Going organic: Our top SEO columns of 2017

Search engine optimization saw another exciting year as readers consumed content on everything from video optimization tips to research on the latest ranking factors.

Another year has come and gone, and as usual, SEOs had their work cut out for them. Many issues were top of mind for SEO practitioners in 2017, from concerns about the impact of an unannounced algorithm update to speculation about the impending mobile-first index.

Our most popular SEO columns this year encompassed a wide variety of topics, suggesting that our readership wasn’t overly focused on any one particular trend. From illustrative case studies to detailed tactical guides — from YouTube optimization to technical SEO audits to the interplay between SEO and web design — our experienced and insightful columnists on Search Engine Land covered a lot of ground in 2017.

Wondering which organic search columns garnered the most attention from readers this year? Read on for our top 10 SEO columns of 2017:

1. YouTube SEO: How to find the best traffic-generating keywords by Sherry Bonelli, published on 5/30/2017.
2. How we hijacked Google’s SEO guide search rankings by Dan Sharp, published on 3/6/2017.
3. Google site search is on the way out. Now what? by Paul Shapiro, published on 3/22/2017.
4. How to check which URLs have been indexed without upsetting Google: A follow-up by Paul Shapiro, published on 1/27/2017.
5. SEO Ranking Factors in 2017: What’s Important and What’s Not by Jessica Thompson, published on 10/25/2017.
6. The complete guide to optimizing content for SEO (with checklist) by Nate Dame, published on 4/12/2017.
7. 5 must-do technical SEO audit items in 2017 by Aleyda Solis, published on 6/22/2017.
8. 5 massive SEO and content shifts you need to master right now by Jim Yu, published on 5/17/2017.
9. SEO case study: Zero to 100,000 visitors in 12 months by Andrew Dennis, published on 7/5/2017.
10. SEO & website design: Everything you need to know by Marcus Miller, published on 4/19/2017.