In this fast-paced digital world, staying ahead in your SEO strategies is like trying to hit a moving target. Maybe even while blindfolded. As we move forward in 2024, the landscape is shifting more rapidly than ever before. From AI-driven tactics to crucial link-building strategies, it’s becoming crucial to keep up with the moving times. Whether your goals are mastering video SEO, boosting local visibility, or prioritizing user experience, check out the top 10 SEO trends that will help you hit your mark in 2024.

The Evolving World of SEO 

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is about improving the quality and quantity of organic website traffic through search engine result pages. As our lives become increasingly digital, a solid SEO strategy is becoming more vital for success. If you want to generate leads and get in front of the eyes of your audience, you have to find your way to the top, or the first page, of the search results. By getting familiar with these tips and trends, your brand is on its way to creating a cohesive SEO strategy to drive engagement and revenue. 

1. AI & Machine Learning in SEO  

AI search tools like ChatGPT have completely rerouted traditional SEO strategies and tactics. AI has changed how consumers look for information, and expanded optimization capabilities have given marketers a new, innovative way to think about their brand online. Because AI can automate various SEO tasks, marketers can spend more time focusing on strategic planning and optimizing their brand presence. However, new barriers have risen from AI’s existence in SEO. Because many consumers are turning to chatbots for product information, your brand must learn to write for AI searches and traditional search engine inquiries. The goal is to be at the top of both search methods, so take the time to master these critical skills. 

Machine learning is a subset of AI focusing on how computers learn from data. ML systems require no programming. Their main asset is their ability to rapidly assess data and make relevant conclusions based on the findings. By including this strategy in your digital marketing plans, you can optimize user experience by efficiently analyzing your entire website - keywords, design, pathways, and all. Use ML systems to analyze consumer behavior and develop highly personalized content based on the results. The bottom line is that various AI developments out there can help your brand stand out in the crowded SEO jungle when paired with an already strong SEO strategy. 

2. Voice Search Optimization

We are confident you have used a digital voice assistant, whether you’ve been curious about a product or needed a quick fact from Siri or Alexa. However, have you ever been on the other side of voice search - the solution or answer to a desired question? Now’s the time to find out how! It all starts with automatic speech recognition or ASR, which functions to transcribe voice into text. Because of the increased usage of voice assistants, marketers must prioritize this function in their digital strategies. Your website content should be written to address typical verbal inquiries. When the tech is doing its thing and pulling from data across the web, your brand will be more likely to be chosen to answer a consumer’s most imperative request. Don’t think of voice search as a trend. We are slowly watching it become a norm, with 40% of U.S. internet users using a voice assistant at least monthly as of 2022. Because voice search is more conversational than typical search methods, prioritize common but purposeful text in your website content. By designing your digital strategies for voice search optimization, you can capitalize on this critical SEO subset. 

3. Mobile-First Indexing 

When many people think “website”, they quickly associate the term with a typical computer layout and design. Although having an engaging and high-functioning website for desktop is crucial, marketers must focus on mobile. Google searches on mobile devices make up over 50% of total searches on the engine. Marketing is all about meeting the consumers where they are. If your website looks stellar on one device but lacks layout or function on another, your audience likely won’t be returning. Mobile apps are great for some brands, especially those in the retail or service industry, with likely repeat customers or rewards systems. However, you can still generate and nurture leads on mobile. If you want to leverage the mobile version of your website in your digital strategies, here are some aspects to keep in mind: 

• Consistency: The content and text you provide on one device should match that of the other. Desktop users should not be able to see and access more content than mobile users and vice versa. A good first step is establishing clear and meaningful headings to make the journey close to exact on both platforms. 

• Functionality: This step is especially important. Images, videos, and links may appear differently on a mobile device than on a computer screen. Optimize your mobile users’ experiences by running multiple tests for functionality. Confirm that all visuals are high-quality and supported in mobile form. 

• Placement: Similar to functionality, calculated placement is crucial for a good mobile experience. If images are too large, too small, or cut off, users will likely view your brand as unprofessional or underdeveloped. This also pertains to ads on your site. If ads crowd out your valuable, well-polished content, your audience is likely to become frustrated and may even leave for a more accessible alternative. 

4. User Experience (UX) & Core Web Vitals 

User experience, or UX, is an assessment of a user's overall experience when engaging with your website. When a member of your audience has a positive experience on your site, they are more likely to refer to your brand for future information or potential purchases. UX should be an aspect of all SEO strategies - they go hand in hand. It’s all about creating a website that caters to your core audience and their needs, concerns, and typical online behavior. 

By optimizing core web vitals, you can deliver a killer UX online. What are they? And how should you go about leveraging them? Core web vitals are key factors that Google considers important for a positive user experience on a web page. They measure how a web page loads and functions through a specific URL. These metrics evaluate your website’s stability, functionality, and interactivity - all aspects that go into solid UX. The best way to assess and improve your web vitals is to measure your user data and fix areas that are falling short. SEO is all about user experience with your brand’s digital presence, so prioritize these aspects in your overall strategy and start providing positive experiences for your audience. 

