As a business owner, you probably have some basic knowledge of what SEO is and how important it is for your organization’s survival. If you use SEO correctly, it isn’t a one-and-done proposition. It is an ever-changing way to gain the exposure that you need to thrive. According to statistics, nearly 80% of internet organic searchers ignore paid advertising on the web. It’s even more critical that almost 30% of organic searches inevitably end in choosing and acting on a product or service. So, what do digital marketing specialists do to foster a successful campaign?
SEO efforts require paying attention to metrics that include traffic, social shares, and backlinks, along with many other things. So what are the steps that you need to take to make your organic search campaign a winning one? These are the latest trends to pay attention to as we head into the third quarter of 2023 and beyond.
AI Will Be a Reality for SEO
Artificial intelligence is one of the fastest-growing sectors in SEO and online content creation. RankBrain is just one AI-generated tool that has a critical role in ranking for Google factors regarding search engine page results, or “SERPs.”
Although use is in its infancy, AI has the ability to learn over time, which means that it will become increasingly efficient and usable for business owners who take advantage of it. How do you use RankBrain to optimize your SEO? The key user experience is to examine things such as click-through rate analysis and bounce rates.
If you want to rank highly in a Google search, digital marketing specialists know you have to engage readers using well-organized and useful content. The on-page SEO checker is an integral tool that can help you define the most important points like backlinks, readability scores, and other factors that all play into how well you are targeting your audience.
Voice Searches Are Taking the Lead
Where keywords and keyphrases were once condensed by those who typed them into a Google search, Google Assistant and Siri, along with others, are making voice recognition a more integral part of internet searches. Statistics tell us that as many as 50% percent of households used smart speaker technology to ask questions in 2022.
Voice search marketing will require people to reevaluate their keyword selection to find their intended audience. That means that searches will be longer and more closely matched to how someone would ask a question in everyday conversation. Therefore, having more natural-sounding phrases is going to be the key. Internet searchers who type usually abbreviate to save time, but the new trend of voice searches will command more thought in keyword identification.
Mobile-Friendly SEO Will Overtake Search Rankings
Not many people go to their computer or laptop when they want to find something. As far back as 2019, Google initiated “mobile-first indexing,” which means that they considered the mobile version the primary version of choice. Forecasts predict that over 70% of all internet users will only use mobile devices by the year 2025, which makes mobile-friendly design and mobile-friendly tools a must.
Ensuring that your page is user-friendly means that Google can crawl URLs, which means that a “disallow directive” can really harm your organic SEO. Additionally, it is important to ensure that Googlebot will not disallow the loading of any content that requires user interactions such as swiping or clicking. Lazy-loaded content of that type needs to be accessible by Google. Lastly, your desktop and mobile sites must have consistent meta-robot tags across the board. Our digital marketing specialists take great care to maximize your rankings!
Content Must Fulfill Google’s EAT Principle for Success
Content has always been an important part of the user experience, but Google has begun to quantify and qualify the richness of information using the EAT principle. EAT stands for “Expertise,” “Authoritativeness,” and “Trustworthiness.” EAT guides Google’s classification as to whether the content is “useful” and business-relevant.
The first way to enhance the EAT principle is to create a buyer persona that allows you to understand what potential clients are looking for. The second way it helps you to engage in research search intent will help you create a map that will breadcrumb your customer through the entire journey of finding your business.
Third, you can use this information to generate content to fit your user’s preferences. That means using content that will match your intended user’s preferred delivery. For example, if you are targeting teens, video is more appealing, but for older audiences, video might not be the best.
Lastly, EAT requires authoritativeness, so always back your facts up with statistics and outside sources. Link only to reputable sites, like “.gov” and “.edu” URLs. Only a digital marketing specialist with the right skill set will check all of those boxes!
Long-Form Content Will Enhance SERPs
According to reports such as the State of Content Marketing Report, viewers read 3000-plus-word articles nearly three times more often than less wordy content. 3000-plus word articles also get 3.5 times more backlinks. The average length of content is currently 900-1200 words, which falls short of what viewers and Google are looking for. If you are going to create content, focus on making it long-form so that you can rank higher and get noticed. But never sacrifice quantity for quality: if you don’t engage the viewer, then you increase the risk of high bounce rates that work against you.
