- Factors and Trends to Consider in 2021
- E-A-T Determinants
- Peculiarities of Conversion
- SEO Strategy Rules
- Video Uploading
- Key Trends in 2022
- Conclusion
The number of ranking variables has significantly increased in recent years, and search engine standards have become increasingly demanding. It used to be pretty simple to reach the top position. However, as competition has risen and search engine algorithms have improved, getting to the top has become much more challenging. To improve your site, you must understand the most relevant and successful advertising strategies. Take a look at the major trends for 2021 and 2022.
Factors and Trends to Consider in 2021
In the year 2021, new ranking elements were introduced:
- Creating accurate meta tags, setting up robots.txt, 404 errors, and 301 redirects are all examples of technical optimization. The site’s loading speed LCP – plays a vital role.
- Google ranking is determined by proper internal optimization, which includes creating a semantic core, linking, authoring original articles, and image selection.
- A corporate blog, section pages, etc. are recommended to attract the target audience. Each project uses its own points of growth.
- Site authority is determined by relevant links. It is vital to verify the authority of the donor site. For medical sites, for example, the content creator must be medically competent.
- Public Blog Networks (PBN). This is a closed network of sites that refers to a marketed resource that is hidden from search engines. PBNs are used to get thematic linkages.
- Crowd marketing. This is a study of a target population with the goal of raising interest in a specific brand. Crowd marketing is employed for thorough search engine optimization.
- Google My Business (GMB) information must be correct. This is a service that allows users of the Google search engine and the Google Maps navigator to post company information.
The following are some of the major trends for 2021:
- Core Web Vitals algorithm;
- Page Experience ranking update;
- Mobile-first indexing;
- Passage Indexing upgrade.
The new algorithms must be factored into SEO optimization. The page should be as relevant as feasible to the user’s needs. Pages with illegible content and material that do not match keywords do not rank highly on Google.
E-A-T Determinants
Expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness (E-A-T) criteria are considered when optimizing content for SEO. An author with appropriate education should write the article (for a medical site – a medic, for a legal resource – a lawyer, etc.). Google may request a certificate demonstrating the author’s credentials.
Certain criteria are advised to adapt the material to the E-A-T requirements:
- completing the “About” section;
- adding testimonials;
- establishing a good reputation;
- building up the link mass;
- indicating information about the article’s writers.
Positive outcomes from improvements will take time to appear, and will require numerous SE updates.
Peculiarities of Conversion
In 2021, conversion is one of the most important indicators of the quality of online resources. Conversion is the percentage of potential customers who perform a targeted action (e.g. paying for an order). For selling resources, conversion plays a larger role than attracting traffic. Conversion affects the revenue of online stores and the return on marketing investments.
The main reasons for poor conversion rate are poor design, overpricing, an uninformative online catalog, and outdated content.
Certain recommendations should be followed to increase conversions:
- creation of call to action buttons, posting photos and descriptions;
- a detailed study of the product’s value to the customer;
- use of clear language to describe the product;
- making it easier to search the site;
- refining the design of the site;
- variety of colors;
- improving usability;
- adding a feedback form;
- audience orientation.
To ensure that conversion results are accurate, multi-testing is required.
SEO Strategy Rules
It is vital to follow some guidelines while developing an effective SEO strategy:
- A technical audit by several SEO masters is required at the stage of website promotion;
- SEO-optimization strategy planning is required at the stage of website promotion;
- To order SEO, contact a specialist in a specific type of promotion;
- For SEO optimization, allocate sufficient budget and plan it for 3-6 months in advance;
- SEO promotion should be carried out taking into account the competition in a certain subject area (long queries in case of high competition).
Video Uploading
For the past three years, videos have been a popular content category. The use of videos in search results generates more traffic and leads to more conversions.
With video in the snippet, Google employs five different search formats:
- universal search results
- advanced snippets with video
- display in the “Video” tab
- output in Google Maps and Google Discover.
When it comes to publishing videos, you’ll need to devise a unique technique that is dependent on the hosting service you choose. Each hosting service has its own benefits and drawbacks. It is possible to use a combination of several hosting methods.
Youtube is the most popular video hosting platform, with a vast and engaged audience.
Google’s search algorithms frequently reference Youtube. However, there are certain drawbacks, such as the lack of an appropriate player for embedding video.
Other video hosting platforms, such as Vimeo, Wistia, Spotlighter, and others, can be used in addition to YouTube. These hosts provide features that are not available on YouTube (e.g., client support).
Modern video hosting services have a vast range of functions. Heatmaps, A/B testing, and engagement metrics are among the most intriguing aspects.
Video can be the primary material on the website as well as a supplement to it.
When creating a page dedicated to video, be sure to include the following elements:
- a page title that is identical to the video title;
- a brief description of the video with a summary of the content;
- text with the transcript of the video;
- structured data markup.
If the video is used to supplement the core information, the chances of optimizing the page are limited. Video optimization gets easier when video content and the website subject matter coincide. When transcribing videos, a shorter transcription might be employed (2-3 paragraphs at the end of the page is sufficient).
Key Trends in 2022
In 2022, we can identify ten major Google trends:
1) focus on the user and search intent;
2) content quality;
3) internal linking;
4) backlink quality;
5) content updates;
6) structured data;
7) E-A-T;
8) branded search engine optimization;
9) answer block optimization;
10) site structure
The following are some of Google’s major updates for the first quarter:
- the addition of the Shops block;
- the introduction of the indexifembedded tag;
- updating recipe markup requirements;
- the addition of the People Search Next block in mobile search;
- the launch of the Page Experience update on desktops;
- new API for URL validation;
- interactive map in local output;
- free hotel booking links in Search and Maps.
Conclusion
In 2021 and 2022, there are rigorous requirements for SEO marketing. To improve the site’s rank in SERPs, write high-quality content with E-A-T, enhance conversion rates, and add videos with good descriptions. The site should also be optimized for social media (SMO), including social network widgets, comment plugins, and consistent content updates.
