There’s been some exciting news appearing on the tweet stream State of Search. Google are coming up with new concepts and products all the time, and the future for 2016 looks interesting.

One of the strongest predictions we have for next year is that structured data is going to be big. Structured data, those additional details that show up on your search page, are going to be a much more important part of determining your ranking on Google, especially for eCommerce sites.

Some interesting statistics have come up in conversation. Google has determined that there are 12 trillion pages on the internet, and 60% of those pages are duplicates. This will always affect your ranking poorly, so clean up your duplicates. Google has also found that 40% of people who click on your site will abandon it if the site doesn’t load in three seconds.

So how fast should your site load? Fast! As fast as you can possibly make it. Use smaller pictures, streamline your page, and make sure it comes up as close to instantaneous as possible.

Another way sites are ranking is through using featured snippets. In these features, you ask and answer a question that may come up organically in search. Do it right and your graph or portion of the page may show up above the usual rankings.

Google is working on another exciting concept for 2016. It’s an assistant-type app, almost like a Siri, only better. If you saw the movie Her, you’ve got the basic idea. It’s artificial intelligence with a personal touch. Instead of you asking the questions, this assistant asks you questions to help sort out your life. It will remind you of appointments, advise you on life choices, and come close to being a proper AI.

Exciting and frightening at the same time, don’t you think?

Jim Stewart is a leading expert in search engine optimisation. His business StewArt Media has worked with clients including Mars, M2 and the City of Melbourne.