No matter how small or extensive your digital goals are, Search Engine Optimization or SEO is one aspect that cannot be ignored. It is worth noting that according to a report on Search Engine Land, 70%-80% of the search engine users completely ignore paid ads. SEO thus becomes the only way to land a spot in top organic search results.
But the dynamic SEO landscape requires marketers to effectively track every new trend for helping their employers and clients stay competitive and further improve their search rankings. Every new year introduces some significant changes in the world of SEO. 2021 is expected to be no different. Here are 3 SEO trends that marketers should watch out for in 2021-
1. AI Gains Prominence
RankBrain, Google’s AI algorithm, is expected to influence search results in the future significantly. Unlike other ranking metrics that are based on insights and discoveries, RankBrain has the unique ability to learn and improve itself.
While Google has not provided any information with regard to how websites can be optimized for their AI algorithm, experts believe that signals related to user experience will be vital. Factors like clickthrough rate, engaging content, and time spent on the page are the metrics marketers should focus on more in 2021.
2. Mobile Optimization Becomes More Vital
According to a Hitwise study, almost 60% of Google searches are now done from mobile. As smartphone users are rapidly rising across the world, it can be expected that this percentage will only increase in the future. If you’ve avoided mobile optimization until now, 2021 can be the right time to begin.
As Google now uses mobile-first indexing, the website’s mobile version is given priority over the desktop version when someone uses the search engine from a smartphone. If your website is not optimized for mobile, you’ll end up losing a lot of traffic and revenue. Google has also launched a free Mobile-Friendly Test to help you check how mobile-friendly your website is.
3. Growing Importance of Voice Search
According to a Voicebit.ai report, voice retail will be a $40 billion industry by 2022 in the US alone. The growing popularity of smart speakers, like Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple HomePod, etc., will further contribute to making voice search the go-to method to use search engines in the future. In 2021, marketers should start optimizing their websites for voice search.
One of the most effective ways to do so is to make your content more conversational and target long-tail keywords. Improving the load time of your website, local listing, and mobile optimization are some other ways to optimize a website for voice search.
Making the Best Use of SEO in 2021
No matter if you’re starting with SEO or want to improve an existing strategy further, these are some trends that cannot be avoided in 2021. The best way to take advantage of these trends and rank better is to work with a reputable digital marketing company.
Professional marketers are at the top of such SEO trends and have the expertise to take advantage of such changes. By teaming up with SEO experts, your website will be better equipped to keep up with the changing trends and rank higher in SERPs.
