SEO Trends and Predictions for 2022
It’s no secret that the world of search engine optimization is constantly evolving and changing. After all, people simply don’t use the Web and search engines in the same way they did a decade or even a couple of years ago. So, what kinds of trends are we beginning to see in 2022 and how will these affect SEO as we know it?
Increased Importance of Local SEO
Thanks to Google’s recent Pigeon update, local SEO is more important than ever—and this trend isn’t likely to change at any point in the near future, especially with the anticipated launch of Google’s new Business Cards service. As a result, it’s vital for businesses to have local pages set up with popular search engines, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Furthermore, creating local, geo-targeted content is also a must for those wanting to stay ahead of the curve.
Businesses should also take the time to build their local directory listing by registering their businesses with top directories. From there, uploading information such as contact numbers, operating hours, photos, and links to the company’s website itself can help with SEO.
Mobile Site Optimization
2015 marked the first year in history that mobile search engine inquiries outnumbered desktop inquiries. As a result, Google and other search engines have changed their algorithms to reflect this. Specifically, sites that aren’t optimized for use on mobile devices have taken a hit in terms of their search engine rankings. And with desktop-only sites expected to be obsolete within a few more years, the importance of having a website that’s optimized for use on various mobile devices isn’t anticipated to change anytime soon.
Shift to Long-Tail Keywords
Thanks to the increased use of digital assistants (such as the iPhone’s Siri), search engines have also seen an increase in the number of inquiries containing long-tail keywords. That’s because more people these days are using digital assistants to find the information they need, especially in situations where they need to be hands-free (such as while cooking, working out, or driving). As a result, search engine terms are becoming longer and more conversational as users speak their inquiries rather than type them. What does this mean for SEO? Essentially, it means that optimizing for long-tail keywords is becoming increasingly important.
Greater Focus on Social Content
Finally, whereas social media content has been largely ignored by search engines in the past, 2016 promises to be the first year that we’ll begin seeing social media posts indexed and ranked within traditional search results. Yes, this means you could very well see a Tweet or a Facebook status pop up at the top of your search engine results page. Most marketers already use social media for marketing and SEO purposes, but this change means it’s time to place a greater amount of time and effort into keeping their social media pages updated with relevant, unique, and share-worthy content.
These are just a few of the SEO trends that we’ve begun to see emerge at this point in 2016. What this means for many website owners is that it’s now more important than ever to have sound SEO and marketing strategies in place. An experienced and knowledgeable Naperville SEO agency like eDirex could be just the solution for small business owners who want to remain competitive in today’s environment.