Search engine optimization has exploded over the past decade as a tool to help websites rank better in results and get found by potential customers. Local SEO, historical optimization and video implementation have been trends in recent years that have changed the way many marketing departments approach their digital efforts. In the upcoming year, even more changes are on the horizon in the SEO field.
The method is going strong and companies are getting more creative than ever in their efforts to improve rankings, so if you want your business to be truly competitive in 2021, you may want to get an early head start on these four up-and-coming SEO trends.
1. Expect Mobile Sites To Gain More Traction
Though desktop-friendly-only sites may have been adequate in the past, with more consumers than ever conducting searches on their phones, mobile sites are expected to gain serious traction in 2021. In fact, not having a mobile-friendly version of your webpages might even start to harm you in search engine algorithms. To avoid any potential penalty, consider building a mobile-friendly version of your website if you don’t have one already.
2. SEO Analytics May Become a More Common Tool
Data-based marketing decisions are increasingly common as a general business trend, so it may come as no surprise that analytics may start to play a larger role in SEO strategies in the upcoming year. Many marketing strategists have started to take a more quantitative approach to SEO, figuring out what works, what doesn’t and where marketing dollars might be best spent by following the numbers. This strategy can allow you to bypass the frustration of spending too much money on a campaign that won’t bring back the return on investment you’d hoped for.
3. Content Is Diversifying To Include More Images, Video and Audio
Though high-quality written content with strategic keywords goes a long way in SEO, especially long-form pieces, many websites now are beginning to diversify their content in ways that may appeal to search engine algorithms. For example, rather than just a wall of text on every page, many sites are now including accompanying images or audio. Another popular move is to begin incorporating video content that can even be streamed across different platforms to help it gain traction. In short, if you haven’t already expanded your horizons and put a greater emphasis on posting high-quality content, you may want to turn your attention there.
4. Refocus Your Efforts on Featured Snippets
If you haven’t paid much attention to featured snippets in your SEO efforts thus far, now is the time to get started. Featured snippets are the short clips from content that appear at the top of a results page when a relevant search query is entered. Having a snippet from your site can sometimes drive enormous traffic to your website even if your site doesn’t show up in the top few ranking spots, since the snippet attracts users’ attention with its front-and-center placement. Adding some emphasis on your featured snippet efforts this year could possibly give your traffic a boost.
Now is the time to get an early start on the hot SEO trends that are likely to take off in 2021 in order to give your company’s or your clients’ sites a better shot at reaching the first page of top search engines’ results. Though SEO has become a more complex and diversified field in recent years, this year holds some unique trends that are sure to continue to change the game. By incorporating some of these ideas into your SEO strategy, you can help give your site a leg up and achieve your SEO goals!