No other industry is quite as dynamic as SEO. There are constant updates and changes to processes that affect SEO. Efforts that yielded huge results a couple years ago may not be as effective today. As you analyze your SEO strategy for the new year, consider focusing on these eight items below.
- Update your content – It’s important to stay on top of content in general, and if you haven’t freshened it up for a while, now is a great time. Updated and current content improves ranking and user experience. It also ensures your website is accurate.
- Get to know AI content – AI-generated content has gotten better in recent years. Google has a history of discouraging the use of AI-generated content, but some AI content generators have been able to make it scalable. It’s not wise to rely solely on AI content creation without any human intervention, but it’ll be beneficial for companies to understand how it works, why you’d want to use it, and when it makes sense.
- Continue to prioritize links – Google’s teams have mentioned they would begin penalizing backlinking, but the truth is, sharing high-quality content from highly-credible websites is still important. There is value in link building strategies if you’re sure the sites being linked are reputable.
- Focus on E.E.A.T. – The acronym used to be E.A.T. but google has added another item to its guidelines: Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. As you’re updating your website, make sure you address all four factors to show that you’re reliable.
- Get to know Passage Indexing – Google announced a new algorithm called Passage Indexing that will process natural language while indexing a web page in an attempt to understand the passage meaning, even if it’s buried deep inside the site. It will pull sections of a passage from a webpage into a result. It isn’t a change to the indexing, it is a change to the ranking, meaning it will be able to rank individual pages from web pages. This makes structuring your content even more important.
- Prioritize search intent – Understanding your user and their search intent creates helpful content for that user. Place your attention on search queries which will allow you to give your audience competitive, applicable content for those you’re trying to reach.
- Think locally – This year we’re likely going to see more localized search results from Google. Some searches are more beneficial if the result is a local company rather than a global entity. For example, if someone searches “wedding reception centers,” they’re probably looking for a “near me” feature. This means it’s beneficial to add your location details if you’re looking to market to more local customers.
- Keep it mobile – Most searches happen on mobile devices. Because of this, Google looks more heavily into the mobile user experience than the desktop experience. Keep your web design simple and user-friendly for all devices but prioritize mobile sites this year if you haven’t been doing so.
Because SEO needs are always changing, you want a professional to ensure you’re at the top of the game (and the SERP!). Contact Utah SEO Company today.
