How serious are you about maximizing
the ability to harness the dynamic power of Search Engine Optimization? I
called it dynamic because SEO is ever-evolving. So, just like the game theory,
your Search engine optimization should be preeminent and ever-evolving.
https://www.oshup.com/amend-your-website-with-changing-seo-trends/
The urge to increase Google rankings is overwhelming businesses,
especially in 2021. It is becoming increasingly essential for marketers and
businesses. Those that are bound to increase their Google rankings in 2021 are
including organic search as a critical element of their marketing
strategy. 60%
of marketers now
believe that Search Engine Optimization is the leading source of leads. This
article explains how you can increase your google rankings.
Ø Importance
of Google Rankings
Search Engine Optimization was once a highly marginalized task
relegated to the back rooms of website development teams. Today, it stands as
one of the mainstream digital marketing strategies. The large traffic volume
has majorly spearheaded its dramatic rise to relevance that search engines
drive to websites. Searchers are now associating quality, trustworthiness, and
trust with websites that rank high in search engines.
Several benefits come with having your website rank high in
search engines. First, you will increase your organic traffic. It would help if
you understood that your potential customers depend upon search engines to find
your website. If your website is not visible, you cannot expect to hit your
revenue targets, unlike when you rank high in search engines.
High rankings are associated with a better reputation, good
image, and strong business brand. High rankings also increase conversion rates,
a high volume of potential customers, and an increase in Investment.
Now that you know the significance of high rankings to your
business, you probably wonder how you can ensure that you appear on the first
pages. Worry not. Below are some of the best SEO trends that you should embrace
to increase your ranks in search engines.
Ø Trend #1:
Shift of Attention to User + Search Intent
Internet search has become an integral fabric of today’s
society. Up to this time of the year (April 2021), there have been close
to 900
billion searches. The high increase in the number of searches will continue
because people can now get information in seconds, the same information that,
twenty years ago, one would need to travel to the library to
access.
This dramatic shift in search behaviour calls for content
creators and website owners to ensure they develop content that appears
prominently in the search engines when searchers are looking for the products
and services that the business is providing.
The burden lies on you, the website owner, to develop a relevant
search experience. The website content must fulfil the user’s intent. If your
searchers are looking for information, ensure that you give them the correct
information. If they want to buy from you, ensure that you provide them with
the very best products.
Optimizing your content and product pages with commercial
keywords is the right way to go. It can be a bit difficult to know what the
searcher’s intent might be. You might consider asking your visitors directly
about their expectations. They might give you valuable insights into their
intent.
Ø Trend #2:
Data Analytics and Behavioral Statistics
Data analytics are revolutionizing SEO. According to McKinsey
Analytics, 2018, 26% of businesses globally now see data analytics as a
game-changer like industry-wide competition.
Data analytics play a very significant role in Search Engine
Optimization. It will help you know how well your Search Engine Optimization
strategies are performing, generating traffic, what is derailing traffic
generation, and where you need to invest your time and money.
Most digital marketers invest in Analytics, data, and
behavioural statistics to understand whether search engine optimization strategies
generate a Return on Investment. Data analytics will also track the amount of
traffic you receive and also tell the source of traffic.
Additionally, data analytics will help you tell what exact
keywords to use. The first step to achieve this is by integrating Google Search
Console, which will reveal the exact keywords that your searchers are using to
find you.
Google Analytics will also help track your progress as far as
SEO is concerned and help you develop efficient insights that will help optimize
your SEO strategies. If you are to enhance your rankings in 2021, then you
should fully embrace data analytics.
Ø Trend #3: Knowledge Graphs &
Entities
This is a screenshot from a random search- “Which year
was SSL
Certificate introduced?” I did on Google. It is a
perfect example of a knowledge graph. The knowledge graph is created on top of
an existing database to link data and information through the help of
intelligent machine learning algorithms. It helps searchers to get more
relevant results while harnessing traffic to the deserving content. When I
searched the web for which year the SSL certificate was introduced, Google
scoured the web to pull the information I was looking for.
Knowledge graphs have a significant impact on Search Engine
Optimization and Google rankings. It is, therefore, a positive thing for SEO.
