Search Engine Optimisation analysis website Best SEO Companies gathered the opinions of 500 SEO specialists in a survey and compiled their answers into an intriguing report.

The report offers inside information around the industry's state and what working within SEO will be like in the future.

Here are some of the most exciting discoveries this report made.

SEO to become a more important marketing asset

75% of experts believe SEO will be more critical in the future. A similar report from business insight specialists The Manifest backs this. It states only 30% of small businesses have an SEO strategy, despite being vital to making your digital presence relevant to your target audience.

Experts understand that businesses will begin to realise the importance of SEO soon and begin to utilize SEO to gain a competitive advantage. This data also suggests now is the time for many businesses to embed SEO into their marketing strategy.

Quality content will become more valued by Google

When asked what Google would prioritize in the future, a majority of 46.2% said quality content. The findings are in line with Google's recently stated priorities for future updates, as the search engine urges users to make more useful and comprehensive pages for the future.

45% percent of respondents also believe Google will prioritize social shares in the future and provide more indirect links between search engines and social media.

Prepare for the impact of AI optimisation

Experts ranked AI optimization as the most effective and worthwhile SEO tactic. Respondents also predicted AI optimisation would be the essential tactic for SEO in five years. Over one-third of experts backed AI as the most valuable asset to achieve high-performing SEO.

Mobile optimisation was the second most valued tactic, with more customers and audiences using their smartphones to browse the internet daily. Responsive design is vital for your website to thrive across multiple devices.

How the experts stay up to date with SEO

SEO experts are using free online courses and training to learn about SEO and keep up to date with the thousands of changing algorithms and updates each year. 44.8% of respondents used free online courses and training to stay in the know. 42% also diversified their skill sets to adapt to the changing algorithms and updates.

The third most common option was to read news and blogs around SEO. A healthy mix of sources and methods to keep up to date with SEO seems to be the most common approach for these SEO experts.

To read the full report click here.

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