SEO is constantly changing as the technology behind it develops and consumer behaviour changes. As such, it’s important to keep up with the changes to ensure your website ranks highly in the search engine result pages (SERPS). Otherwise, you might find that your website begins to fall in the SERPS, potentially resulting in a drop in visitors, and revenue.
With this in mind, we’ve created this brief guide on the biggest SEO trends we’re going to see in 2023.
EAT Content Will Rank Higher
Google is always striving to help ensure its users get access to the best content around. As such, websites that contain high-quality content are prioritized over those where the content isn’t as good.
And for Google, good quality content is that which meets the EAT principle:
- E: Expertise = Your content needs to show that you’re an expert on the topic matter
- A: Authority = Google will likely rank your content higher if it shows that you’re an authority and that they can have confidence in you and your products
- T: Trustworthiness = Google values websites that give accurate information, so ensure your content is accurate and contains valuable resource links
Creating EAT content will be especially important for “your money, your life” (YMYL) websites. These are typically businesses that deal with important matters such as finance and health where it’s essential people get accurate information.
Data and Analytics Remain Essential
In digital marketing and SEO, data and analytics are essential and give marketers numerous benefits that traditional markets didn’t have access to. For example, digital marketers and SEO managers get huge amounts of data that can give them valuable information on individual customers and their customer base as a whole. You can then use this information to help fine-tune your campaign to help you get the best possible performance.
We can also expect to see analytical platforms become increasingly advanced as the technology ad understanding of marketing develops. With analytical platforms, you can get tons of valuable information that helps you make decisions at a glance. For example, if your analytics are showing you that your website has a high bounce rate, it’s time to reconsider the source of the traffic and the landing pages.
More Emphasis on Semantic Keywords
It’s only relatively recently that SEO managers started paying attention to semantic keywords, focusing entirely on primary keywords instead. This is partly because Google’s algorithms now look for user intent in their search terms, and semantic keywords help give the search engines the information they need.
And there’s no reason why SEOs will stop the practice in 2023. If anything, we’re likely to see more focus on the use of semantic keywords from now on. Incorporate them into your keyword strategy and you are likely to find that your website ranks better than otherwise. Regardless of which keywords you use, it’s best to do your research and devise a strategy before you start creating content.
Long Form Content Will Become Increasingly Important
Long form content is much more likely to rank than shorter content is. And when we say long form content, we mean content that’s 3,000 words or longer.
Long form content helps give you a boost in various ways. For one thing, having more content on your site gives Google more information, helping them know that you have what people are looking for. For another, long-form content is more likely to be shared, potentially gaining you valuable backlinks.
Remember that it’s essential to break up your content in a way that makes it easier for people and search engines to read. Break up text into manageable sections and be sure to use headers and sub-headers to help make it easier to understand what the content is about. It’s also recommended to link to high-quality resource sites to let Google know you’re providing useful information to your readers.
Local Search Becomes More Important
When people use google to look for products and services, they usually do so hoping to find something in their area. Google is well aware of this and they have been placing more emphasis on local search in recent years. In 2023, local search looks set to be more important than ever before, so it’s a good idea to ensure your business is optimised to show up in local search results.
One way to benefit is to ensure you have a Google My Business account up and running. This involves using the appropriate categories, using regular fresh images, ensuring all your details are correct and getting good reviews.
Summary
It’s difficult to be entirely sure of which SEO trends we will see in the future. This is especially considering Google frequently change their algorithms, potentially affecting how well your site will rank. Regardless, it’s a good idea to keep your ear to the ground so you become aware of any trends and new practices as they arrive.
The main thing to bear in mind is that content is king and looks set to be so for well into the future. Writing long form content of 3,000 words or more is likely to give you a boost in the ranking, but it’s essential not to sacrifice quality for quantity. Ensure your content is useful for your readers and demonstrates that you’re an expert in your field. You should also remember to break up your written content into manageable chunks and make sure to make the most of all that analytical platforms can offer.