Rather than being a tool to search for sites online, a knowledge graph is a
tool for finding direct information, changing the scope of SEO. The best way to
reap big from the benefits that knowledge graphs will have to your SEO is by
adding yourself to the knowledge graphs and featuring them in the knowledge
panels.
Ø Trend #4: Page Experience Optimization
Google has updated its algorithm to include page experience as
one of its SEO ranking factors. This change aims to improve customer
experience. With this update, it is now essential that you have a clear
understanding of the metrics of page experience and how you can optimize your
website for each one of them.
Luckily for you, Google announced the rudiments which you should
factor in to improve user page experience. The first one is the core web
vitals, three significant metrics that Google considers essential in the overall
web page user experience. The three metrics are; First Input Delay, Largest
Contentful Paint, and Cumulative Layout Shift.
The second fundamental rudiment is mobile-friendliness which
refers to how simple it is for your visitors to use your site. Google also
wants to ensure that web users are safe from security threats such as malware
attacks, phishing attacks, and privacy intrusions. Web visitors are advised to
have an SSL certificate that gives a website HTTPS status and allows for safe
browsing.
All websites and businesses should prioritize these factors to
ensure that they beat their competitors’ search engine results pages. You
should ensure that you optimize the web page speed, secure your website, and
optimize your images to give your users the best experience and earn high
rankings in results pages.
Ø Trend #5: All SEO Is Mobile SEO
Google has been emphasizing the issue of mobile-friendliness for
a long time now. Mobile-friendliness is a significant ranking factor that
search engines such as Google and Bing use to rank websites. A mobile-friendly
website is designed to function properly on mobile devices. To rank high in
search engines, you will have to optimize your site for mobile-friendliness.
There are no shot-cuts.
Ø Trend #6: More Automation
Let’s face it, most SEO tasks are not just a walk in the park,
especially when they are carried out manually. Most SEO strategies will require
a massive amount of time and resources. The fact remains, time is money, and
automation of SEO tasks can save you a significant amount of time. There are
several automation tools that you can use to automate your SEO tasks and see
your rankings in search engines improve.
Ø Trend #7: SERP Layout &
Functionality Changes
Google will always have something for you. From RankBrain AI to
frequent algorithm changes and now the changes in the Search Engine Results
Pages. How search engines show, its results have changed. For instance, you
will realize that organic listings have slightly moved down, featured snippets are
dominating the SERPS, and voice searches are taking over.
All these trends have an impact on SEO. They are a wake-up call
for all SEO specialists to rethink their strategies, reconsider their keywords,
optimize sites for voice searches, and incorporate snippets. Following these
trends will ensure that you rank high in search engines.
Ø Trend #8: Long-Form Content
One trend that is helping sites rank high in search engines is
publishing long-form content. There is a high chance that a 2000-word blog will
outperform a 1000-word blog in rankings. This trend is still being witnessed in
2021 and will continue even in the future. It is easy to predict that soon; a
2500 and above word blog will rank high in the search engine results pages. You
know what to do, follow the trend.
Ø Trend #9: SEO Scalability
If you are aiming to outshine your competitors in the results
pages, then you should build scalability. To do so, you should start by listing
all the tasks and SEO processes that you follow and determine which tasks can
be automated. You should then install an alert system that monitors ranking
changes, page content, and URL changes. For those tasks that cannot be
automated, you can create a Standard Operating Procedure to avoid wasting time
reinventing how you perform the tasks each time the tasks need to be
performed.
Conclusion
Search Engine Optimization could be said to be both an art and a
science. Its artistic part requires you to be dynamically creative and
intuitive. As more and more strategies continue to pour in, ensure that you
incorporate all of them in your SEO plan. The scientific aspect requires
analyzing data, challenging assumptions, making observations, and drawing
conclusions about various SEO strategies. A lot has changed over the past years
as far as SEO is concerned. However, that could be the tip of the iceberg.
Expect more changes. And in the fast-evolving internet world, those bound to
enjoy the first pages of search engines are the early adopters. As you plan to
incorporate the SEO trends mentioned in this article, always remain vigilant
and watch for new ranking tricks. That is what will keep you at the summit!
