Are you having a difficult time drawing in website traffic and fresh leads? You might want to reevaluate your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. After all, Google introduces 500 to 600 changes to its search algorithms every year.
If you’re not up-to-date with the latest SEO trends, your ranking could suffer for it.
Instead, give your SEO ranking the boost it needs! By following these 13 SEO trends, you can improve your ranking. A higher ranking can help you appear in front of more potential customers.
Then, you can generate more website traffic, increase leads and conversions, and improve your ROI.
In fact, search engines generate 300% more traffic for websites than social media. Nearly 80% of searchers never click past the first page of results, though. If you’re not reaching the first page, you’re missing a chance to boost business!
Improve your ranking and remain relevant. Reach a wider target audience with these 2021 SEO trends today.
1. Core Web Vitals
Google wants to offer its users the best possible online experience. With that in mind, it focuses on websites that consider user experience (UX) design. A website created with UX design trends is fast, organized, and easy to use.
If your website is old and nonfunctional, however, consumers will grow frustrated. They’ll leave without clicking through your content. Your bounce rate could start to rise as a result.
A high bounce rate tells Google that your website doesn’t offer a positive user experience. Instead, Google looks for websites with high dwell times and clickthrough rates. These metrics indicate that users are exploring your content with ease.
A high dwell time and bounce rate can have a positive impact on your search engine ranking. As your ranking improves, your site will appear at the top of a search.
A top-of-page ranking can help you appear in front of more customers. You can generate more website traffic, which can further benefit your ranking.
In order to further improve the online user experience, Google announced the release of its Core Web Vitals in 2020. The Core Web Vitals are a set of user-centered ranking factors. Updating your website with these factors in mind can improve your website UX.
You can learn more about Google’s Core Web Vitals here.
There are three main components of Google’s Core Web Vitals:
- Cumulative Layout Shift – measures how elements move as a page continues to load
- First Input Delay – measures interactivity based on inputs (such as mouse clicks)
- Largest Contentful Paint – measures your website’s loading performance
You can update your website with each of these areas in mind.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
CLS focuses on how page elements move while the page is still loading. You can improve a website’s CLS by:
- Preloading custom web fonts
- Setting fixed dimensions on pages
- Limiting embedded content and iframes
These changes will ensure your website is stable and functional.
First Input Delay (FID)
FID considers your website’s interactivity. Consider what happens on a page when visitors type or click around. Think about how long the browser takes to react as well.
You can improve FID by:
- Deleting unwanted files or code
- Splitting long Javascript tasks up
- Minifying and compressing Javascript
- Enabling browser caching
- Eliminating unnecessary third-party scripts
Updating your website can ensure your pages are more responsive.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
The LCP concerns your website’s loading performance. To measure LCP, Google looks at how long it takes the largest element on a page to load. These elements might include video content, images, or text.
When improving the user experience, it’s important to consider your page load times. A single-second delay in mobile load times can hurt conversion rates by up to 20%. If consumers have a bad experience on your mobile website, they’ll become 62% less likely to make a purchase.
Instead, you can speed up your website by:
- Choosing better hosting
- Using page caching
- Minifying CSS and Javascript codes
- Optimizing your images
- Using a content delivery network
The faster a page loads, the easier it is for visitors to find what they need.
2. Mobile-Optimization
As you follow the latest SEO trends, it’s also important to consider recurring trends. While mobile optimization isn’t new, it’s gaining more and more importance.
Consumers interact with brands twice as often using mobile devices. Meanwhile, conversion rates on mobile are 64% higher, too.
Google now uses mobile-first indexing to determine rankings. In other words, it looks at the mobile version of your website when reviewing your content. If your website isn’t optimized, it could rank competitors ahead of your site.
Don’t let the competition take the lead. Remember, a higher ranking will allow them to appear in front of customers first.
Instead, make sure your website is mobile-optimized. Run your site through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to double-check.
Keeping your website mobile optimized can benefit your organic SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising strategies. A mobile-optimized site is easy to use on all devices. Otherwise, you could neglect a huge portion of your audience.
3. Artificial Intelligence
Google’s machine learning capabilities are growing more advanced every year. Its machine learning abilities are now able to learn more about customers. Google’s ability to understand search intent could impact your organic SEO rankings.
First, make sure to learn as much as you can about your target audience. What problems are your customers facing? What solutions can you provide them with?
Consider what they expect to find during a search. Then, create personalized content that appeals to that need.
Personalizing your content can help you better appeal to your target audience.
Make sure to focus on the value you’re offering customers, too. Consumers will see you have the answers you’re looking for. As they visit your website or search for your brand, your ranking could improve further.
RankBrain is continuing to gather information about customers to determine future ranking factors. Make sure to keep up with the latest SEO trends. As Google gathers more consumer data, these trends will continue to change.
4. EAT
EAT stands for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Google looks for EAT on your site to make sure you’re offering high-quality content. Demonstrating EAT can also show Google you’re a quality source of information.
