Russian SEO trends in 2015

Any business interested in succeeding in online marketing needs efficient SEO strategies. Therefore many companies all over the world invest money in development of a solid, SEO optimized web infrastructure. It is obvious that SEO tactics are cost-effective and they won’t lose their value in terms of global online marketing in the future.

The Russian online market can be referred to as a fast growing Internet giant that continues to provide opportunities for business promotion through search engine optimization.

However, it is increasingly challenging for most foreign companies in the Russian online market to translate business value into an effective SEO strategy and push their websites to the top of Russian search results. On top of all that, in 2015 the Russian online market will pose even more pitfalls for those who want to initiate SEO campaigns.

How the SEO in Russian market will look like in 2015?

In 2015 SEO services will become one of the most expensive sources for business promotion on the Russian web. SEO budgets will grow because of:

• tough requirements of search engines towards websites’ quality;
• complicated processes to get website traffic;
• strong competition for all business segments on the web;
• high cost of trusted and relevant links;
• high cost of valuable content.

To conduct SEO campaigns for the Russian market in 2015 let’s examine the following factors that will influence effectiveness of SEO efforts:

• Content.

  Content should be useful not only for search engines, but also for Internet users. In 2015 content will add even more value to website prominence than it has now. The tendency is that most Internet users are likely to search information before they make a decision. In other words, relevant, informative and engaging content is a key driver that brings users to your website and brings tangible value to your business through increased conversion rates.

  Therefore, texts should be interesting, compelling and user-oriented. To keep visitors engaged and encourage them to share information in social networks, it is important to produce fresh and regularly updated website content. In addition, the text structure should be easily readable (bullet points, active paragraph division, easy-to-read text blocks, etc.) and backed up with eye-catching headlines and an optimal number of keywords.

• Link building. Links will remain one of the crucial factors in SEO, but link earning process is oriented at a long-term perspective; therefore, it will be critical to select high-quality, trusted link sources. To take top ranking positions in Google and Yandex, links should be natural and thematically relevant; brand mentions are also critical. Such anchor texts as, for instance, “click here” or “read more” will generate more value than links that contain keywords. Besides, it is possible to use relevant forums, blogs and social networks to build a solid backlink profile.

1. Research of targeted audience. According to search engine statistics, about 80% of queries are unique. It means that in 2015 SEO specialists should explore mid-frequency and low-frequency queries. It will help online businesses take a leading marketplace in low-competitive segments.

1. Behavioral factors. If a company wants its website get ranked highly in search engines, it should regularly enhance behavioral factors. It means that it is necessary to track typical indicators connected with users’ behavior: depth of view, bounce rate, average time spent on a page. It is hard to fake this data; therefore, certain efforts should be aimed to attract more users with the help of clear website navigation, concise and laconic texts and other things that might help users search on the website.   

1. Social factors. Search engines give special attention to social networks. Moreover, there is a new tendency of SEO and SMM use, where synergy of different tools and approaches will maximize brand exposure across both marketing channels. In other words, if social network users actively share certain links, they appear to get ranked high in search results. As a leading search engine among the Russian-speaking audience, Yandex appreciates social media efforts on Russia’s most actively used platforms (Vkontakte, Facebook and Odnoklassniki) to set a strong foundation for SEO success.

1. Mobile optimization. The number of smartphone and tablet users grows at a swift rate; therefore, the odds of mobile environment shouldn’t be left behind. In 2015 it won’t be enough to make a mobile version of your website responsive – a SEO campaign will be a part of mobile marketing campaigns. If a mobile website provides poor user experience because of improper optimization, its search engine rankings can also be put at risk.

The Russian market features a dynamic online landscape, where the role of Yandex in increasing natural search ranking is truly enormous. The only way to mastering SEO for the Russian market is to get a clear understanding of the local market and adopt a localized approach to SEO strategy.