There is a lot happening on the internet these days due to the new Google Core update. Search results are disappointing without a trace and some rank without merit. This might create a lot of confusion for business owners.
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They might also get answers like “Google core update is happening; that’s why we are seeing fluctuation in ranking.” That’s why it’s important to stay ahead of this by betting on SEO trends of 2024.
These trends will allow your business to stay relevant for the users and won’t affect your ranking even with core updates. To top it off, we have also added how you can implement those SEO trends to your websites and take advantage of them.
SEO Trends and How to Implement Them in 2024
1. Useful Content
Can we consider this as a trend when Google has been shouting about it from the rooftops for years? Yes, because the current Google update proves that only useful content will rank, and all the SEO trickery will get deindexed. In simple language, to rank certain keywords, brands need to produce useful content rather than writing for SEO purposes.
How do you define useful content dependent on the subject and what users is searching for? For example, if someone is looking for pet food, offering them just the top 10 list is not useful. It also depends on the search intent, which we will cover in the next point.
How to Implement a Useful Content Strategy?
Based on the google outline on writing useful content, if your content can help reader than its helpful. “Will someone reading your content leave feeling like they’ve had a satisfying experience?” If the answer to this question is yes, then you are implementing it the right way.
2. Search Intent
It’s 2024 and we still need to consider search intent as trends, because people keep missing the point. Search intent means the actual reason why users typed in the queries. For example, near me words means navigational intent, it means users are looking for something nearby and want direction or address. Buy or purchase indicates commercial intent, it means users want to buy the product or services.
So, when users search for how to repair a toaster, offering them information on buying a new one is not proper, and Google will not rank your page for it. Millions of businesses worldwide lose valuable traffic and potential customers because they made the mistake of not recognizing the intent.
How to Utilize Search Intent with SEO?
The simplest solution is to use tools to find the exact intent of certain keywords. Or you can ask yourself, will this keyword be used for finding information or for buying a product and implementing it accordingly.
3. UI/UX
How can UI/UX design affect the website’s SEO? Simple, UI/UX determines how users will feel when they land on your page, and if they bounce right back, then according to the Google Core update in 2020, you won’t rank. Design affects what SEO is called page experience, which includes page speed, design, and interaction to the next point (NIP was added in both the January and March Google Core update of 2024).
Nowadays, users prefer cleaner websites that open quickly instead of graphic heavy pages. If they need to search through every tab to find what they are looking for, it indicates bad page navigation.
How to Implement the Best UI/UX Practices?
The first step is to optimize the images in your page which will increase the page speed. White space is your friend; it does not overwhelm users and offers information in a clear format. Use various tools to check the webpage speed and optimize it.
4. Mobile-first Indexing
This is a new approach Google has taken to ensure that mobile users have a better experience. As the name suggests, google will index the mobile page first and determine the ranking based on how it performs on the phone. This mobile version of your page becomes the basis; that’s why it’s important to optimize your website for mobile responsiveness.
Why sudden shift in mobile first indexing? Because more than half of the traffic comes from mobile devices. Google understands that most people search on the go with their smart phone and it’s important to offer them information they enjoy.
How to implement Mobile First Approach for Website?
Use Google search console and mobile-friendly testing tools to optimize your page for mobile phones. Conduct a mobile audit of your website and understand where it is lacking.
5. Search Generative Experience by Google
SGE is a brand-new feature by Google that offers exact search answers based on search intent. It is similar to a feature snippet, but it offers more than just an answer from one source. Brand Identity is necessary for any product and services. If you search for the best pet food for dachshund, it will not only offer the product. That product is the best choice and source for multiple websites that answer your questions.
It uses LLM, NLP, and machine learning to find relevant information that best describes the answer. It also makes sure that search intent matches the answer and provides the most accurate information. It may seem like Google is stealing your traffic, but we can still take advantage of it.
How to Implement SEO Changes for SGE?
The best way to benefit from SGE is to offer intent based content. Write high quality long form content that answers every single question a user has. This way, when SGE offers the answer, it can link to your website. This way, users can still visit your website and learn more about it.
6. Topical Authority
One of the best ways to get ahead of the competition in SEO is to create topical authority. It means that your website has authority over that topic and anytime someone searches anything related to that topic, google will present your website as the answer. Nowadays, all seo companies are working on increasing Domain authority.
Let’s say someone searches for dog food for bulldogs, but they also added dietary restrictions in the queries. Now, you have a website that solely focuses on one type of dog food that is suited for the same dietary restriction, and you wrote hundreds of blogs on it. This will make your website a topical authority on that dietary restriction. This will help businesses target the audience they want with a narrowed intent that converts.
How to Create Topical Authority?
There is no cookie-cutter approach to gaining topical authority, as it depends on your industry, niche, and your expertise. However, creating pillars and cluster content on one topic can help you gain authority over the subject. Make sure to target keywords that are related to the topic and replicate what users are searching for. In the end, your on-hand expertise on the matter and how it can help users are the only things that matter.
7. Updated Content
Some topics are known as evergreen, which means you can get information for it from an old blog and still find it useful. However, most of the other searches are time-sensitive and require websites to offer the latest information. That’s when website owners need to update their old information to keep it relevant.
Let’s say someone searches for dog food for bulldogs, but they also added dietary restrictions in the queries. Now, you have a website that solely focuses on one type of dog food that is suited for the same dietary restriction, and you wrote hundreds of blogs on it. This will make your website a topical authority on that dietary restriction. This will help businesses target the audience they want with a narrowed intent that converts.
How to Keep Updating Content on Your Website?
The answer is simple, keep it updated. If there is news about a product you offer, new services, or new features, include them in your content. Remove the content that is irrelevant. For example, PhoneGap is closed, and now it’s Apache Cordova, so if you have a service page for it, you need to update it.
Conclusion
One of the most important lessons we can learn from all we have seen with Google Core update is that value is what Google is looking for. No matter how long an article you wrote on a certain subject, if it doesn’t offer any value, it won’t rank. In this post, we have added some of the most useful SEO trends of 2024.
SEO trends are not something out of the box but complement the original concept of how a search engine works. We have also added different ways to adapt your SEO strategy to benefit from these trends.
Author Bio
Kinjal Patel is the founder of Justdigilab, a leading digital marketing agency in California, USA. With over a decade of experience, she spearheads a team specializing in SEO, PPC, social media, content marketing, and email marketing. Kinjal is passionate about helping businesses enhance their online presence and achieve measurable results through innovative and customized digital strategies.