You can add EAT to your content marketing strategy by:
- Developing your personal brand
- Including author names and professional biographies with each post
- Demonstrating your experience and expertise within your posts
- Showing Google that authoritative experts are offering helpful advice
- Sharing your website content on other trusted platforms
- Connecting and collaborating with influencers in your industry
- Telling your brand’s story (including how you help customers)
- Backing up any claims you make within your posts by referencing research
- Linking to high-authority websites within your content
- Generating backlinks from high-authority websites
- Adding client reviews and other forms of social proof to your site
As time passes, return to your old posts. Make sure the information you’re offering is still relevant. For example, you might want to update old statistics every few years.
Otherwise, leaving outdated information on your site could have a negative impact on your credibility.
5. High-Quality, Long-Form Posts
As you create content for your SEO strategy, try developing high-quality, long-form posts. Make sure to focus on quality over quantity. For example, you can focus on offering readers helpful, actionable advice.
Make sure to consider the readability for each post, too. For example, you can use:
- Headings and subheadings
- Bullet points and lists
- Shorter sentences and paragraphs
Avoid jargon. Add a search function to your site to make content easier to find as well.
6. Predictive Search
Google doesn’t require user queries to provide consumers with the information they need. Instead, its artificial intelligence abilities allow it to offer predictive search.
Predictive search uses consumer behaviors to learn about each user. Then, it can determine what content will interest or help the user.
In order to appeal to predictive search, make sure you understand your audience’s search intent. Keep creating high-quality content with EAT and the intent in mind.
7. Voice Search
Almost 50% of consumers are using voice search for general web searches.
In fact, nearly 41% of voice search answers come from a featured snippet. About 75% of voice search results rank in the top three for a search query. Websites with stronger link authorities tend to rank well for voice searches.
You can appear for voice searches by focusing on long-tail search queries. Most voice searches are questions. Consider what questions your customers tend to ask.
Then, use those questions as your target keyword.
Try to give a brief answer at the beginning of your content. That answer can appear for a voice search or featured snippet. Then, go into more detail within the post.
Keep creating fresh content with your customers’ questions in mind.
8. Featured Snippets
Featured snippets appear at the top of search engine results pages. They can appear as summaries, lists, videos, bullets, recipes, and other formats. Appearing for a featured snippet can put you at the top of a page.
You could appear in front of more customers as a result.
What if you rank first for a search query and appear as a featured snippet? You could gain 31% more traffic compared to those with the first position without the snippet.
Appearing for a snippet can boost your brand awareness. It can also help you generate more traffic to your website. Remember, generating more traffic can further improve your SEO rankings.
As you use these 2021 SEO trends, try to find ways to optimize your content for snippets. For example, you can add a brief summary to the start of a post. You can add a table of contents to the beginning of a post, too.
Then, you can link to each section within a long-form blog post, improving the user experience. Consumers will have an easier time finding the information they need. At the same time, you could appear for a list snippet.
Make sure to use Schema to format your website content, too.
9. Video Content
Video content could account for 80% of all web traffic by this year. Try to create more video content on your website. For example, you can reformat an old blog post into a new, engaging video.
Videos are easy to consume and interesting. Don’t forget to share your videos on social media, too. You can use social media to draw in more traffic, further boosting your ranking.
Consider adding a transcript to your videos. Then, include your target keyword within the content.
10. Image Optimization
More people are using image searches to find what they’re looking for.
For example, a consumer might look through images to find a specific product. Then, they can click on the image to visit your website.
Make sure to optimize your images for keywords. First, use high-quality, unique images on your website. Then, update the file name with a relevant keyword.
Update each picture’s alt text as well.
Adding your keywords to your images can make it easier for Google to crawl and index content.
11. Semantically Related Keywords
Take the time to gather keyword research for your organic SEO. You can also hire SEO services to keep your keyword strategy up-to-date. Choose keywords based on how your clients speak (rather than writing for search engines).
Then, use primary and secondary keywords throughout your content.
12. Local Search Listings
Nearly 50% of all search engine users on Google are looking for local information. In fact, over 70% who search for local businesses visit stores near their location. Nearly 80% of these searches result in purchases.
Don’t neglect your local SEO strategy. You can:
- Claim and optimize your Google My Business (GMB) listing
- Create fresh posts for your GMB listing
- Generating customer reviews on your GMB listing
- Feature reviews on your website
- Develop your backlink strategy
- Use location-based keywords within your content
Does your store have more than one location? Add location pages to your site, too.
13. Data and Analytics
As you follow these SEO trends, make sure you’re reviewing your website data.
Which trends are boosting your traffic and engagement? Consider which posts are failing to generate attention, too.
Then, make informed adjustments to your strategy. Keep updating with your target audience in mind. You can find new ways to boost your ranking and remain relevant online.
Boost Your Business: 13 SEO Trends to Boost Rankings in 2021
Don’t let your competitors rank ahead this year. Instead, keep these 13 SEO trends in mind. Following these 2021 SEO trends can help you reach the top of a page.
You can then boost your visibility, generate more website traffic, and increase sales!
Get started with these SEO tips today.
Need help improving your SEO rankings? You came to the right place. Request a free consultation with our team today.
