Online marketing is one of the most dynamic fields today. Google and the other search engines are always changing their algorithms in their ongoing campaign to provide the best possible service to their users. Platforms and techniques are also always changing as software creators and marketers battle it out in an evolutionary battle against the competition.
This means that in order to remain competitive you will need to keep up with the latest trends. Here, we take a look at what trends are important to watch in Search Engine Optimization [SEO] in 2021.
A Greater Focus on Semantic Search
Keywords have been a mainstay of SEO for as long as SEO has existed, and it looks set to stay that way for some time. To get ahead in the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs), however, it is becoming increasingly important to look at other, more sophisticated strategies as well. One such strategy is to take search intent into account.
Google’s users won’t always know which search terms will bring up your products – many won’t even be looking for your products specifically in the first place. This means that using keywords is not always effective at bringing people to your site, even if you are ranking in first place for those keywords.
Instead, it’s becoming increasingly important to try and understand what people are looking for regardless of how specific their search queries are. With this in mind, it helps to remember the four intents people have when using Google:
- Getting information
- Buying something
- Shopping around and comparing products/prices
- Finding a specific website
Define what your likely prospect’s intentions are, and create content that helps to deliver what they are looking for. If you’re selling CNC machined parts, for example, your prospects are likely to be looking at specifications, price, and performance. If you’re selling a conference calling solution, they’re likely going to be looking at speed, quality of sound and video, features, and monthly rates. Create content with these intents in mind and your content is more likely to match with the search terms people are using.
Also, try and make the most of any tools that are available that will help you understand better what peoples’ intentions are. Machine learning solutions can help you get into the psyche of your prospects, helping you to create a website that is better suited to meet their requirements.
Greater Focus on Mobile-Friendliness
It should be obvious by now that SEOs need to pay attention to the fact that mobiles are the most common source of traffic on the internet. The search engines are certainly well aware of this, and your site is more likely to rank well if it has been designed with mobile-friendliness in mind.
Regardless, mobile-friendliness is more of a focus in 2021 than ever before. Mobile-friendliness in SEO means several things, including:
Mobile Responsiveness
Your website will not only be shown on desktop computers with large, 20+ inch monitors but also small smartphones, and the shape of the mobile screen will also vary. Mobile responsiveness takes this into account and helps ensure your website appears correctly regardless of the size and proportions of the screen it is shown on. Google will know whether or not your website is mobile optimized, so make sure it’s something you do.
Accelerated Mobile Pages
Accelerated mobile pages (AMP) means that the website is optimized to load up quickly when it’s shown on a mobile device. AMP basically means that a “lite” version of the website will be shown instead of the full version. Readers still get access to everything on the site but without the bells and whistles and everything else that might slow it down. AMP is another thing that Google will be able to identify if your website uses.
Reduced File Size
Large files, including images, can take a long time to load on mobiles. Google will know if your site is taking a long time to load, and this will result in your site falling down in the SERPS. To help keep the loading times down, it’s a good idea to reduce file sizes as much as possible.
Large Buttons
A high click-through rate (CTR) is a factor when it comes to the SERPs. However, the small screens of mobile devices can make it difficult to click on a button in just the right place, potentially causing users to struggle to open a page, or open pages they did not mean to open. One way to overcome this is to make sure any buttons are large enough and easy enough to find that they can be located and clicked on easily, even on small screens.
Constantly Improving User Experience
Google is placing more and more focus on user experience, and this includes their experience beyond the SERPS. They also want your website to provide a good experience for their users.
A lot of the common user experience issues have been covered in the mobile-friendly section above, but a good user experience should apply to all websites regardless of the device being used to access it. This includes fast loading times – people searching on a desktop computer will also not want to be left waiting while your website loads up.
Make sure your website is easy to navigate and people can find their way around without having to go on a treasure hunt for what they want. Use videos where possible. People often prefer them over having to read text, and it helps people absorb and understand what you are saying.