5. Video SEO 

Did you know that Google prefers video content in its algorithm because of its ability to efficiently provide users with answers to their questions? That’s right. By including video in your SEO strategies, you can drastically improve your odds of success and drive users straight to your website. Videos designed for SEO efforts should be integrated into your website or socials, educational, and consistent with your overall brand identity. High-quality videos can stand out in the digital environment if they have the right characteristics that make users click. An engaging thumbnail is crucial for video exposure. Once a user has clicked, include elements like transcripts, descriptions, and keywords to keep your audience watching and hopefully returning to your videos. Video for SEO looks slightly different than other, more traditional SEO tactics, especially when measuring analytics and keyword research. However, if you properly leverage quality video content, prospective customers will likely see your content and stay for the brand behind it. 

6. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) 

Maybe you’ve heard of it, and maybe you haven’t. Either way, E-A-T is crucial for visibility in your SEO strategies. It defines the criteria Google uses to evaluate the credibility and relevance of web pages and websites. E-A-T is most relevant regarding objectivity, facts, and educational sources. Google is constantly working to display the most relevant, up-to-date, and accurate information for its users. Google will notice by building and formulating your content with this criteria in mind. Expertise is related to the level of knowledge or skill in a specific field or category. Authoritativeness describes your relevance and reputation, specifically regarding other industry experts and competitors. Finally, trustworthiness is about the legitimacy and accuracy of your content. Does it make sense? Is the information accurate? If your content is carefully crafted and distributed with these three characteristics in mind, your content is automatically more likely to hit the top of the search pages. 

7. Local SEO 

Local SEO is relatively self-explanatory. It includes the techniques that help a small or local business appear more prominently in unpaid, location-based search results. This can be done on the typical Google search forum, Google Maps, or Google Shopping. What’s the purpose of local SEO? Smaller businesses with lower digital marketing budgets could potentially drown in the competitive ocean of SEO. Providing local brands with an opportunity to appear prominently in relevant search queries evens out the SEO playing field when it comes to specific location-based searching. Google measures relevance, distance, and prominence, then ranks local businesses based on how well they match a user’s search filters. Results change based on the geographic location of the customer. Also, although this method has been around for years, mobile search has boosted the use and importance of this algorithm, benefiting both local businesses and curious consumers. If you are a smaller business or up-and-coming local brand, leverage your content and offerings for your audience living right down the street - Google will likely point them in your direction. 

8. Structured Data and Schema Markup 

Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content. Adding structured data will enable search results that are relevant and engaging to users, making them more likely to check out your brand. Google uses this data to find out anything and everything about the web: the information featured online by different businesses, the contents of web pages, and basic information about the world. They also use this data to display relevant information related to the search results in the thumbnail or under the title of the websites they recommend to users. Schema markup is another name for structured data related to the codes your business integrates that help search engines understand the content from your web page. It’s all about user experience and making the entire search experience more efficient for consumers. If the information provided on your website is easy to understand and applicable to your audience’s likely searches, this will increase the likelihood of being a top search result.

9. Long-Form Content 

Long-form content can improve your SEO strategies due to its detailed and extensive nature. If your content is valuable, readers will likely stay engaged for longer and view your brand as an expert in a topic or industry. There isn’t a clear definition of long-form content, but many SEO experts say that any article longer than 600 words falls under long-form. Others say at least 2,000 words are required. No matter the exact threshold, one thing that does not change is detail. Long-form content tends to go into great detail explaining the subject matter. This type of content can be tricky, balancing detail and length with engaging language and relevance to your audience. However, once you get it down, consumers will likely refer to your brand for questions about a specific field or subject. 

10. Link-Building Strategies 

Link-building is all about your web page’s hyperlinks. This strategy is building one-way hyperlinks, or backlinks, to improve visibility. Backlinks remain Google’s go-to ranking signal, which requires a brand to prioritize building high-quality links and integrating them flawlessly into its SEO strategies. This data measures the authority and relevance of your pages and overall site. When assessing your SEO efforts, it’s crucial to find broken backlinks and immediately replace them with replacements that still make sense. Your link-building strategies could and should take time to develop. A good strategy requires building relationships with other digital creators, competitors, and publishers. If you take the time to learn what makes a good and bad link, you can spend more time and money on building links that will improve your Google search rankings. 

Adapting to SEO Trends in 2024 

It is crucial to take the time to make research-driven decisions that keep your target audience top of mind. The search engine landscape can be scary, filled with rapid developments, millions of competitors, and picky consumers. It can be difficult to keep your head above water. However, by implementing these strategies into your SEO efforts in 2024, success is on the horizon. Remember, SEO is constantly evolving. Leverage these trends to reach the top of results now while staying up-to-date on the latest breakthroughs. There is always more to come with SEO.