How do you stop bounce rates in long-form content? Break it up into smaller sections with headings and subheadings. Subheadings allow the reader to “skim” to find what they want. Next, make sure you always link to credible sources that are also relevant to the topic. Lastly, make your content easy to share by providing “share” links throughout the article and then again in the last paragraph in your CTA.
Digital Marketing Specialists Know Featured Snippets Are a Must
Featured snippets are the savior for those not wanting to do long-form content. In 2017, Google began the snippet that created shortcuts for viewers. They are brief overviews of the information contained in your content. If designed properly, a featured snippet can get you to the first page of an inquiry, allowing you to get ahead of the competition quickly.
Snippets have a small and condensed segment of information and usually appear as a Q&A, how-to-guide, or brief set of bullet points. The way to create these snippets is to focus solely on relevant and question-based searches. You can get inspiration for them by looking under the Google section that says “people also ask.”
Predictive Search Will Improve
Google Discover has been around since 2017. It is an AI tool that gives recommendations about your target market’s behavior patterns and over time, it “learns” what your consumer’s actions are. Discover is a great way to get a glimpse of what your intended consumer is looking for. There are over 800 million users that Google Discover analyzes. Anyone who indexes their page will show up without having to do anything. Content on Google Discover is ranked due to algorithms that inspect the quality of content within a site and rank it according to user interest.
Any Successful SEO Strategy Must Include Video
If you aren’t using video content, it is time to start. Video is forecasted to outperform any other types of content. If you are going to use video, make sure your channel is clearly defined with concise descriptions and a channel name. Keywords are also critical for video. Whatever video channel you are using, make sure to research your video topic, then you can see what other competitors or industry leaders are using for keywords. Our digital marketing specialists also have production crews on standby because we know it is a must!
Your Image Is Critical for SEO Success
Visual image is more critical than ever. If you are going to put images on your website or in your social media posts, they need to be properly marked and high-quality. Also, you want to make sure they are relevant and customize them by labeling the photo using alt tags. Alt tags tell crawlers how to classify things. And make sure to add images to your site map so they stand out to Google crawlers.
Pay Attention to Semantically Related Keywords
SEO consists of using primary keywords, but secondary ones might be just as important. The intent optimization and semantic search functions will matter more over time. Google is looking for the context of the content, not just words used in a string. Using primary and secondary keywords is going to be critical in the future. But as with all of your content, always write for your audience, not to target bots. After all, it is all about the user’s experience.
Increase Your Local Search Strategies
Although it is called the “World Wide Web,” most Google users search to find local goods and services. Local SEO is super important to gain exposure to your niche market. Zero-click searches have never been so important, and your SERP should be the guide. Featured snippets are at the head of local strategies and are often shown in the “local pack.”
The way to get seen locally is by using your Google My Business listing and having a strong profile. Also, go the extra mile to get backlinks to increase credibility.
Analytics and Data Must Be a Priority for Success
Data helps you to visualize your campaign, understand your intended audience, and create the right message. On the backend, analytics help you to see how your URLs are performing regarding bounce rates, loading times, identifying sources, indexing, response errors, and more. Use Google Analytics and data to make sure that you are maximizing all of the factors that make up your rankings. That way, you can stay on top of your competitors.
SEO is here to stay, but it will not stay the same. AI is becoming increasingly important, which means that technology will be continually learning, becoming more savvy, and also more critical for your website’s exposure and ranking. At A Digital Media Company, we understand that it can be complex and overwhelming.
Never before has it been more critical to notice trends, stay on top of industry changes, and pivot as needed. It can become a full-time job, but it shouldn’t be for you. Running an effective SEO campaign is challenging; the good news is you don’t have to – we will. Contact our digital marketing specialist crew today and let us worry about the behind the scenes so you can always stay front and center!
