In the online world, no business can remain operational or resilient without a strong backbone. And that backbone is, without a doubt, Search Engine Optimization or SEO.
SEO has become a mandatory part of digital marketing. It focuses on making your website Google-friendly to increase its rankings in organic search results. As a result, you attract and convert more leads. And, to achieve this goal, it is crucial to apply the necessary SEO techniques intended to adapt the content to the ranking criteria of the algorithm. However, the requirements for ranking are not permanent. Google constantly makes modifications to its algorithm, rendering years-long efforts hopeless after their new ranking factors alter. That being said, it’s no wonder why industry whizzes and tycoons obsess about the latest SEO trends that take rise.
No doubt, there’s an abundance of information you can find related to the best SEO practices and how to increase website visibility. But as we are living in a fast-paced world, some SEO trends come in waves. But this doesn’t mean that the other practices are irrelevant. It’s just that without integrating the new hacks and tips into practice, you may end up missing out on the top rankings and losing your target audience.
So, with that in mind, what will be the critical SEO trends in the coming year? Don’t worry, we have you covered. According to our prediction, here are the top SEO trends to pay heed to in 2022.
1. Local SEO is taking the hype
If your company has a physical location, optimizing for local SEO is a must. Furthermore, since our society has been subjected to continuous lockdowns worldwide, “near me” and local searches have increased.
It’s not just for people confined within one location, compelled to shop locally. It is more about communities willing to support their local businesses and assist them in surviving the downturn.
Under these conditions, a well-optimized Google My Business listing and a local SEO blog with on-page optimization and accurate information are critical. Customers can check for recent updates, browse products, work-hour changes, and even contact for more details.
Furthermore, Google is going above and beyond to help small local businesses and is providing free tools to help them boost their businesses. The “nearby” filter on the shopping tab makes it easier for customers to find local stores online.
2. Search Intent & NLP will offer a better user experience
Nowadays, people use search engines to find quick solutions and answers. It’s becoming less likely that they’ll sit around thinking about the best keywords to use to get accurate results and more likely that they’ll rely on natural language search. Simultaneously, machine learning is evolving at a breakneck pace, allowing search engines to understand more casual phraseology, deliver relevant results, and decipher user search intent.
SERPs can now match the way people search for things, thanks to advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP). Users don’t have to waste time guessing keywords that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can comprehend. But AI is now attempting to understand what people want.
As a result, optimizing user search intent with relevant long-tail keywords will be more crucial than ever. Researching and analyzing what customers are searching for will provide insights into what they want to know and why marketers must modify the content accordingly. It will ultimately improve a webpage’s user experience and decide its significance and ranking in search results.
3. Featured snippets
You may have noticed a box at the top of the search engine results page at times. It provides concise information about what you searched for previously.
Featured snippets were introduced in 2017 and are becoming increasingly popular in Google. These help you climb the Google rankings ladder and are a great way to be featured on the first page of results. Furthermore, snippets reroute traffic that was intended for your competitors. Reviews, FAQs, how-to guides, product prices, and other bite-sized pieces are common featured snippets. Focus on relevant keywords when creating snippets for your business.
4. Mobile SEO
Right now, the world is driven by smartphones and mobile. The majority of the world’s population searches for everything on Google using mobile devices rather than computers, laptops, or desktops. People no longer use such large devices to obtain search results. As a digital marketer, you must ensure that your content and website are optimized for search engines and are mobile-friendly. Besides, Google prefers mobile-friendly websites since most users conduct their searches on mobile devices. As a result, you must also concentrate on optimizing your site for mobile users.
5. Long-form content is and will remain the king
Did you know that a blog with 3000+ words will get 3X the traffic and 4X the shares? They also receive more backlinks than standard 1000 – 1500 word blogs. So, long-form is the key to gaining higher search rankings if the content is of top standard. This format allows you to include various shareable CTAs and links to increase blog traffic and user engagement.
Here’s a quick tip for creating quality long-form content: Break up the long piece into sub-parts – H2 and H3 – to make it more scannable. These are critical for mobile websites. Also, ensure that all links are from reliable sources and simple to share with a single click. Links from reliable sources claim greater authority.
6. Video content will never fade
Videos can boost a company’s digital presence, improve website rankings in search engine results, and increase traffic.
Investing resources and time in video content creation can yield incredible results in terms of SEO and marketing. Plus, video streaming and downloads will enjoy 82% of global internet traffic by 2022. Engaging and informational video material must thus be incorporated into your SEO campaign. And, because of the addition of high-quality video content, you can’t afford to ignore the importance of organic site visits.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. We have mentioned all the crucial and latest SEO trends that will serve as game-changers in 2022. Now, it might take a heavy load of effort and time to implement each of them, but success will come easy if you understand the basics of SEO. Digital marketing is a dynamic field that keeps changing to ensure you familiarize yourself with the latest SEO trends and remain competitive. Soon, with the right SEO strategy, you will witness an increase in your website’s ranking, click rate, and customer engagement.