The only thing that remains the same in SEO? Change.
Algorithm updates and search trends are constantly evolving and influencing the way that we execute our optimization strategies. Year after year, we see new strategies emerge, each one more effective than the last — and 2022 is no different.
So, what does this mean for your strategy? As search engine technology continues to advance, so should your search strategy. Our SEO experts have determined the top 5 SEO trends to look out for in 2022. See which trends and tactics made the list:
1. Cookieless SEO
If you haven’t already heard, third-party cookies are officially crumbling in 2022. Google’s recent updates to personal data privacy have changed the digital landscape as we know it, but there’s still a way for marketers to come out on top.
While Google is giving third-party cookies the boot, first-party data is still fair game. As a website owner, you will still have access to basic data about your website visitors.
What does this mean for SEOs?
For starters, this is the beginning of a more private, personalized online experience that prioritizes user experience. We can expect websites to start adapting to this model and placing a heavier focus on user intent. We may even see a rise in the usage of alternative browsers with different privacy concerns.
This is a very new concept in the world of SEO, and everyone will be adjusting at the same time. Your best bet will be to focus on optimizing your content to satisfy user intent and staying up to date with the latest privacy practices.
2. Long Form Content
We all know that Google loves to rank high-quality content. Although the length of your content doesn’t technically contribute to how it is ranked in the eyes of Google, users certainly have a different opinion. We mentioned above that the death of the third-party cookie is leading to a user-first content approach, and long-form content is going to help you get there.
What does this mean for SEOs?
Long-form content (3000+ words) can vastly improve your search rankings if you can keep the user engaged. A great way to do this is by breaking up your content into smaller blocks of text using H2 and H3 subheadings. This will make it easier for readers to browse and find the specific information they are searching for. As an added bonus, doing this also makes your content more easily read by Google, thereby improving your rankings for targeted keywords.
3. Web 3.0
With the introduction of Web 3.0, the future is now. Web 3.0 is an advanced Web variation involving the Semantic Web. The semantic web leverages machine learning, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology to achieve a more personalized dataset. Essentially, Web 3.0 is using AI to give data a more human touch.
The goal of Web 3.0 is in line with the departure of third-party cookies and the trend toward long-form content. What do these things have in common? Personalization. Web 3.0 is intended to give users a more personalized, practical, and efficient version of the web.
What does this mean for SEOs?
As the web becomes more decentralized and user data becomes block-chained, you need to understand how this will affect search behavior and develop strategies to win in this novel web infrastructure. You can expect to see new tools, technologies, and solutions that help businesses optimize their websites for Web 3.0. The metaverse is already taking advantage of this new space, and others are sure to follow.
The integration of voice search in Web 3.0 is also something to watch, as websites will need to adapt their content to cater to this new search result format. Voice search will prioritize content with a more conversational approach, so incorporating long-tail keywords within your long-form content is a must.
4. Headless CMS
This may sound like some sort of beast from a fantasy novel, but Headless Content Management System (CMS) is a real thing, and it’s emerging as an innovative and efficient way to develop new on-page content.
So, what is headless CMS? CMS typically comes with three parts: a database to store content, a back-end to manage it, and a front-end to present it to a visitor. While a traditional CMS comes with all three parts, a headless CMS only consists of data storage and a back-end. While we’ll save the specifics for your website development team, there is one important takeaway for SEO teams.
What does this mean for SEO’s?
Brands are opting to decouple content from code to allow content to be published on multiple platforms without all that pesky HTML attached. As an SEO expert, you need to start thinking about ways to optimize content so that search intent is built in at the source. That way, content can be deployed onto a myriad of platforms moving forward.
5. Page Experience
Google continues to focus more and more on the role that page experience plays and its impact on search results. With page experience algorithm updates already happening, Core Web Vitals will become the go-to tool for SEO experts this year. While there are many factors that go into page experience, we’ve selected a few we anticipate seeing more of in 2022:
Google’s EAT principle
The first step in delivering a positive page experience: quality content. EAT is a criterion Google uses to evaluate and rank the quality of web pages. EAT stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Google uses each of these factors to determine if a web page provides quality content. We can expect more web pages to adapt to this model in 2022, so it’s important that you keep EAT in mind when developing content.
Faster page speed
What’s the saying? “Fast is first.” This is a trend that continues to pop up year after year and for good reason. Page speed is one of the consideration factors Google uses to rank a website, so making sure your pages load fast continues to be a priority. A faster page speed also makes for a better overall page experience, which helps increase engagement.
Strategizing For zero-click search results
As Google adds more SERP (search engine results page) features, they are essentially trying to keep users within the Google Eco-System and deprive sites of visitors. As an SEO expert in 2022, staying informed on SERP updates will be vital to securing a rank within these features. At the same time, you should also be strategizing ways to create content that encourages users to make that first click. And once they’ve arrived, how do you make them stay? You guessed it: Create engaging, long-form content with relevant keyword metadata to fulfill Google’s EAT principle.
It looks like SEO experts everywhere will have their hands full this year. Red Door’s SEO team would love to help ensure you are taking advantage of all these new ways to evolve your SEO strategy. Reach out today.