If we’ve learnt one thing from the world in the few years – it’s that nothing stays the same.
And nothing should stay the same when it comes to your SEO either. Google and the other search engines change their algorithms constantly – and websites need to regularly refresh their SEO strategies to stay relevant and maintain their online visibility.
SEO experts believe that the following seven trends will emerge strongly during 2023 and I recommend you take these into account as you update your SEO practices.
AI technology is perfect for SEO because it can extract insights from massive amounts of data about how people interact with online content. In fact, Google is already using an AI component of its algorithm called RankBrain which it uses to process and understand search queries and determine the most relevant results. ChatGPT and Bard are also hear and set to change the face of the Google and Bing Search Engine Results pages.
So what does this mean for you? Well, user experience is believed to be a major ranking factor for RankBrain (we already know that it is a huge focus area for Google), which means dwell time on your website and click-through rates are crucial. You should ensure that any content you publish is well-written, engaging and helpful to users. It also needs to provide them with a compelling reason to click-through and then spend a decent amount of time on your website.
Length is strength when it comes to content.
However, you do need to be vigilant about how you structure long-form content (ie articles and blogs which comprise 2 000 words or more) to get the full benefit of more shares, increased dwell time and better rankings.
Appropriate formatting (sections with bullet points, sub-headings etc) is crucial as are illustrations and images that engage and inform the reader (such as images, diagrams, infographics, videos etc). And don’t forget to include sharing links to increase reach and influence.
Google has been using its E-A-T model for some time to measure Page Quality with the aim of improving web content for human users and indications are that it’s becoming even more influential in terms of rankings. Demonstrating your web pages’ E-A-T is more crucial than ever, and you can discover easy ways of adding E-A-T to your website in my blogs ‘Why You Need To Add E-A-T To Your Website’ and ‘Why E-A-T Is Crucial For SEO Success’.
Around 50% of all web traffic comes from a mobile device – and that percentage is on the rise. Mobile-friendliness is a key ranking factor and Google actually now looks primarily at the mobile version of a website.
I recommend you use Google’s free test for checking the mobile friendliness of your website as well as its Mobile Usability report. This will highlight any issues and give you solutions for problem-solving.
The mind-boggling growth in popularity of video platforms like YouTube (2.3 billion users) and Tik Tok (689 million active monthly users) shows no sign of abating in 2023. From an SEO perspective, video will play an increasingly important role as businesses look to engage with customers and broaden their online presence.
You should include optimised video as part of your SEO strategy, supported by quality content and descriptions which include relevant keywords. Hashtags will help your target audience find relevant content more easily.
Voice search technology is set to continue its rampant popularity with the smart speaker market predicted to exceed USD 30 billion by 2024*. Local search queries, also referred to as ‘Near me’ searches, are predominantly used in voice searches, usually by highly motivated searchers who intend to make an immediate purchase. Optimising for voice search will therefore be a key element of SEO in 2023, particularly for businesses that service set geographical areas.
Remember:
Check out my blog: ‘Optimising Your Website For Near Me Searches’
Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of the physical world which has been enhanced by computer-generated information such as visual elements, sound and other sensory stimuli. The technology basically enriches reality by adding virtual objects and information into real-world situations.
From an SEO perspective, AR will be huge in terms of search with users able to get a much more immersive, engaging, informative and holistic search experience than ever before.
I’ve always said that SEO is a dynamic environment and businesses must adapt to change and embrace new strategies in order to stay ahead.
If you’d like to take charge of your own SEO, have a look at my self-paced online course, The SEO School. I designed the course so that business owners and website managers can implement the various tools and techniques as they progress through the modules, getting hands-on tuition and support with a tangible outcome.
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