With the new year right around the corner, you may be starting to set goals for your company’s performance for the upcoming year. As we make advancements in the digital age, it is of utmost importance that your company maintains a strong internet presence. One of the biggest contributors to this is having a strong SEO strategy. Below, we’ve curated a list of SEO trends and insights for 2023 and beyond to help you get ahead of your competitors and develop your SEO strategy further. Let’s break them down.
1. Video Marketing Is Here to Stay
YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok are the current most popular video platforms. Including the use of these platforms in your marketing strategy shouldn’t be a new concept, and it certainly isn’t going anywhere.
If you have managed to make it this far without using video marketing in your SEO strategy, I have a feeling these statistics may open your eyes to how invaluable videos could be for the expansion of your business:
- You are 53 times more likely to appear on the first page of Google results if your website contains videos.
- It’s possible to increase your conversion rate by 80% by simply displaying a video on your landing page.
- For e-commerce sites, 90% of people state that videos help them make their purchase decisions.
Videos are the most efficient way to relay important information and get your message across to consumers.
TikTok is currently the world’s top app for sharing photos and videos. While the app has a broad range of users, 60% of them are Gen Z. While you would think this younger generation is using the app for entertainment purposes, 40% of Gen Z prefers using TikTok as a search engine over Google when it comes to searching for things like where to get lunch or even when looking for advice from professionals. Hence, by using this platform for your business, you have a high probability of reaching a younger audience. Google has taken note of the popularity of TikTok and developed a means to make it easier for content creators to pass on information to Google searchers. This can be done using the following:
- Clip markups – This enables creators to highlight the most critical sections of their videos, allowing viewers to jump straight to the point they’re interested in. This can be very useful for how-tos and guides on certain topics.
- Seek markups – This is a way of telling Google how the structure of your URLs work. This will allow Google to automatically display the key factors of your video, helping you target the main points of your video.
Although video marketing requires a bigger budget and requires more resources, it is well worth the investment.Â
54% of buyers claim they want to see more videos from the brands that they support.
Since there is a gap in the use of video marketing, some businesses are hesitant due to the subjectivity of video marketing results.
Here are some recommendations to make your investment worthwhile:
- Incorporate video content throughout your website.
- Target keywords when labeling videos, including key points.
- Create videos around relevant content.
- Use appropriate hashtags on social media.
- Consider outsourcing content creation to freelancers or a marketing agency to conserve resources.
2. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the true powerhouse behind all marketing. In the past few years, AI has been integrated into nearly every digital marketing channel. There are many trends in AI that are likely to continue to develop and evolve in the coming years. Some of the key trends that are expected to shape the field of AI in 2023 and beyond include:
- Increased adoption of AI—As AI technology becomes more advanced and easier to use, it is expected that more and more businesses and organizations will adopt AI solutions to improve efficiency and decision-making.
- Improved natural language processing—AI systems will continue to get better at understanding and processing human language, enabling more effective communication and interaction with humans.
- Greater use of machine learning—Machine learning, a subset of AI that involves training algorithms to make decisions and predictions based on data, will become more widely used for tasks such as image and speech recognition, as well as for predictive analytics and decision-making.
- Enhanced personalization—AI will be used to deliver more personalized experiences to users, such as personalized recommendations and customized advertising.
- Enhanced security and privacy—As AI becomes more prevalent, there will be a greater need for measures to protect against malicious use and to ensure the privacy and security of personal data.
- Increased collaboration between humans and AI—As AI becomes more advanced, it is expected that there will be a greater emphasis on collaboration between humans and AI to augment human capabilities rather than replace them.
These are just a few examples of the trends that are likely to shape the field of AI in the coming years. As with any rapidly evolving field, it is difficult to predict exactly how things will develop and what their effects will be, but overall, these trends are likely to have a significant impact on digital marketing.
3. SERPs have changed—and become more intelligent.
Search engine results pages (SERPs) have indeed become more intelligent over the years, as search engines have implemented a variety of AI-powered features and technologies to improve the user experience and the accuracy and relevance of search results.
