Over the past year search has seen a range of dramatic changes taking place across the industry, with websites both large and small being affected by changes in both algorithms and accepted norms.

But what should we expect to see in 2018?

Mobile will almost definitely be first

Google has been discussing the Mobile-First Index for a long time, and experts are certain that it will fully roll out sometime in early 2018.

This should come as no surprise, as in 2017, mobile overtook desktop in digital ad sales generated by impressions and clicks.

This means that websites will need to be optimised for mobile come 2018, and not just be mobile friendly.

We’ll be publishing a small series of blogs to discuss what websites need to do in order to prepare for the Mobile-First Index in 2018

We’ll see more SERP features

There’s no doubt that SERP features have been on the rise during the past 12 months, and the way things are looking, it’s likely that this is to increase throughout 2018.

This means of course that we’re seeing less results appear in the traditional search results, but there are things you can do about it, like monitoring the features that are appearing in important keyword searches that you rank for.

Based on a little research, you can analyse any opportunities that are available within relevant SERP features.

More companies will be looking into international search

Over the past 12 months we’ve witnessed and worked with small but expanding companies wanting to spread their wings to search based results for other countries.

Interestingly, in light of the current economic climate, we’ve seen countries take great interest in search engines in Russia, China, and Japan.

This means that more companies are and will be optimising their websites for both audiences and search engines that were once considered niche or alternative.

A little while back we wrote about international search, and how companies need to be looking further afield in order to broaden their horizons and global reach.

You can check it out here.

Digital transformation will matter like never before

Modernisation must occur across all businesses if they want to succeed in a digital landscape.

Now more than ever, large institutions, public organisations, and manufacturers are dipping their fingers into digital and transforming their physical structures to adhere to an online marketplace.

It’s therefore expected that more SMEs and local businesses with no previous experience of search will be turning to the industry in order to maximise their potential in the marketplace.

Like international search, we discussed digital transformation in-depth earlier in the year.

If you would like to discuss SEO in 2018, and how you might need to prepare your website, give us a call on 0113 460 5671.