With a new year come resolutions that we vow to uphold. This year, instead of promising yourself that you’ll hit the gym more and then stop going after the second week of January, why not make a resolution that’ll better your business? As a business owner, you probably already understand how important SEO is, and following these trends will help to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy for 2017.

Related Keywords

The industry is always changing, and it can be tough to keep up. In the past, you may have continuously repeated particular keyword phrases throughout a post or a page however; for 2017, it’s time to scrap that behavior.

Instead of overusing keywords, optimize each post by working your main keyword phrase and related terms naturally into your content. To give your post an extra boost, you can use your main keyword in the header image’s alt and title text. You can also use Google AdWords Keyword Planner to get estimates based on keyword usage, and better help you narrow down which keyword phrases to use.

Be Mobile-friendly

It’s all about mobile optimization and mobile speed. If you have a web design that isn’t mobile responsive, you’re missing out on potential customers. Of course, it’s more than just the design of your website that’s important; it needs to be functional as well. Making sure that your website is both mobile-friendly and running at its best possible speed will ensure that it’s a hit with search engine crawlers and users alike.

Take a Conversion-focused Approach

Rankings are great, but for 2017, it’s time to stop focusing on them as if they’re the end-all-be-all in determining if your SEO strategy is working. It’s no longer about being #1 for the keyword phrase with the highest search volume, but more about being #1 (organically or paid) for the keyword phrase with the highest search volume that will get you conversions.

Using a conversion-focused approach will up your site’s quality across the board. The endgame of yesteryear was to get a link; the endgame for your 2017 strategy is to get a potential customer into your sales funnel.

As always, pay attention to Google Webmaster Guidelines to make sure you’re staying within compliance with your strategy, and use Google Analytics and Search Console to keep an eye on your site’s health. And finally, don’t assume success; use goals in Google Analytics to check out which pages on your site have ultimately assisted in conversion.

Have a happy and successful new year!