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We’ve left 2021 behind, and as you look toward the new year – and the search engine optimization (SEO) trends that will follow – you may be wondering if your current SEO strategy will either help or hinder your site ranking in 2022.
From the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation and voice search to the updates set by Google such as Core Web Vitals, MUM and E-A-T, staying on top of online searches has never been more complex.
So, what does the future of SEO look like in 2022? And how can you prepare?
AI has played a prominent role in the automation of PPC and paid social campaigns. And now AI is becoming an integral part of technical SEO.
By automating certain menial tasks such as processing large datasets and optimizing content with AI, you will be able to produce and implement bigger and better SEO strategies in no time.
You can also use AI to automate more manual tasks to free up your time for more creative and complex activities, such as tracking search results, position ranking, backlink profiles, website errors and site logs.
It’s not just useful for automating manual reviews or general analysis. AI can also be used to conduct keyword research, generate new reports and further optimize your content.
Voice search is quickly becoming the new norm. Today, people use Siri, Cortana, Amazon Alexa and Google Home to conduct online searches for information they need.
In 2021, 27% of internet users worldwide were using voice search on mobile, and that percentage will only continue to grow.
With these new voice-automated systems, users will ask a question and expect to receive the best possible answer. Essentially, these systems are trying to emulate human interaction. This changes the way SEO algorithms come into play.
So, in response to this Google launched LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications), its machine learning (ML) model designed for dialogue.
LaMDA was created using a neural network blueprint and uses natural language processing and ML to understand questions and queries. It will then respond to each query with an appropriate response. The more queries you ask, the more the system learns.
In 2022, you cannot afford to ignore the power of video marketing. It should be an essential part of your SEO strategy, as adding a video to your site can increase your ranking on Google’s SERPs.
Videos create more traffic online, and as much as 81% of consumer internet traffic in 2021 was generated by video.
Users tend to engage more with video content, so having video embedded into your site can drive engagement, which can increase your page relevance authority.
Another factor to keep in mind is Google’s key moments feature for video search, which was first released in 2019. This feature adds segments with timestamps to help users go directly to specific sections of videos.
For years, backlinks and comprehensive content have been the core components of effective SEO. And while that remains true, they’ve been joined by other hoops to jump through.
To boost (and avoid damaging) your search ranking, you need to follow Google’s page experience signals. These signals are used by Google to assess if your site is providing a positive experience for users.
Google also released another set of metrics in 2020 called Core Web Vitals, which includes guidelines on loading speed, responsiveness and visual stability. If your website does not meet these guidelines, then you’ll see your search ranking decrease.
Another important guideline SEO experts need to keep an eye on this year is Google E-A-T – Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. If you can create content that follows these three core pillars, then you might just see your search ranking go places.
For too long, SEO has worked in a separate silo from other marketing channels. And this separation could mean that you’re not maximizing your marketing potential.
Marketers are realizing they can gain more insights and data if their organic search and paid search teams work together.
Creating opportunities for your SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) teams to collaborate can increase your web traffic quickly and efficiently.
When we begin to structure our new digital campaigns, like display advertising, social media marketing, email marketing and video marketing, SEO is now a key focus throughout the planning process.
This is because SEO practices will showcase what keywords customers use at different stages of the sales funnel to reach their desired goal. If you know these keywords, you can use these in your PPC campaigns to attract more customers.
And on the flip side, PPC provides quick keyword and conversion data and insights from A/B testing that can be used in your SEO strategy.
If you want to stay at the top of organic searches in 2022 and beyond, then you need to act fast and embrace these five trends now.
By adapting your SEO strategies with these five trends in mind, you’ll likely see a significant increase in your search rankings and overall brand authority.
Robbie Reddy, content director at Adapt Worldwide.
This article is about: World, SEO, Google, Search Engine Marketing, Media, Agency Business, Marketing Services, Media, Agency