Try and take the opportunity to ensure your website adds value to your product/services. For example, an investment firm could offer a free-to-use calculator that helps their users work out the returns on their mutual fund investments. Such tools will be shared and result in a higher CTR, helping to give your rankings a boost. Value selling in this manner can also help to compel prospects to choose your company over a competitor.
Voice Search Optimization
Voice search is becoming increasingly common, with nearly 123 million people in the United States alone expected to be using voice search in 2021.
Perhaps the key challenge is having to adjust to how people use voice search, particularly how they perform searches. When people perform a search using a keyboard, they tend to do so concisely and use the exact words they are looking for. When a search is made by voice, however, it tends to be done more casually, using complete sentences rather than just a few select keywords.
For example, a keyboard search for CBD products might be something like: “CBD flower near me” but a voice search is more likely to be “I want to find CBD flower close to where I live.“
These differences mean SEOs need to rethink their keyword strategy to account for voice searches as well as keyboard searches.
More Advanced Zero-Click Search Results
Google likes zero-click results because it helps to deliver what their users are looking for, and quickly. Many questions are answered right there on the SERP itself, saving their users from having to click through and wait for web pages to load up.
There is some controversy over zero-click search results because of the claim that they take traffic away from websites, and website owners are the ones providing the content for Google to use. Google and others, on the other hand, claim that they are actually increasing traffic to websites.
Regardless of where you stand on the debate, it looks as though zero-click searches will be around for some time. Indeed, it looks as though Google is going to double down and place even more focus on them in 2021 and beyond.
SEOs need to bear in mind that zero-click search results are here to stay for the foreseeable future, and do their best to make the most of the situation. See it as an opportunity to answer a prospect’s question before they even click on your website, meaning you have already given them something of value, thus strengthening your relationship with them.
Zero-click search results can also be very effective at raising brand visibility regardless of whether or not they generate clicks.
More Focus on Local SEO
Recent years have seen an increased focus on SEO, and 2021 is continuing this trend. It makes a lot of sense, especially to smaller businesses, so it’s something SEOs should be focusing on regardless of trends.
Google My Business has emerged relatively recently as somewhat of a powerhouse where local SEO is concerned. Using Google My Business can help make your business a lot more visible on search engines, while also giving you an opportunity to improve your customers’ experience. It’s free to use, so make the most of it, because you can be sure your competitors will be even if you don’t.
We Will See More Video
Users of Google might have noticed that there are more and more videos shown on the SERPs. Google likes video; a website that has video tells Google that the website is trying to offer content that’s useful and/or entertaining – which is exactly what their users want.
As mentioned above, video will also help to improve the user experience, which helps to keep people on your site, reduces bounce rates, and increases your CTR.
Not only that, but videos also help to make your website more visible on other platforms, like YouTube. For example, a lot of people will turn to YouTube for videos on how to do things, like fixing a faucet. If those people can find your video showing them how to fix a faucet on YouTube, it can send a lot of traffic your way.
Even better, useful videos tend to be shared among people, potentially helping to generate more good quality backlinks for you.
Video also doesn’t have to be as expensive as it used to be. Nowadays, even amateurs can produce professional-looking videos on a limited budget. Professional quality cameras are more affordable than ever before, and sophisticated but easy-to-use software helps with editing.
Conclusion
Above are just a few of the trends we can expect to see in the second half of 2021. Much of SEO will focus on developing technologies and how people are using the internet. Technologies like voice search, for example, are likely to increase in usage, and it makes sense to adapt accordingly if you have not done so already.
The examples above are not the only current SEO trends you should watch, but some of those that are most likely to affect you. Keep your ear to the ground and adjust accordingly to help keep you ranking above the competition.
About The Author
Doug Walker is an Online Marketing Expert that has built successful eCommerce businesses from the ground up, worked with enterprise-level organizations such as Dell, Intuit, Coldwater Creek, and FindLaw/Thomson Reuters, and consulted for small law firms and businesses. Over the past 13 years, Doug has taken a customized, proprietary approach to digital marketing and has written several articles to help maximize revenue and dominate online niches.