One example of this is the use of natural language processing (NLP), which enables search engines to better understand the intent behind a user’s search query and provide more relevant results. For example, if a user searches for “best Italian restaurants near me,” the search engine can use NLP to understand that the user is looking for recommendations for Italian restaurants in their local area and provide a list of relevant options.
Other AI-powered features on SERPs include the ability to answer questions directly, provide related searches and synonyms, and show relevant images and videos. Many search engines also use machine learning algorithms to personalize search results based on a user’s past search history and other factors.
Overall, the use of AI on SERPs has made it easier for users to find the information they are looking for and has improved the overall quality of search results.
4. Optimize Content For Voice Search
If you are not optimizing your content for voice search, then you are missing out on a huge chunk of the current SEO landscape. By optimizing for voice search you will rank higher in Google and improve your overall conversion rates as you will be providing a better user experience.
Besides smartphones, the rise in the use of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant has caused a drastic increase in the number of voice searches over the past few years. In fact, current statistics show that 41% of adults perform voice searches daily.
Here are a few key strategies that you can use to optimize your content for voice search:
- Use long-tail keywords—Voice searches tend to be more conversational and use longer, more specific phrases than typed searches. To make your content more visible in voice search results, use long-tail keywords that closely match the way people speak.
- Use structured data—Structured data, such as schema markup, helps search engines understand the content and context of your pages. This can improve the chances that your content will be included in voice search results.
- Use natural language—When writing content for voice search, it’s important to use language that sounds natural and is easy to understand. This can help ensure that your content is accurately interpreted by voice search assistants and is more likely to be selected as a result.
- Focus on commonly-asked questions—People often use voice search to ask questions, so it can be helpful to create content that addresses common questions in your industry. This can make your content more visible in voice search results.
- Optimize for mobile—Many voice searches are conducted on mobile devices, so it’s important to ensure that your content is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. This can improve the chances that your content will be included in voice search results.
By following these strategies, you can increase the visibility of your content in voice search results and improve the chances that your content will be selected as a result.
5. Prioritize Having A Mobile-Friendly Website
Having a mobile-friendly website is important for several reasons. With the increasing number of people accessing the internet through mobile devices, it is essential for businesses to have a website that is easy to use and navigate on a small screen. If that isn’t enough reason to ensure your website is mobile-friendly, here are a few more reasons a mobile-friendly website should be implemented:
- Improved user experience—A mobile-friendly website provides a better user experience for people accessing your site on a mobile device. It is easier to read and navigate, and users are more likely to stay on the site longer and explore more pages.
- Increased traffic—A mobile-friendly website is more likely to rank higher in search engine results, especially on Google. This can lead to an increase in traffic to your site, as more people will be able to find it when they search for relevant keywords.
- Better conversion rates—A mobile-friendly website is more likely to convert visitors into customers. If a website is difficult to use on a mobile device, people are more likely to give up and leave the site, which can lead to lost sales or leads.
- Enhanced reputation—A mobile-friendly website helps to enhance the reputation of your business. Customers expect businesses to have a website that is easy to use and navigate, and a mobile-friendly site shows that you are committed to providing a high-quality user experience.
Overall, having a mobile-friendly website is essential for any business that wants to succeed in the digital world. It can improve user experience, increase traffic, enhance conversion rates, and enhance your reputation.
Conclusion
While it’s impossible to know exactly what the new year will bring, the SEO trends for 2023 seem to be pointing to a more technical and user-friendly approach. With that being said, whatever 2023 has in store for us, we’re ready to tackle it all.
The future of SEO is a constantly evolving process and can be a challenge to keep up with, especially when you’re running a business. That’s why many companies choose to have a solid digital marketing team in their corner. At Ardent Creative, we’ve worked with a wide range of clients to formulate a pristine SEO marketing plan to grow their brand’s visibility.
We’ll show you how to take advantage of the latest SEO trends to make 2023 your most successful year. Contact us today to set a plan in motion to capitalize on the top SEO trends of 2023.