WHAT IS SEO AND WHY DOES A BUSINESS NEED IT?

SEO is the abbreviated term for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of taking steps to aid a business or information source to rank higher on a specific search engine, such as Google or Yahoo. Most searchers only interact with the top results on any search engine. Thus, it is important for your brand to optimize content for search. This would enable your content to appear towards the top of the search results page when individuals are searching for a specific keyword. In other words, SEO Marketing is an important tool to promote your brand’s visibility.

With most online interactions origination through search, SEO remains one of the most powerful channels to drive visibility. Furthermore, 86.64% of worldwide search is undertaken on Google’s search engine.

WHY ARE SEO MARKETING TRENDS SO IMPORTANT?

Google’s algorithm is dynamic. With frequent changes, it is important to keep up with trends so that your content can remain optimized for visibility. Over time if content is not refreshed or reoptimized, the search engine can de-rank or penalize sites. This in turn directly reduces a website’s visibility and thus influences its overall performance.

TREND 1: ZERO-CLICK SEARCH

In 2020 Google‘s click-through rate (CTR) for zero-click searches was 64,82%. Whereas, the organic CTR was only 33.59%. Zero-click search is where Google showcases answers to search queries as a snippet from various sites. Searchers find their answer right on the SERP and do not end up clicking through to the website.

What this means for you: Be more strategic in your keyword choice.

Using keyword tools, such as ahrefs or Semrush, allows you to develop an understanding of the click rate distribution. Thus, choosing a keyword that have a better search to clicks ratio would be helpful. For example, “SEO marketing tips” instead of “what is the meaning of SEO”. Even though Google can attempt to answer the question with a snippet, searchers might still click on the article link to read all the tips or gain further knowledge.

Moreover, Zero-click’s doesn’t necessarily mean no opportunity for you as a brand, it can also build brand awareness. This is as the domain name and favicon shows are still visible in the shown snippet.

TREND 2: GOOGLE MUM

Google’s MUM is short for Multitask Unified Model. It is being developed to answer complicated search inquiries by using AI. Moreover, it will be able to interpret, images, podcasts, videos and gain information in 75 different languages. Thereby, it seeks to deliver search results that overcome language and formatting barriers, which results in an improved searching experience.

What this means for you: focus on matching user-intent through articles, videos and other media

MUM will recognize if the content is optimized for user intent thereby making it important to provide value-added content on your site. Blog posts, for example, will still be influential for SEO. With MUM, multimedia, such as video will also be considered in the search. Moreover, as MUM is AI-centric, it learns as it goes. Therefore, you could continue building your content strategy to include podcasts, videos, etc. In doing so, you can find more engaging ways to communicate with your customers.

TREND 3: BUYER CENTRIC CONTENT

Buyer-centric content will remain a part of SEO marketing in 2022. Creating an engaging content experience is necessary for ROI. This means users must stay on your website and find content relevant and engaging. As a result, they need to enter a conversion funnel. In order to facilitate this, include not only text content, but also videos, podcast episodes, images and tactical calls-to-action in between. A brand with authentic content is more likely to have a high ranking on Google and establish itself as trustworthy both in the minds of its audience and Google’s algorithm.

What this means for you: Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes

To generate leads and have them go through your conversion funnel, you need to be speaking the consumer’s language. This begins with Search. Ensure that your content is optimized for conversational search terms. Continue user engagement by creating content that answers user questions and reduces any risk perception. By having a clear idea of target personas, you can create personalized content that typically generates higher conversion.

TREND 4: SEO MARKETING THROUGH HIGH-QUALITY BACKLINKS

It is now extremely difficult for link schemes to get a good ranking on Google. A recent update points out that paying for links and even running large guest posting campaigns is not beneficial to SEO. Backlinks are extremely important for SEO Marketing. However, not every kind of backlink will be effective. High-quality links are necessary to improve your Domain Authority (DA). Higher DAs allow you to rank higher in search results. Influencers are for example a good source to gain high-quality organic links. Pages containing viral content are more likely to rank high in search engine results.

What this means for you: Create share-worthy content

Now is the perfect time to take your SEO game to the next level by aiming for high-quality backlinks.  When you’ve created high-quality content, use platforms like Facebook and Instagram to share it. Share-worthy content can catch the eye of influencers or gain a viral effect. In doing so, you can get legitimate backlinks and an authentic interest in your content.

TREND 5: VOICE SEARCH

Voice search is an important and wide-ranging topic, influencing eCommerce as well as advertising trends. Moreover, once Google launches MUM, the natural language processing will make the traditional vs. voice search separation even smaller. In general, there is a growing demand for digital voice assistance. It is predicted that by 2024 there will be 8.4 billion digital voice assistants in use.

What this means for you: optimize your website content for user-intent searches

Businesses need to focus on conversational language, by including keywords that have multiple words. Thus, you can benefit from brainstorming different types of phrases and questions individuals may use for voice search. By adapting to such language you can create a more buyer-centric approach and benefit from being optimized for voice search.

SUMMARY

These are the top 5 SEO Marketing Trends to monitor and test for your business in 2022. Trends such as zero-click searches and buyer-centric content are going to be inevitable to adapt to. As a result, it is important for you to update your content strategy accordingly. Moreover, once Google officially launches MUM, companies need to adapt their content management to avoid losing online visibility. High-quality influencer backlinks, on the other hand, can be evaluated for your website depending on your audience’s needs and business goals.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Now that you know the top 5 SEO Trends, how are you going to adapt your strategies for 2022?

Not sure where to start? Talk to us: moin@watersky.digital