Understanding Data and SEO Trends and Changes for 2022
Managing an online business or a website for a brick-and-mortar business is challenging. Keeping up with consumer trends and digital evolution can be a daunting task. This is where search engine optimization (SEO) can be a huge help. But as new technology progresses, changes take place and you have to stay on top of them to remain competitive and relevant. In this article, we will take a closer look at the trends that are going to impact how SEO works for you in the future.
SEO – What It Is
Before we dig deeper into the upcoming digital trends that will influence SEO, let’s look at what SEO is. Search engine optimization is how you change your website to attract search engines to it and rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). You achieve this by using various tactics within your website design that make it more search engine-friendly. When search engines find your website and visit it frequently, they will give your website a ranking. If you regularly update your website content to include elements that keep search engines visiting, your ranking improves. As your rank improves, the more likely search engines will offer your website in search results. It takes ongoing work to keep the search engines coming back time after time.
Trends To Watch In 2022
Here is a shortlist of the most significant SEO trends to monitor over the next year.
#1 – Artificial Intelligence (AI) and SEO
AI is having a huge impact on SEO. It’s not only changing how users search for information –for example, more and more voice search options are emerging – but it is changing how brands use SEO. According to Digital Authority Partners, AI tools will soon assist website owners with extracting data, targeting the most profitable keywords, and creating content far more quickly than is possible if done manually.
#2 – Podcast Optimization
You have probably already noticed that many brands and businesses are repurposing video content by chopping it down into something called ‘shorts.’ This is an effective way to create new content out of existing content. If you have a podcast, chances are you have uploaded several episodes already. This gives you plenty of content that can be edited down into short pieces that are used in other content – for example, a new blog post with podcast parts for support.
#3 – Pay Attention To Core Web Vitals (CWV)
There are three key components in Core Web Vitals that you should be focusing your optimization efforts on. They will prove to be crucial within the next year or so. They include:
Largest Content Paint (LCP)
This measures the largest content element and helps search engines determine if a web page has completely loaded. Poor LCP scores result from slow server response times.
First Input Delay (FID)
This is a measurement that tracks the amount of time between the first interaction of a user on your site and the second when the browser can respond to that interaction.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
This measures the sum of all layout shifts that occur on a webpage that is not due to the interaction of a user. It calculates how much of the viewport has changed by layout shifts.
By correcting the CWV scores on your website, your site’s search rankings will improve which increases the visibility of your website to internet users.
#4 – Schema Markup
This is a 2022 trend that has somehow managed to stay under the radar for most people. Schema markup is a process where you essentially add more structured data and rich snippets to your web pages and content. It is a formatting concept that will get your website noticed and can improve the chances of it showing up as an option to visit in the “People Also Ask” search results. Not sure what the “People Also Ask” section is all about? Read on.
#5 – The “People Also Ask” Trick
You have seen them. When you search on Google, your result shows a section titled “People Also Ask.” It’s intended as a list of potential search questions based on the keywords that came out of your search query. To have your website appear as one of the featured snippets, you must optimize your content to match relevant questions that appear for several high-volume keywords.
#6 – Long-Form Content
Have you noticed that there appears to be more long-form content showing up on websites? There is a good reason for that. Google looks at long-form content for three key elements. It has to demonstrate expertise, show authority, and should build trust. Essentially, relevant content that either shows visitors how to use your product or educates them about your product in some way serves as the direction you should follow when producing long-form content. Search engines love that stuff, and the more specific you get within that content, the more search engines will index your pages. With pages properly indexed, your site will be an option search engines will go to more often as the answer to user queries.
#7 – Local SEO
Local SEO as a digital marketing tool continues to be a current trend. Setting up local business pages gives you a lot of leverage when users are looking for such things as current hours of operation, when your business is the busiest, and when a good time to stop by would be. Local SEO also provides users with maps and directions to easily find your business, contact information for setting appointments, and reviews to find out what other customers have to say about using your service.
Final Thoughts
Because SEO is so important to the success of your business or product, it is important to stay current on trends that can impact your website’s visibility. The trends noted above are just a few to keep in mind for the coming year. Remember, as new technology evolves, you must adapt and improve how your website is viewed and who can access it. The more you stay up-to-date, the more your SEO efforts will produce.