The weird and wonderful world of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is an ever changing landscape that can be, quite frankly, a minefield. The reason for this is because there is always an algorithm change that those pesky folk at Google make on a weekly (and sometimes daily) basis.
The rise of new technologies and innovations has a factor to play also but this is generally what happens across the board in digital marketing.
The main goal of SEO has always been the same. That is to show up in your audience’s search results with relevant and useful content which increases your brand awareness and hopefully boosts your revenue.
While SEO news can be challenging to keep up with, there are trends that are cropping up that you could capitalise on. We have highlighted 8 of them in our post today, so without further ado let’s explore them!
1. AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Unless you live under a rock (uncomfortable to say the least) then I’m sure you’ve witnessed the insane hype that is surrounding AI at the moment. AI is being used to generate all types of content including copy, images and even videos.
So whether you’re wanting a love poem to place into your next Valentine’s Day card, or want to impress your boss with a new business card design, AI can probably do it for you!
While AI may seem like it can answer all of your content prayers, Google still wants to try and rank it lower than more authentic human written content. This is so the user can benefit more and receive the highest amount of value possible.
AI such as ChatGPT for example are great to use as part of your SEO strategy but they can’t replace it completely. When writing content you want to rank, use AI to help with research and speed up some processes.
If you just use AI to completely replace writing altogether then you’re going to sound like a droid out of Star Wars with no emotion or persuasion.
You don’t want to become like C3PO, do you?
2. First Hand Experience
Google rolled out an update to their algorithm in December 2022 which favoured content that had first hand experience in it. What was known as the EAT (Expertise, Authority, Trust) update is now EEAT. The extra E stands for ‘Experience’.
When evaluating content Google will now take into consideration the creator’s experience. What this means is that unique first hand content will be favoured, promoting expert related content.
So if you’re a blagger then we’re sorry to say but you’ve been warned!
3. Local SEO
With the rise in online purchasing it can be common to completely discard local SEO. You may not see any value in it. But the truth is that there is value in optimising for local SEO.
Studies show that 42% of people who search locally on Google tend to visit the business. Due to the cost of living crisis, people are becoming quite frugal so they tend to want to see the quality of items first hand. Which means they will most likely make the trip into the store.
More people are relying on Google reviews also to sway their buying decisions. With all this in mind it’s a sign that optimising for local SEO could seriously benefit you.
So ensure your Google Business Profile has related keywords and also encourages people to leave Google reviews.
4. Search Results Showing More Video
When Googling something you might have noticed that videos are starting to pop up more. That’s because videos are becoming ever more popular, especially videos that answer exactly what people are searching for.
With step by step instruction videos out there it’s hard to argue against why they are doing so well. After all we’re supposedly a society who now have the attention span of a goldfish so why wouldn’t we love short, snappy informative videos?
So if you’re putting out content there ask yourself is there an opportunity to answer this query in the form of a video. The answer will always be yes, so optimising your videos for search will be key to this strategy.
Ensure you include closed captions into your video as well as chapters. Chapters break your video into sections meaning this could be the part of your video that can directly answer a search query.
Also remember to optimise your video title, tags and descriptions for relevant keywords.
5. Voice Search Optimisation
It is estimated that more than half of internet users in the US will be using their voice assistant by 2026. Voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa are being used in homes all across the world so why wouldn’t you try and optimise content for this.
One way you could optimise your content for search is to include more long-tail question keywords. This is because users will be directing questions to their speakers expecting a coherent and accurate answer back.
Try and think of what types of questions your ideal customer would ask their smart speaker. For our clients it could be something along the lines of:
“Hey Google, who is the best digital marketing agency in Liverpool?”
6. Zero Search Volume Keywords
We know what you’re thinking.
Why would you include keywords that get zero search volume?
Well that’s a good question and the answer is quite simple.
When searching for low competition keywords you’ll come across a lot of keywords which seemingly get zero searches a month. At least that is what the likes of SEMRush or Ahrefs tells you.
The fact is that there might actually be a few searches a month for that specific keyword.
Imagine your ideal customer searching for something very specific and you have the perfect piece of content waiting for them?
By focusing on hyper targeted keywords you’ll have a far higher chance of attracting more qualified leads to your site.
7. More Interactive Content
Wondering why most people bounce off your site quicker than a cat chasing a mouse?
It’s due to the fact that your content is boring, dull and not very interesting (harsh but probably true). This is why interactive content is going to be huge going forward and it could prove to pay dividends for your SEO strategy.
When content is more interactive it means the reader is more likely to engage and stick around for longer. They will also be more likely to return and get their fix of high quality interactive content.
You can make your content more interactive by introducing things such as quizzes, polls, games, virtual reality etc.
8. Optimise Images for SEO
It can’t be understated how important images are when it comes to online content. Images make up for around 62% of all Google searches after all. With this in mind it would be silly not to ensure your content had images that were search engine friendly.
This can be achieved by:
- Compressing images so loading times are reduced.
- Add appropriate alt-text.
- Make use of captions and titles.
SEO at Blaze Media
So there you have it, 8 trends that you can capitalise on to help take your SEO strategy to the next level.
Another suggestion could be to forget about these 8 trends and let the experts sort it for you?
We were referring to ourselves here at Blaze Media if you haven’t guessed already. We’re a digital marketing agency based in Liverpool. We have a fantastic team who help our clients achieve amazing results with innovative SEO strategies every day.
We would love to hear from you and help your business grow so please contact us today for more information.