Search engine optimization is the key to making your website rank higher in the SERPs. The world of online digital marketing is evolving every day, and SEOs have to keep up with these changes by making sure their web properties are fully optimized.

In 2018, digital marketers must always have their fingers on the pulse of shifting trends, which is why we’re sharing the below tips to help you optimize your digital marketing campaigns and website.

2018 Optimization Tips For Digital Marketing and Website Optimization:

1. Increase your mobile optimization efforts

First and foremost, the most vital website trend this year is Googles ‘Mobile First’. So you must ensure that your website is optimized for mobile use and indexing.

For example, let’s say a beauty salon based in Akron and Cleveland optimizes its website for mobile use. When searchers in Akron or Cleveland type ‘nearby salon’ the business may be found in the local listings depending on its proximity to the searchers location.

More and more people are using their smartphones to browse the web, and your website must be prepared for these mobile visitors.

2. Consider Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

AMP makes it easy for publishers to develop mobile-friendly content and have it loaded instantly. It simply means that internet users will have a better experience online. The AMP initiative will give you more exposure and massively boost your site’s mobile performance and speed.

Basically, it minimizes large design elements on your web pages and you also get a nice AMP icon that tells millions of searchers that your website is compliant. If your website does not support AMP, you may be missing out on valuable prospects.

3. Video is now more important than ever

For all the viral and engaging content found online, whether it is a litter of kittens playing or a clever Ad featuring a dancing baby, there is always the element of video. With engaging videos, people will connect on a more deeper level and attach more importance to the media. If your visual content is interactive, your audience will take valuable action in terms of likes, sharing, etc.

Nowadays, small businesses are starting to leverage the power of videos on different social media networks like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. This strategy is paying off and will be more powerful this year than ever before.

Since mobile users are spending more time on their smartphones, it stands to reason that responsive videos will grow rapidly in popularity since this is the year of mobile-first brands.

4. Create personalized and customer-focused content

Content marketing is going to be one of the core elements of successful digital marketing strategies this year. As you devise a marketing plan, make sure that it is personalized to the user’s experience.

The key is to move away from traditional static content, to a more dynamic system that encourages user-generated content (UGC). With a UGC strategy, you can pinpoint what customers want and create content that will be more personalized.

For example, if a new visitor comes to your website, you want to show them a different message than what old timers can see. A standard welcome message will do, accompanied by some of your top engaging content.

Your existing users should have a more personalized experience, which should is geared towards customer retention. As you can see, a “one-size-fits-all” philosophy cannot work on your customer base. Creating a personalized experience will help increase communication and trust.

5. Use Influencers for social marketing

You can get a bunch of people to love your brand without having any interaction with your business. Influencer marketing was big in 2017 and will get bigger this year.

Positive word-of-mouth and brand awareness spreads like wildfire and can transform a social follower into a paying customer. You can engage your social community to create brand ambassadors from followers who trust your brand.

Although there are various ways to achieve this, the ideology still remains the same. Offering solutions that will solve peoples problems are one of the easiest ways to get a positive feedback and brand loyalty.

Acquiring a team of Influencers will be a valuable weapon in your SEO arsenal. It will create a snowball effect that can skyrocket your small business from obscurity to profitability.

6. Invest in great content

When it comes down to it, ranking in the SERP is really all about creating content that is awesome, unique and engaging. So how can you achieve this? Hire experienced writers who are not only able to produce unique and creative content but can also keep your audience engaged and happy.

The focus here is to produce and market content that will retain your customers. The value placed on your content should be high enough to prompt users to become return visitors and encourage them to share.

Content is still ‘KING’ in 2018 so you should invest in writers or set aside more of your time to create the best results. You want content that will facilitate healthy conversations and get your audience to trust you. Remember, every piece you place on your website should add value to your readers.

7. Engage users with micro-moments

A micro-moment is a digital marketing concept that will help you anticipate the needs of your users. These are small elements of your website that make a large impact on user experience.

Your website design can be used to increase engagement and encourage interaction when it intuitively guides users through the site. The ease of use will give them the power to adjust their experience as required.

For example: commenting on blogs, adjusting the volume on a video or podcast, liking a post etc., are a few micro-moments that will help your users interact with your website or services. They help users take action and shape their preferences.

2017 was an interesting year for digital marketing and we expect to see more changes this year. As user experiences, change and search algorithms cut out the unnecessary noise, the ranking will be even more challenging if SEO best practices are adhered to.

Engage more with your followers and produce relevant content so that you will be known as an authority in your industry.