Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most crucial elements of an organization, providing it with the necessary visibility to attract more customers. A strong SEO strategy allows a company to position its website to attract more visitors, increasing the chances of turning these prospects into customers.
Businesses often forget why they are in business and who benefits from their services. They often give SEO a short shut-eye and move on to the next fad. This is detrimental to your online success.
Undoubtedly, in a world where over 4.5 billion people are internet users, digital marketing is one of the most potent marketing forms in our era. Moreover, most of the world’s internet traffic is generated via search engines. Thus, if you want a relevant business, SEO is the only way to online success. Additionally, 82 percent of people who implements SEO-based strategies find it very effective.
With all those facts in mind, let’s look at some of the most popular SEO trends for 2021.
The Dawn of AI
There is no denying that artificial intelligence (AI) is growing at a rapid pace. Today, marketing and sales are prioritizing AI higher than any other department.
A recent study found that initiatives related to data science and machine learning ranked the 8th priority among the 37 technologies studied.
Another similar report indicates that the AI industry is on track to become a $118 billion industry by 2025.
Through AI’s power, it is possible to create more relevant content and maximize link building opportunities.
Local SEO
Local search engine optimization is important, even if you serve a small local market. If you are not in the top 1 to 6 listings in your area, you need to drive traffic to your site by expressing your expertise in the area. One of the best ways to do that is to get listed in area-specific directories.
The tremendous importance of Google’s mapping feature can’t be overlooked. In addition to basic search results, Google offers Google Maps, in which you can search for a particular location and get directions. Local SEO is important because people are increasingly using Google to find local businesses rather than traditional search.
According to Chatmeter, the search for keywords “near me” and “tonight/today” increased by 900% in the past two years. Mobile searches for “open now” grew 200%. Additionally, local search is one area where 46% of the search engine users choose to click on a local business once they’ve found it. Get listed in these maps, and you stand a good chance of gaining new customers.
There are many ways to increase your local SEO; here are some tips:
- Optimize your website for mobile devices and voice search.
- Find and capitalize on local keywords.
- Use online business directories.
- Watch local events and develop content around it.
- Create or claim your Google My Business.
Understand Structured Data
Structure data is turning out to be a crucial element for websites, mostly because Google Search uses structured data to that it finds to understand the content of the page and gather information about the web and the world.
Google offers you a Structured Data Testing Tool to help you familiarize yourself with the concept.
Understanding Structured Data is crucial to help you deliver rich results from your website or landing. Having better results will help you build authority in the eyes of your market’s audience.
Improve User Experience (UX)
The new Google algorithm is incorporating new web vitals related to UX. This shift means that usability impacts your traffic even before prospects arrive at your site.
It also means that providing an attractive UI (user interface) is very important. To improve both UX and UI, you should consider the following:
- Faster loading times
- Fonts, high-quality images, and coherent layout
- User-friendly URLs and sitemap
- Easy to use dashboards for registered members
- Persuade users to explore your site
- Better navigation interface
EAT Concept
Eat stands for experience, authority, and trustworthiness. These are the factors mentioned in the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines by Google.
Sites with good EAT will rank better than sites with poor EAT. To improve your rankings, here are a few things you can do.
- Get links from domains with high authority.
- Hire experts to check your content with facts.
- Get more user-reviews.
- Get a Wikipedia page.
- Demonstrate work that showcases your expertise.
- Keep your content up to date.
Mobile Friendliness
Each year, mobile phones have been increasingly growing. In 2019, mobile phones made up 52.2 percent of internet traffic. Moreover, 61 percent of consumers are likely to purchase from mobile-friendly websites.
The numbers speak for themselves. And with 3.5 billion smartphone users around the globe, this isn’t going away anytime soon. You can rest assure that one SEO trend for 2021 is to make your website more mobile-friendly.
Here are a few things you can do to improve your site:
- Use Google Mobile-Friendly test tools.
- Improve site speed.
- Make it responsive.
- Keep your design simple.
Voice Seach Optimization
Over a third of the United States has used voice assistance monthly; more than half of cell phone users also use voice search technology.
To take advantage of this opportunity, here are a few things you can do to ensure you are not left behind:
- Include a FAQ for your products and blogs
- Optimize for answers and use the structured data guidelines
- Use conversational language in your content.
Conclusion
As businesses prepare for 2021, they should continue to focus on their SEO strategy. The year of opportunity has arrived, and companies need to reassess their search engine optimization CPCs to ensure they can leverage opportunities to improve their online business. There’s still so much opportunity to expand your online presence. Increasing the odds of gaining search engine rankings in local markets should be a priority for every business.
Aside from local SEO, there are many other trending subjects that should not be ignored. The topics highlighted in this post are an excellent start for your SEO strategy in this coming year.
Read more:
- Your Guide to SEO Trends
- Top SEO Marketing Tools
- Top SEO tools for keyword research, linkbuilding and competitor analysis
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Sergio Fetter.
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Thanks for sharing the latest trends. These trends will remain the same for all the industries or it will differ a bit as per the industry like the HR tech industry?
Thank you very much for the comment.
All of the trends are very much similar across the board. Regardless of the industry, these are excellent strategies to help you build a more robust website while fighting for a better ranking with Google and other search engines.