A big shake-up is coming to search engine optimization (SEO). Changes in algorithms and best practices mean you need to be on your toes to keep up. Tips from SEO agency experts can help you rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs), but it is up to you to maintain it. This guide gives you five trends to consider in your SEO strategy for the best SERP ranking:

1. Integrating AI into SEO
2. Moving to Topic Clusters
3. Writing from Experience
4. Raising Site Accessibility
5. Adhering to Data Privacy

There’s a lot to discuss, so get ready to take notes. Let’s go!

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5 Great SEO Trends That May Influence SERP Ranking

The fight for SEO supremacy is no longer tied to click-through rate (CTR) and website traffic. Google’s growing list of SERP features means it is not always necessary for users to click on links to assess the content’s worth. People now have more options for previewing. SERP features, such as listings and featured snippets, ease the process of searching. Snippets and ads, in particular, allow you to answer your audience’s questions right from the get-go. They take all the work away from users, which also means that competition is tight to reach the top spot. To achieve the best SERP ranking, then, you must follow the latest SEO techniques available.

     1. Integrating AI Into SEO

If you have not already, start looking into artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). SEO agency experts believe these two concepts are invaluable to success in SERP ranking moving forward. Of course, you can continue managing your website as is, but that is risky. The increasingly widespread availability of intelligent software raises the bar for SEO superiority. With that, here is a quick overview of why AI and ML are becoming integral to strategies:

1. AI tools make finding optimal search intent keywords for content faster and easier.
2. You can get started on writing with just a prompt. Writer’s block is a thing of the past.
3. Analyzing competitor success is a button click away with AI-powered software.
4. Producing high-quality audio and video is no longer a lengthy and taxing process.
5. Chatbots keep users engaged and on your website browsing through your content.

     2. Moving To Cluster Topics

As mentioned above, the SERP itself is the new battlefield where you have to outshine competitors. That means being the first and most relevant answer to your target audience’s query. Luckily, cluster topics are a fantastic solution to this exact problem. This approach to content creation works by building around a central theme, similar to a mind map. You effectively check several items off of your SEO checklist this way because everything helps your strategy. For instance, building internal links and domain authority happens naturally. Most importantly, by publishing individual articles that focus on specific concerns, you match specific searches. Content made this way is also primed for better meta descriptions and snippets because it is much easier to sum up its scope in a few choice words. Customers want quick responses and fast service, so by making better content that stands out on SERPs, you slowly but surely raise your ranking and capture more of the market.

     3. Writing from Experience

Search algorithms are not the only determining factor of SEO that Google has changed. They have likewise updated their Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines in response to developments in SEO practices. Experience has joined expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). What does this mean? It means you must be able to answer the following about your content:

• Am I writing about this from experience? Is this something I have encountered firsthand?
• Do I have the needed skill, background, or knowledge to educate others on this topic?
• Am I the authority on this information, or does my content reference resources that are?
• Have I done enough to earn the trust of my peers and users as a source of information?

Trust sits at the center of these values and is, therefore, the most important. It can draw from the other three but also exist independently of them. In a way, it does depend on perspective. As Google puts it, “A financial scam is untrustworthy, even if the content creator is a highly experienced and expert scammer who is considered the go-to on running scams!”

     4. Raising Site Accessibility

SEO is composed of multiple on-page, off-page, and technical elements. Overlooking one in favor of another can have dire consequences for your website. For instance, SEO experts can tell you that poor web design can tank your rankings because it lowers user experience (UX). On the other hand, efforts that improve UX can boost your position on SERPs because they improve the overall experience on your website. How you construct a web page affects who can use it and to what extent. For example, a mess of visual elements is distracting at best. Accessibility means that everyone can freely explore and use your website. That means taking extra care with your font, color, and placement on a page. Moreover, it also includes adding features such as voice search, screen readers, and focusing tools to broaden your audience. In short, accessibility has a lot to do with opening up your website to people with disabilities.

     5. Adhering To Data Privacy

Security is another factor you can expect to have an increasingly strong influence on SEO. User protection and data privacy laws are becoming more commonplace. Following Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), US states are drafting and enforcing similar local laws. While this may not seem important to search engines, it does affect how you can gather data on your target market. It also has massive implications for strategies reliant on social media platforms. Anything that needs rich user data has to make adjustments to survive and thrive. Prepare to revisit strategies that are affected by this change. Get ahead of the curve and look into using broad demographic categories effectively for research and marketing. Local SEO, for example, is an excellent way to connect with customers in a genuine and unobtrusive manner. Finally, consider investing in customer relationship management software (CRM) to avoid data vulnerabilities.

Summing Up

SEO is a constantly changing concept, making trends inseparable from its identity. The evolution of technology, first and foremost, dictates the future of SEO. AI, accessibility, and privacy are setting the tone for what is to come in competing for the top spots in SERPs. Using these to your advantage is not terribly easy, but it is vital to succeeding in the next stage of SEO and achieving the best SERP ranking. Need help preparing for the latest SEO and SERP trends? Contact us to learn how we can help.

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