How SEO is Changing in 2021

Like every technology-related sector, SEO is also making advances with each passing year. With most businesses taking the digital route in 2020 due to the pandemic, ranking higher search engine results page has become a priority. Google’s June 2021 core update has just been rolled out, and another core update is expected in July, which will create more upheavals for marketers. The coming weeks will lead to fluctuations in the rankings and will bring the work of SEO experts in Gold Coast at the forefront as they will help their clients navigate through the amendments.

Thus, things are changing fast in the segment, and marketers need to be ready to implement these changes to keep pace with the industry standards. Besides the Google updates, several other trends have been making waves in the digital arena that are expected to gain momentum in 2021. So, it is time to stay up-to-date and keep track of the alterations and modifications. Let us understand how SEO will evolve this year.

1. The prominence of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence(AI) is being adopted by businesses and tech giants across the globe because of its rising impact on digital interactions. Google’s RankBrain algorithm has the ability to learn, which implies that AI will take precedence in SEO in the future. Although the exact requirements for optimising websites for the algorithm are not yet available in the public domain, SEO specialists recommend improving the experience of visitors.

It is logical that if the visitor is immersed in the content, he/she will be spending more time on the site and clicking on the thecall-to-action buttons. Thus, the marketers need to make sure that their sites have valuable and relevant information that gets updated frequently. The content must be high-quality, readable and have backlinks.

2. Preparing for Voice Search Results

Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant have become reliable sources of information for individuals and households. As per estimates, by 2022, the revenue generated by voice searches will reach $40 billion. It means that marketers need to appear in the top spot for voice searches to get in the results. It is expected that more than 50% of households will own a smart speaker by the next year.

For voice searches, businesses need to use long-tail keywords that are used by information seekers. Also, the page loading time must be faster than usual, and Google Home has shown to pick up more results with HTTP over HTTPS. It has also been witnessed that pages with a higher word count and a moderate level of difficulty get precedence over other content.

3. Getting Placed in Featured Snippet

The featured snippet is one of the latest things that help content to get maximum exposure in the search results. It appears on the Google search results page wherein the most relevant information related to the search term is presented in a box. It helps in driving traffic to the site. Thus, aiming to become a part of the featured snippet can help in getting all the attention. It can help you to get more traffic even if you do not appear on top of the search results.

To get featured, marketers must use more long-tail keywords that are similar to the questions asked by users. The same questions can also be a part of the headers and title tags on the site. Also, the content must provide a knowledgeable answer in a concise and easy to understand manner.

4. Creating Mobile-Friendly Sites

Smartphones have become the lifeline of Australians, who are using the device to search products, read news, engage on social media, find information and shop. Google pays a lot of attention to mobile-friendliness of the websites while ranking them since more and more people are using their phones for surfing the web.

Marketers must take the mobile-friendliness test to understand the status of their site and adjust accordingly. Your digital marketing agency will help you to transition to a responsive design that is suitable for all screen sizes. Also, the content should be written in shorter sentences with headers and bullet points for ease of readability on mobile phones.

5. The popularity of Video Content

Facebook feeds are overflowing with videos, and Instagram Reels is ruling the roost. It is quite evident that videos are in high demand over textual content in 2021. The blogs and articles are important, but you also need infographics and videos to attract the attention of users in the clutter. YouTube videos should be an important part of your content strategy to get more views and boost search engine ranking.

Google search results also show video snippets that get high CTR. Businesses can get their videos featured on the results page by creating specific educational content that answers the common queries of individuals. Many tutorial videos get featured in the results because of their relevance.

6. Renewed Emphasis on Quality Content

Marketers should not forget the EAT principle of Google, which suggests that content should have expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Every business offering a piece of content must work on achieving these goals to get in the good books of Google. To be able to create readable and shareworthy content, brands need to focus on buyer’s persona and their search intent. It helps in generating content that fulfils the information-based needs of the buyers. The data must include statistics and facts along with links to reputable sites that improve the credibility of the brand. Also, getting backlinks from renowned sites is an excellent way of gaining the trust of the readers as well as search engines.

7. Local Search Is Becoming Popular

Most of the buyers are looking for products and services in their geographical location. For example, ‘dentist near me’ or ‘salon near me are the types of local intent searches being typed into Google often. Thus, there is a greater emphasis on local SEO that has helped in zero-click searches since the featured snippet offers the required information upfront. The user does not have to keep clicking or browsing to find what they need.

Marketers can achieve local SEO by creating a Google My Business profile page and updating it often. The page acts as a free advertisement for the business and gets more qualified leads.

Conclusion

SEO has been evolving with time and posing new challenges in front of marketers to step up their game. Thus, most businesses rely on SEO experts in Gold Coast to stay ahead of competitors and gain higher visibility.