It is (almost) common knowledge that SEO is the ultimate driver of any business with an online presence. Regardless of whether you carry your transactions locally or globally, you will need a footprint online to get the best out of your marketing efforts.
SEO helps your business to appear on the top of the SERPs, driving in more prospects without paying any extra marketing fee. However, as many may have told you, it is not easier to break the barrier to reach the top of the search results with any keyword.
As a marketer, you know that nothing can stop you from achieving your goals. In this article, you will learn the top SEO facts ruling in 2021. You can get ideas to employ and boost your ranking and business performance. You can use what you learn from the fact sheet alongside blogger outreach services to optimize your website reach.
These are the things you need to know about SEO in 2021.
1. Voice Search for Most Relevant Results
It has been more than a decade since Siri started operating on Apple devices. Other platforms have also created their respective voice assistant software and applications to make working with smart devices seamless. Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, and Amazon Alexa are younger than Siri, but they all play a significant role in controlling and commanding devices, including what to do on the web.
Voice-assisted search becomes vital when people want to spend less time typing. You can speak to your smartphone or tablet while doing other tasks with your hands. Asking your device to search on the web is a little different from typing your search query. In voice search, we speak normally, like when having a conversation with others.
Therefore, you have to work on your keywords to ensure that your content ranks for voice search. Long-tail keywords will play an essential role in keeping you relevant to voice search. Let your content flow naturally to answer a question.
2. User Experience Gets Priority
You might be relevant in your field, answering all customer questions and delivering high-quality and detailed content, but fail to make it to the top of the SERPs. What could be going on? Google answers that. According to the 2020 Google search algorithm update, Core Web Vitals, a set of signals will determine how well your website is set to improve how consumers access and interact with your site.
This algorithm is going into effect from May 2021. You can start updating your website to make it the best you can. Google wants to see content immediately when your site starts loading. You should also ensure that the loading time is minimal and that there is no disruption when your audience waits for the page to finish loading.
3. Intent-Based Ranking
In late 2019, Google unveiled its BERT algorithm. In their update, they wanted to resolve a mystery that arises when a person searched the web. Sometimes, queries can be ambiguous, and this can impact the search results.
In this update, Google uses AI to assess statements to understand how humans communicate. The bots can then identify the meaning of a statement by analyzing the format and structure instead of keywords only. The content can then rank according to the subject. You will understand that your keywords will not only be long-tail but also surrounded by words that describe the topic you are addressing.
4. Relevant and Authoritative Content
Before you misunderstand me, I did not say that content does not matter to rank your website. In 2021, Google is still interested in quality and problem-solving information across the web. Everybody will tell you to write 2000+ words per page, but that is not correct.
You can rank with a short writeup of 300 words or long-form content. The most important thing is how you stay relevant on the topic and provide your visitors with outstanding information they are yearning to get. Search engines know when your content fulfills customer needs, and they will rank your website higher on their SERPs.
5. Video Content
In the early stages of the internet, search engine bots could not read images and video content. Over the years, things have changed, and the content you feed your consumers through video will determine how well you will rank on search engines.
There are several reasons why businesses should adopt video marketing. By using video-sharing sites like YouTube, you can rank your business higher on the search results. Use a relevant keyword in your channel name. Create a natural and user-friendly channel brief, and employ the correct keywords in your video titles and descriptions.
6. Local Search is Essential
The internet makes access to information easy and fast. It makes the whole globe seem like a small village. However, that does not mean that you should ignore customers in your city or country.
Local search placements are vital, especially when you run a physical business where people can visit you. To rank locally, consider creating and optimizing a Google My Business page and include your city in the keywords you intend to rank.
Summary
SEO is ever-growing, and we may not exploit everything. However, we can put more effort and get to the top and stay updated on every advancement. This can help you to fine-tune your site and content to reach more customers while staying relevant in the industry.
References:
https://www.dreamgrow.com/8-reasons-why-your-business-should-use-video-marketing/
https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2021/01/12/top-seo-trends-2021
