Strategy: Authority, Relevance, and User Intent
The source materials consistently underscore the need for high-quality, relevant content. Businesses were advised to hire experts to create content, aligning expertise with the subject matter. For example, a gaming company should engage real gamers, and a B2B company should utilize marketing or business experts. This approach was believed to result in content that naturally addresses user interests and provides “real value.”
Data-driven content creation was also recommended, utilizing tools like Answerthepublic.com, Google Keyword Planner, keyword.io, and ubersuggest.io to identify user needs and address gaps in existing content. The data suggests that content should be current and responsive to trending topics. Furthermore, the materials indicate a growing focus on delivering value not just on homepages, but also on product and category pages, as e-commerce continued to expand.
The data also points to a need for condensed content, optimized for quick viewing on mobile devices. This required collaboration between web designers and content developers to deliver a unified message through headlines, CTAs, graphics, and infographics.
Adapting to New Search Interfaces: Voice and Platform Diversification
The sources highlight the emergence of new search interfaces, specifically voice search via devices like the Amazon Echo. This predicted an increase in verbal search queries and the need to adapt SEO strategies accordingly. Beyond Google, the data suggests businesses needed to optimize for search within platforms like Facebook, Medium, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger, recognizing that user search behavior was diversifying.
The materials also note that each social media platform has its own unique voice and user-generated content style, requiring tailored approaches for each platform. A strategy successful on Facebook might not be equally effective on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Local SEO and Location Marketing
Location marketing was identified as a growing area in 2017, driven in part by companies like Yext. The data suggests that local SEO was evolving beyond a solely SEO-team responsibility, requiring contributions from the wider business. Improved analytics from platforms like Yext and Google were enabling better tracking of online and in-store sales, and the UK market was predicted to increase investment in location marketing to match the U.S. level.
Measuring and Analyzing SEO Performance
The importance of measuring and analyzing SEO success was repeatedly emphasized. Businesses were advised to use analytics tools to compare traffic before and after implementing changes, measuring all free traffic sources, not just organic search. Key metrics to monitor included bounce rates, scroll depth, click-through rates on images and links, and subscription rates. The data suggests that brands should actively promote their content and earn links by establishing authority and providing high-quality information. Navigation was also identified as a crucial element of user experience, potentially requiring input from UX experts and developers.
The Evolving Role of Backlinks and Social Shares
The data suggests a potential shift in the relative importance of ranking factors. While not dismissing backlinks entirely, the materials indicate that the quality of content itself was becoming more important, potentially leading to a slight decrease in the value of outside variables like backlinks and social shares. This shift was attributed to advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, enabling search engines to better understand content in a manner similar to human evaluation. This development was expected to allow smaller blogs and startups to compete more effectively with larger publications by focusing on creating in-depth, detailed content.
Increased Competition and the Maturing Search Landscape
The sources acknowledge a more competitive search landscape in 2017. The increasing prominence of search ads, including larger ad formats and ads in local results, contributed to this competition. The data suggests that SEO for commercial keywords was becoming increasingly difficult, particularly for newcomers in a crowded online marketplace. The materials indicate that the majority of businesses were already online, creating a “hustling and bustling” environment.
Conclusion
The data from 2017 paints a picture of a maturing search landscape demanding a more holistic and technically proficient approach to SEO. The emphasis shifted from simple keyword optimization to understanding user intent, building authority through high-quality content, and adapting to new search interfaces like voice and platform-specific search. Technical SEO, particularly mobile optimization and site speed, became paramount. Location marketing gained prominence, and a data-driven approach to measurement and analysis was essential for success. The overall trend indicated a move towards rewarding websites that provide the best user experience and deliver genuine value to their audience.