Each year we see SEO change in so many ways. Basic practices become penalties and rules of thumb turn into crossed fingers. That’s why SEO’s are some of the most adaptable people, quick to respond to Google’s latest algorithm and a client’s latest request. As long as the internet is around there will always be a need for SEOs and new tactics for page one rankings.

Next year will be no different. We’re all sitting on the edge of our seats as we wait for the next big surprise from Google. This year Mobilegeddon gained the most attention and 2016 may have something even bigger in store for SEOs. Take a look at the following predictions to see which update may take the front seat.

Page Speed Will Become More of an Issue

​Slow websites have always been an issue for both developers and browsers. Going into 2016, page speed will continue to affect rankings, performance, and overall user experience. Mobilegeddon will make page speed an even bigger factor in 2016 with increasing bounce rates on slow loading websites.

To help keep bounce rates low and conversions high, make sure each page on your website is optimized to meet Google’s Page Speed requirements. Run your URL through Google’s PageSpeed Insights to get a better idea of how your website is performing on both mobile and desktop and what areas your web developers can improve on. ​The Insights will give you feedback based on above and below-fold results for mobile and desktop, as well as the following:

• Large Image Files. Are your images optimized? There’s almost never a need for a 6000 x 4000 image file size on a basic business website. Decrease the file size and add an image description for SEO benefits.
• Heavy WordPress Themes. Are you using a WordPress theme? Depending upon the type of theme your website has installed, it may be slowing down the load time dramatically. Do thorough research on a theme before purchasing and installing on WordPress to ensure the extra features don’t cost extra time to load.
• Enable Compression. Enabling compression is another way to downsize a website and help improve load time. The gzip compression speeds up load times by reducing the amount of data used (great for mobile!) and the time it takes to download the resource. You can enable compression manually or by installing gzip compression plugins through a WordPress website. ​

More Search Will Be Performed By Siri

One of the quickest ways to get an answer now is through voice search on mobile. Voice search has become more and more advanced as people began relying on voice as their main mobile search. Google added voice search to their app, Apple invented Siri, and Microsoft created Cortana. Each of these companies provided an outlet where people can ask questions and communicate with a mobile “robot” for search on the go. It’s popularity is growing as fast as it’s accuracy is improving.

Google has enhanced it’s app so it can not only answer simple questions, but is now able to produce answers to complex questions, such as “How old was Mark Zuckerberg in the 2nd grade?”. The app is more likely to have answers to questions like this due to it’s new algorithms, which help generate time-based answers and understand more complicated keywords.

The beauty of this type of search is not only it’s speed and accuracy, but the type of keywords that are formed from vocalizing a question versus typing a question. These vocalized keywords have created a new form of keywords and search terms for bidding and optimization. They’ve also created the need for more complex search terms, which leads us into the next SEO prediction for 2016.

Keywords Become More Complicated

As search becomes more verbal and filled with complexity, SEO keywords have to match. Long gone are the days of simple 1-2 keyword search terms. Nowadays, SEOs need to conduct deeper research to discover more complex keyword terms and longtail keywords.

AuthorityLabs has a great tool that’s been able to keep up with the times as longtail takes over. Combining rankings, Google Analytics, volume, and competition data, AL is able to highlight new and important keyword opportunities. Keep track and easily add new, complex keywords to your rank tracking in 2016 so you know where you stand with your SEO efforts every day with AL.

More Mobile, Less Desktop

Mobile users are only growing as mobile search popularity grows, which means mobile ad spending, mobile conversions, app advancement, and mobile sales will increase with popularity. Fear not desktop users, there will still always be a need for desktop, but businesses need to fine-tune how a website or landing page looks on both desktop and mobile.

Instead of designing primarily for desktop, we need to rethink our layouts and design for mobile first, with desktop flexibility. This is especially important for mobile commerce. Make the mobile shopping experience simple, yet attractive for mobile users in 2016 with these tips:

• Design mobile-friendly images. Product images can’t be 4000 x 6000 for mobile commerce. Size images accordingly for mobile, without affecting the desktop experience. Display 3D examples and multiple angles of each product that users can scroll through on both mobile and desktop.
• Design mobile-friendly coupons. A user shouldn’t have to resize their screen by zooming out four times just to view a coupon. Create coupons that can easily be achieved from mobile, using promo codes or cut out coupons that fit mobile screens.
• Design mobile-friendly carts. The checkout process should be the quickest and simplest step of them all, especially on mobile. Give mobile users the ability to checkout quickly using one-click payment options like PayPal, Visa Checkout, or Google Wallet.

What do you think will happen to SEO in 2016? Comment with your predictions below!