At one point in the past, keyword stuffing was a legitimate SEO strategy that gave incredible results. Now, anyone using it could only watch as their SEO rank plummets.
Then, posts that were 500 to 600 words long gave the best results; today, it’s hard to imagine anyone giving a post without at least 800 words a go (even 800 would be a bit of a stretch).
About ten years ago, if you told anyone to focus on voice search SEO, they would have considered you mad. Nowadays, it’s one of the first suggestions that you’ll receive (coincidentally, it’s the first item on our list). In other words, the world of SEO is constantly evolving, and you need to catch up. Here are five things you should remember to stay in touch with the latest trends.
1. Voice search is blowing up even further
The reason why voice search is exponentially growing has a lot to do with the fact that the technology is getting more sophisticated by the hour. Now, voice search can pick up hints and figure out the context. It can also pick up on your location (via GPS), scan some of your recent search history, and do more to get as much contextual information as possible.
The problem is that many SEO specialists still don’t understand how to handle voice-based SEO. For instance, they completely miss that voice search optimization needs to focus on conversational keywords and answer questions more concisely. In other words, imagine these queries as ideal for FAQ.
Another thing to bear in mind is that you should draw more heavily from local directories and review sites. After all, this is where people go when they want quick answers to concrete questions.
2. AI and content marketing
There’s a misconception that Google penalizes AI-generated content because it is biased against this type of content generation. This is simply not true. The reason why Google (at the moment) hates AI writing is that it hates recycled content. AI works with the material it has, which makes it unable to create new ideas.
However, what if a human writer was to, let’s say, use AI for research and aid in their writing? Well, the potential behind this would be tremendous. You don’t have to use AI to write an entire post. What about just using it for briefs, outlines, or ideas? This would already save you a tremendous amount of time.
While it’s unlikely that AI will ever fully replace writers, writers who use AI (especially those who are good at using it) will replace those who don’t.
The key thing to understand is that AI tools are here to stay, and it’s unlikely that this technology will go away. So, you need to embrace it and determine what these tools are useful for and what kind of use will penalize you. Walking this thin line will ensure you remain competitive for as long as possible.
3. Other uses of AI in SEO
Writing content is not all that AI will be used for in SEO. Various AI tools can be used for analysis and even to aid link building. Therefore, many suspect it will have a transformative influence on this field.
For instance, you can use AI to prospect new sites and identify blogs and influencers worth reaching out to. While some analytical tools have given incredible results in the past, adding the analytical AI component can make your search much more specific.
Sure, you could filter your partners by followers/traffic, but what about adding an engagement rate? What about specific (or loose) topical relevance? Each of these factors can be life-saving .Also, bear in mind that your SERP presence doesn’t just depend on your SEO. For instance, doing PPC for SaaS will also impact your positioning. Needless to say, even PPC depends on AI.
4. Boost the significance of user experience
A great user experience will increase the average duration of the visit and the number of return visitors to your site. Both of these things are ranking metrics. The same goes for the bounce rate. If your site fails to load, if your audience fails to find the CTA or doesn’t understand your navigation, there’s nothing that you can look forward to.
Good UX will also increase your conversion rate. Just take the opposite of everything we’ve discussed previously. A good introduction, a well-placed CTA button, and an incredibly intuitive, smooth-running website. This will make your engagement and conversion rates through the roof. There you have two more metrics in your favor.
Most of these positive UX factors align perfectly with your on-site optimization goals.
Now, you need to look at the bigger picture. You want people to connect mentally between your online presence and high efficiency. The only way to do so is by boosting user experience.
Lastly, you need to keep in mind that people are more likely to share content behind UX-friendly sites and platforms. So, you get one more opportunity to branch out.
5. The significance of local SEO
Another great misconception about SEO is that only the largest enterprises have a vested interest in it. Having a strong online presence doesn’t mean being competitive across the globe. Sometimes, all you need is a bit of a push to grow in your local market. This is the significance of local SEO.
A strong local SEO (especially local mobile SEO) strongly impacts offline purchases. According to one study (albeit from a few years back), about 80% of people conduct brief mobile research before making an offline purchase.
For this to work, you need to learn how to push your GMB optimization. Let’s face it; when we talked about how these users research before buying online, chances are that most of them will just look you up to confirm your address or check your working hours. Even those who access your site will likely do this via GMB.
Wrap up
As you can see, AI is a tool for a more efficient human-based SEO, not a replacement for writers, link builders, and SEO strategists. Voice search and local SEO are even stronger, which is already becoming a continuous trend. Lastly, there’s no tricking Google into thinking your website is quality; therefore, you need to put more emphasis on UX.