When SEO began, it was mostly about optimizing landing pages on a desktop. However, as new technologies emerged, things became complex. SEO evolved rapidly to cater to the fast-paced world and the high demand for content from the audience. The most drastic changes happened with the arrival of smart devices like mobiles.

While many of the basic tools SEO uses are still the same like keywords, regularly updated content, and linking; the current SEO now includes much broader considerations including mobile search, UX, and social media profiles.

In this article, we will learn how smart devices have changed the SEO strategy and what strategies a top New York SEO agency takes to align with them. Let us begin:

How Smart Devices Changed SEO?

Here are a few ways SEO has changed with smart devices:

1. Mobile-First Indexing

Smart devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and voice-activated assistants, have profoundly transformed the SEO landscape. The shift to mobile-first browsing has been a game-changer. As of 2024, 60.67% of website traffic comes from mobile devices alone. This has resulted in Google and other search engines adopting mobile-first indexing, where the mobile version of a site is considered the primary version for ranking purposes.

2. Increased Speed Expectations

Users on mobile devices expect faster load times, prompting websites to optimize for speed. Slow websites are penalized in terms of user engagement and search engine ranking. Additionally, Google’s AMP project has also been implemented. It aims to enhance the mobile web experience by enabling faster page loading on mobile devices.

3. App Integration

Many users browse the internet within apps rather than traditional browsers, necessitating changes in how SEO content is delivered and optimized. This has led to the rise in Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). PWAs provide an app-like experience on the web, enhancing user engagement and performance on mobile devices.

4. Voice Search Optimization

Strategies by the New York SEO agency now include more long-tail keywords and natural language phrases to capture voice search traffic. Also, since featured snippets are often read aloud by voice assistants, every New York SEO agency wants their client to rank there as well.

5. Local SEO

Smart devices often use geolocation data, making local SEO more important. New York SEO agency thus optimizes for local search queries to attract nearby customers.

6. User Experience (UX) Signals

User experience (UX) has become a critical factor in SEO now. In fact, every premier New York SEO agency follows Google's Core Web Vitals that emphasize metrics related to speed, interactivity, and visual stability.

7. Content Adaptation

Mobile users often prefer short-form content that is easy to read on smaller screens. This trend has driven a focus on creating concise articles, summaries, and multimedia content such as videos and infographics.

New York SEO Agencies and Their Strategies for Smart Devices

Now that we know the major transformation that happened with smart devices, it is time to know how a New York SEO agency tackles it.

Below we have shared the change and then a special SEO strategy for it:

For Mobile-First Indexing:

• Responsive Design and Mobile Usability:

New York SEO agency creates websites with responsive design, ensuring they function smoothly on any device. This is done by optimizing site structure, layout, and navigation for mobile users. During the process, the experts also use techniques like image compression, efficient coding, and minimizing load times to adhere to Google’s mobile-first indexing.

• Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP):

To improve page loading speeds on mobile devices, the top New York SEO agency implement AMP. This Google-backed project simplifies HTML and reduces JavaScript usage, resulting in faster loading of web pages.

For Voice Search Optimization:

• Natural Language and Long-Tail Keywords:

As voice searches rise, the best New York SEO agency uses natural language processing and long-tail keywords in their strategies. They study how users phrase their voice queries and adjust content to match these patterns.

• Featured Snippets and Schema Markup:

Agencies also optimize content for featured snippets, as these are often read aloud by voice assistants. Using structured data (schema markup) helps search engines understand the context of the content better, increasing the chances of being selected for these valuable snippets.

For Local SEO:

• Google My Business:

Local SEO is vital for attracting nearby customers. So, every top New York SEO agency optimizes and regularly updates their clients’ Google My Business profiles. This includes accurate business information, high-quality photos, customer reviews, and relevant posts to engage local users and boost local search rankings.

• Localized Keywords and Content:

New York SEO agencies also focus on incorporating location-specific keywords into their strategies. They create content that targets local events, news, and issues, to make it more relevant and appealing to the local audience.

For User Experience (UX):

• Focus on Core Web Vitals:

Gone are the days when just website speed was enough to entice search engines and audiences. Now, the top New York SEO agency works on Google's Core Web Vitals, which include metrics like loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. They also perform regular audits to identify and fix issues that could negatively impact the mobile user experience.

• Development of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs):

A premium New York SEO agency develops Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) to offer an app-like experience on the web. PWAs provide fast load times, offline functionality, and a reliable user experience, which ultimately boosts user engagement and retention.

For Content Adaptation:

• Short-Form and Visual Content:

Understanding that mobile users love concise and visually engaging content, New York SEO agencies now produce short-form articles, summaries, reels, shorts, and so on. This strategy caters to the consumption habits of mobile users and increases engagement.

• Integration of Voice and Video Content:

Agencies are also adapting to the growing use of smart devices with voice and video features. They produce podcasts, video blogs, and interactive content to appeal to users who prefer audio-visual content rather than text.

Transform Your Business with Premium New York SEO Agency

Smart devices and new technologies are going to evolve even more. The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), voice search, mobile technology, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual reality (VR) are all significantly influencing SEO strategies.

To keep up with this transformation, partner with a leading New York SEO agency that can unlock the full potential of your digital presence. Nowadays, top agencies like AdLift are curating tailored strategies, especially for new-age devices and audiences.

Explore their services and case studies to learn how they have been offering award-winning campaigns to brands across the globe. If their strategies align with your goals, take the step ahead and start your journey as well.