Ranking high in the Google search results is an ever-lasting challenge! Isn’t it?
With the ever-changing SEO techniques, 2021 is seeing a new wave of evolution. SEO has gained its importance after the need for organic search shot up. Organic brings 80% of the traffic to any website.
Another factor why site owners prefer organic search is the conversion rate. If you are owning an e-commerce site, close to 30% of the organic traffic convert to a buyer.
But, with the growing competition, the changes in the best SEO techniques are important to track. What worked in the last decade, might not work anymore now!
Why is it so?
The main reason is SEO works on the way people search and reach our products. It is important to note here that change in technology is a key factor for change in SEO strategies.
In this article, we shall explore some of the major SEO trends in 2021.
So, without much delay, let us dive straight into the key trends.
Voice Search
With more than 50% of all the searches being voice searches by 2021, get ready to optimize your site accordingly.
It is important to mention here that voice searches are gaining pace. With Google making it, even more, simpler with vernacular searches, voice search is catching up very quickly.
Moreover, looking at the future, close to 85% of consumers are forecasted to have voice search.
So, if your website is not optimized to answer voice search queries, it might be difficult to rank higher!
The main challenge could be the difference in keywords. Keywords, while written, are different from voice search keywords.
Getting adapted to such changes will keep the business stay ahead!
Video SEO
What is changing right now is the platform strength of YouTube. With more than 1 billion users on the platform, YouTube means competition.
The growing competitiveness of YouTube is making ranking more difficult. People are moving from texts to videos, as content is losing its relevance.
What’s interesting is the CTR rate of Videos!
41% more than content!
So, with this growing challenge, ranking your video higher is the new challenge.
Keyword research for videos can be done through autocomplete features of the platform.
Note here, that this feature works, only when you are not logged into your YouTube account.
The second way while selecting the keyword over YouTube is by making it unique.
A unique keyword or unique video idea has a higher chance of landing on the first page!
Search intent
If you have taken any SEO or Digital Marketing classes, you would have come across this term, multiple times!
Search Intent is the motive behind searching anything over the internet.
If you search for Homemade Pancakes, the intent can be different.
Do you want to make homemade pancakes?
Or
Homemade pancakes near you
This variation in terms of the search intent is becoming the main point of discussion for Google.
If your website is matching the intent properly, you are in a better place to rank higher.
With 4 search intent categories, it is important that you stick to anyone’s intent in your website and grow it consistently.
Understanding the search algorithm
The search algorithm of Google functions in a different way than what we expect.
The key component for the success of any webpage is how often the user clicks any website on the first page.
For that to happen, the title tag of the website needs to be catchy and informative.
A catchy title tag, which matches with the user intent, always leads to higher CTR.
Sites with a higher CTR get ranked on the first page.
But, there is a catch!
The bounce rate from your website is the negative factor that you need to take care of!
If the bounce rate from your website is also high, it leads to falling in the ranking of the website.
Bounce rate can be attributed to the content present on the website. A better content strategy, with a smooth flow of content, helps in ranking higher!
Responsiveness of your website
2019 saw Google shifting from Desktop first indexing to mobile-first indexing!
What does it mean?
Even if you have an excellent desktop website, it will not be indexed easily, or ranking well unless you have an optimized mobile version of it!
For ranking the websites, Google is now using a mobile version of the site.
And, this is where responsiveness is getting the push!
But, is having just a mobile-friendly site, enough?!
You need to check for the following to improve the user experience on your mobile website, for betting ranking:
- Mobile Usability Report
- Check for mobile-friendly ranking of the website
- Speed for loading the mobile website
Bottom line
SEO trends for 2021 have shown how technology can change the user experience on a larger scale. Ranking higher in Google search will only be possible through dynamic strategies, aimed towards improved user experience.
