Happy 16^th birthday Google! Oh how you’ve come a long way with your complex algorithms and search engine signals.

In light of the big 1-6, we’ve rounded up 10 of the top SEO predictions from experts in preparation for your tentative SEM strategy. Here are some of the biggest developments already in the works and what’s worth keeping an eye on:

1. Content Marketing will be a necessity, not a novelty.

With a great deal of content flooding the web, content marketing will be an absolute must for your overall SEO strategy.

2. And with this in mind, you may or may not start paying for it.

To try and keep afloat of the competition, marketers will need to reach out to audiences via paid and organic methods to achieve a wider reach.

3. Topics over keywords will be the focus.

With great topics comes great content, and with Google hiding more keyword information from reports, the shift of emphasis on keywords as opposed to just topics, is predicted.

4. Mobile user experience will drive search engine results.

With mobile search predicted to dominate the number of desktop searches by 2015, Google is already readying itself for the change.

5. Voice search and semantics will be BIG.

Apple, Google and Microsoft have all been heavily investing in voice search. Semantics and context are also in the works.

6. App SEO is coming.

With over 1 million apps available in the iPhone App Store in June this year, apps will now be indexed and app SEO will be born.

7. Negative SEO is and will be a major threat to Google, Webmasters and SEO marketers.

And headaches will continue for all who have to disavow their own links.

8. The Apple Watch could change local SEO

With its new mapping feature, mobile coupons and Siri’s relationship with Bing, we may see the search engine make a comeback due to Siri’s reliance on it.

9. Which leads us to…Bing might just be getting its groove back!

With the recent unveiling of its responsive design for image search and whispers of its relationship with the upcoming Apple Watch, big things could be coming up for Bing.

10. Facebook will continue to invest in search, but won’t really be a threat to search engines.

The social network turned semi-search engine is continuing to build its search capabilities, but marketers predict it will mostly enhance the platform’s user experience, rather than compete with Google.

And there you have it. What other SEO considerations do you think digital marketers will need to know to prepare for 2015? Let us know in the comments below.

Mustard is a Melbourne-based creative agency. Get in touch with us here.