When it comes to online marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) is a valuable strategy for businesses for all sizes. As we make preparations to step into 2022, you may wonder how SEO is going to look in the new year considering the continuous technological changes and Google algorithm updates. Here are the key SEO trends to note for your SEO strategy in 2022:
Artificial Intelligence will play a greater role
AI has revolutionized every aspect of marketing and SEO is no different. It has completely changed the way people interact with content online. Today, marketers rely on AI to better understand consumer behavior, drive productivity and to develop better content strategies. Talking of AI, particularly noteworthy is Google’s algorithm RankBrain, which has completely changed the way search queries are interpreted and content is prioritized. Earlier, Google would try to match the exact words in your search query to words on a web page.
Now, RankBrain tries to actually figure out what you mean just like a human would. SEO professionals too use AI to analyze the performance of their content on search engines. They use AI to understand the idea behind the search query, determining the intent behind the query and delivering the most relevant result to ensure great user experience. The role of AI in SEO is expected to further grow in 2022.
E.A.T will still be a major factor for SEO in 2022
Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness (EAT) will continue to be the leading SEO trend in 2022. Google focuses on these three elements to determine the content quality of a page. Expertise means the content should come from a subject matter expert (you may use a professional), authority is about proving authority with links and mentions on high quality pages, and Trustworthiness is about showcasing the credentials of your content creators and website. According to Google Search Quality guidelines, “For all other pages that have a beneficial purpose, the amount of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) is very important.” In 2022, there will be a greater focus on search relevance and user connection.
Voice search
Global smart speaker sales reached an all-time high of 150 million units in 2020, and it is expected to surpass $30 billion by 2024. 55% of households are expected to own smart speaker devices by 2022. Voice assistants such as Siri and Google assistant have popularized voice search immensely. Smart speakers such as Alexa have made it even more popular. Considering the fact that voice search will rule the search engines in 2022, marketers should modify their SEO strategy through the use of long and natural sounding phrases to help search assistants find you.
A mobile friendly site is an important factor for SEO in 2022
80% of users used a mobile device to search the internet in 2019. 211 million users performed internet searches on mobile devices in 2020. By 2022, mobile advertising will account for over 50 percent of ad spending and overtake desktop advertising. It is needless to say that if you want your SEO to succeed in 2022, you cannot do without a mobile-friendly site. Google uses a mobile-first index, which means Google predominantly uses the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking. If you do not have a mobile friendly site, your search rankings will suffer.
Videos
A good SEO strategy cannot work without video, particularly with the recent rise of video platforms such as YouTube, Reels and TikTok. People are more interested in video content than ever. In fact, video is 50 times more likely to rank higher compared to text-only content. Google also shows a video thumbnail next to a search result and users are more likely to click that listing. The presence of thumbnail makes the search result a rich snippet and they have higher click through rate compared to standard snippets. So, going forward, video content will play a more crucial role in search engine rankings than ever.
SEO helps in generating leads, enhance brand awareness and drive sales for businesses. However, SEO is a complex and ever-changing field. So, it is not something you can handle on your own. You need a dedicated SEO professional to manage your campaign and continually upgrade it to ensure that your website remains on the top of search engine results page.
Do you need help with SEO in 2022. Learn what we can do for you. Call us today!