About 60% of marketers say search engine optimization (SEO) and blogging are their top sources of high-quality leads. In fact, leads via SEO marketing have a nearly 15% close rate. It’s no longer enough to optimize your blog content for SEO, though.
You also need to make sure you’re keeping up with the latest SEO trends to ensure your content reaches the top of search pages. Otherwise, potential customers might fail to find your website online.
Here are a few SEO marketing trends you can apply in 2022. With these trends, you can reach the top to begin attracting new customers to your brand.
Read on to learn more!
IndexNow
Google might become the next search engine to use the IndexNow protocol.
IndexNow is an open-source engine other search engines, including Bing and Yandex, use to discover fresh online content. Most search engines use the pull approach for displaying content. Search engines using IndexNow, on the other hand, use the push method.
Without IndexNow, search engines might use excess crawl load, which can lead to a slower indexing process. IndexNow ensures the utmost energy efficiency by pushing fresh information to search engine result pages.
Google is currently testing the IndexNow protocol’s efficiency to ensure it improves Google’s existing sustainability efforts.
MUM
Previously, Google has used RankBrain, and later BERT, to improve the quality of its search engine results. Today, advanced artificial intelligence allows Google to use Multitask United Model (MUM). MUM is a new natural language processing model that’s 1,000 times more powerful than BERT.
It’s able to multitask when analyzing images, text, and video content in over 75 languages. MUM is able to answer complex search queries, improving the user’s online experience.
MUM can also acquire deeper knowledge of a search query to share content on its Knowledge Graph (more on this below).
You can use these digital marketing trends to your advantage by creating more long-form content. Try to focus on natural content that provides solutions to the pain points your customers are experiencing, too.
Long-Tail Keywords
A single keyword, like “cupcake,” is a broad query. The consumer might expect to find:
- The best cupcake recipe
- Bakeries that sell cupcakes near me
- What is the nutritional value of a vanilla cupcake
The user will expect to find different pieces of content based on their true query. You can focus on targeting long-tail keywords to better anticipate the user’s intentions. Then, you can create content that better aligns with their search intent.
User Intent
Understanding the search intent behind a search query, along with the user’s behavior, can help you provide consumers with the content they want. As you apply these digital marketing trends, focus on personalization, too. Write content with your ideal customers in mind.
You can start by gathering more audience and keyword research. Focus on long-tail keywords to better understand the user’s intent and needs.
Visual Content
In addition to blog posts, try creating more visual content this year. For example, you can also create videos, optimized with a transcript. You can learn more about video marketing here.
Make sure to optimize your images for SEO, too. Add the target keyword to the image file name and alt text. Optimizing your images will allow your content to appear for more visual searches.
Then, consumers can find your content through Google Images, allowing you to generate more web traffic.
Core Web Vitals and User Experience
Google wants to provide online users with the best possible experience, both on the websites it displays and Google’s result pages. As a result, Google uses its Core Web Vitals to ensure webmasters provide better online experiences.
The Core Web Vitals focus on page experience signals like:
- Mobile-friendliness
- Safe browsing
- Intrusive interstitial
- Page load times
- HTTPS/security
Reviewing these factors can help Google determine your page rankings.
To appeal to Google’s Core Web Vitals, work to improve the user experience across your site. Start by making sure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and secure.
EAT
EAT stands for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. When writing blog content this year, make sure to communicate EAT.
You can add EAT to your posts by:
- Adding author names and bios
- Communicating a brand story
- Generating more high-quality backlinks
- Partnering with influencers within your niche
Consider sharing your content on trusted platforms to reach your ideal customers, too.
Structured Data and Rich Snippets
About 75% of search engine users never check the second page of search results. In fact, many people can now remain on the result pages to find the answers they need. Google now displays featured snippets in its Knowledge Graph to aid search engine users.
For example, about 8% of all search queries are in the form of a question. Google’s Knowledge Graph can display a snippet of text to provide the user with a direct answer. The user never has to leave the search results page to check the source website.
This process can further improve the user’s search engine experience by providing them with immediate answers.
Google can also use predictive search results to provide consumers with more helpful options. If a consumer clicks on a result, then returns to the search page, predictive results will appear beneath the link. Then, the consumer can find another source to find the answers they need.
You can structure your data for featured snippets to begin appearing on the top of SERPs.
Appearing at the top of a SERP will ensure the consumer finds your content first. In addition to generating more brand awareness, you can also rank ahead of competitors. Your brand’s credibility could improve as a result.
You can begin structuring your web data for featured snippets using Schema Markup. Otherwise, consider hiring an experienced agency. With their help applying these marketing trends, you can get leagues ahead of the competition.
Apply These SEO Trends for Higher Rankings in 2022
Applying these SEO trends can help boost your organic rankings. Higher rankings will help you reach your ideal customers online. Then, you can begin generating more foot traffic, web traffic, leads, and sales.
With a strong SEO marketing strategy, you can take your business to new heights!
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