Many share the opinion that Canadians are humble and overly friendly people. They also say that the country is one of the most wired in the world. Several reports state that about 50% of the world’s population is not connected to the internet, but this is a different story in Canada. It is approximated that about 83% of Canadians access the internet. With that said, what about Canadian businesses? When it comes to online marketing and organic search, many businesses in the country have been a bit slow, but a good number have been promoting their brands online in recent years.
With SEO constantly evolving in Canada, businesses need to be updated on the latest emerging trends to be ahead of their competitors. Here are four major trends of Canadian SEO in 2016 that every successful business will have to follow and adapt to optimize their online marketing strategies.
1. The Rising Proliferation of Mobile Devices will continue
2013 saw the rise of mobile devices and many brands had to adopt the trend and optimize their sites across all platforms including tablets, smartphones and PCs. In 2016, the use of mobile phones will only continue to get better as the number of Canadians accessing online content and their favorite social networks through their mobile devices will increase, according to experts. Therefore, businesses will need to incorporate responsive web design strategies to ensure that their website pages will fit to any screen regardless of the device they use.
It is estimated that about 33% of mobile users in 2015, used smartphones to access the internet, and in 2016, that number soared to 56%. The use of mobile devices is the way of life in Canada, with 8 out of 10 smartphones users saying they always have it, and two-thirds saying they use theirs at least once every day.
2. Local SEO on search engines
With the use of mobile devices rising at a frantic pace in Canada, local search competition on different search engines will also be very crucial in 2016. This is because, no matter where people are located or are, whether at home or work or on the go, they will search for local information. Statistics show that in Canada, a third of searches is location specific, meaning that when a prospect is looking for a product or service, they will include the name of their location. Experts advise that it is very important for every business, whether small or medium-sized, to adopt online marketing strategies that incorporate the location of their business.
3. Importance of high quality content
With adjustments to Panda, Hummingbird and Penguin, it is expected that this will strengthen the link between SEO and high quality content. Google.ca will reward well researched content. High quality content will continue to be a very important trend in 2016 and a cornerstone for helping businesses rank highly with organic search results. Canadian businesses will need to publish more high quality videos, graphics, tutorials and white papers. This diversity in content will ensure that they are found in both image and video searches.
While many sites will be penalized by search engines due to poor quality content, those with valuable, original, reliable and relevant information will be highly rewarded. Experts advise that to become an authority in your business niche, it is important that you create content that has value and can increase links, drive traffic and improve your ranking.
4. Social media meets SEO
In the initial stages of social media marketing, the social media platform was considered a very separate entity from SEO. However, search engines have with time, considered social media activities for the generation of search results. According to a recent report, it is estimated that one in three Canadians won’t let a single day go by without checking into their favorite social media feeds. Additionally, 7 out of 10 internet users in the country declared that they regularly use their social media sites, logging on at least once in a month, representing a 6% rise compared to 2011.
Therefore, Canadian small sized, medium sized and large businesses will need to adjust their marketing strategies in 2016 to expand their customer base and turn their fans on social media platforms from prospective customers to buyers.
In Summary
In order to rank high in 2016, it is important that small and medium sized businesses in Canada hire an online marketing expert that not only keeps them up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry, but also knows how to design as well as implement search engine friendly strategies for the success of their websites. With countless number of SEO companies in Canada like Neueseo, your site can be more discoverable and sharable if you consider the services of these online marketing experts.
