Search engine optimization is essential to growing your business’s online presence. As the year comes to a close, now is the time to assess current and future SEO trends for 2022 to stay ahead of the curve. Below are SEO trends to keep in mind as you plan for the coming year.
Biggest SEO Changes for 2022
In 2021, Google announced its first AI update since BERT. The Multitask Unified Model, or MUM for short, is a powerful AI update that can better identify and understand the intent behind search queries.
According to Search Engine Journal, MUM has been used to quickly identify over 800 variations of vaccine names in more than 50 languages, a task that would have taken hundreds of human hours to complete, Google notes. While MUM is not necessarily something to optimize for at the moment, its effects on SEO trends are something to look out for in the months and years to come.
Another update implemented in 2021 and expected to inspire SEO changes for 2022 is Google’s page experience. Page experience focuses on user experience by emphasizing Core Web Vitals, mobile-friendliness, security, HTTPS usage and accessibility.
According to Google Search Central, page experience has affected mobile devices since August 2021 and is expected to be applied to desktop ranking systems in February 2022. Come February, expect page loading time, a site’s mobile usability, HTTPS usage and accessibility to impact your rankings.
Optimize Page Load Speed
Google’s Core Web Vitals were added to the algorithm’s ranking factors in 2020, making them even more influential as time goes on.
According to Web.dev, Core Web Vitals focus on three metrics: largest contentful paint, first input delay and cumulative layout shift. Essentially, these metrics focus on how long it takes for the largest element to load, how long it takes for the site to respond to user interaction and how much the page elements shift as it loads.
While Core Web Vitals are essential to user experience, they make up just one of the many ranking factors used in the algorithm. As Search Engine Journal notes in a conversation with Google’s Danny Sullivan, site relevance remains the algorithm’s main goal.
That being said, users who have a positive user experience are more likely to return, and a page that takes too long to load is all a user needs to keep away. SEO has evolved to include page load speed, and in 2022, it should be audited regularly.
Create a Mobile-Friendly Site
More than just an SEO trend, optimizing your mobile site is more important now than ever with the launch of Google’s page experience in August 2021. When creating a mobile-friendly site, many of the same principles utilized in a desktop site still apply, keeping user experience at the forefront.
Mobile sites should load fast and be easy to navigate. Users shouldn’t have to zoom in on their phones to read the text or select a link. It’s important that mobile sites are designed to be easy to navigate.
It is also imperative that you keep titles and meta descriptions concise simply because mobile screens are smaller than desktop screens. Without compromising quality, optimize titles, meta descriptions and URLs to be easy to read and type on a smaller screen.
Other mobile SEO best practices include avoiding annoying pop-up ads and Flash since many phones don’t support the plugin. It’s also essential not to block CSS, JavaScript or images. These elements are vital to Google’s understanding of a site’s responsiveness, Moz writes.
Optimize for Google Discover
Google Discover is a feed that recommends content to users based on their search history on desktop or mobile. While some brands don’t utilize Google Discover, many have used it to their advantage.
The algorithm considers many factors before featuring content on Google Discover; however, the driving forces behind getting featured are whether the content is high-quality, targeted and features an eye-catching cover photo.
Applying these principles to your content increases your chances of ranking higher among SERPs in addition to being featured to users with similar interests on Google Discover.
Keep Making Evergreen Content
While evergreen content is not a new SEO trend, it is just as important in 2022 as it has been in the years past. Informative evergreen content does not lose its relevance. It can continue to draw readers to your site long after its publication, ultimately improving search engine rankings and serving as a stepping stone towards your brand’s services and products.
Brainstorm ideas by considering frequently asked questions from your audience and relevant broad industry topics. According to Digital Marketing Institute, “how-to” industry tips and explanations are a strong place to start.
Current events, trends and reports will go out of date fairly quickly, and while this type of content can draw readers, their life span does not stand up against evergreen.
Evergreen content should cast a wide net since experts generally aren’t interested in broad topics. To ensure this, perform keyword research to generate ideas and take advantage of long-tail keywords so you can rank higher among less competition.
It is also essential to write evergreen content from the beginner’s perspective. By cutting down on technical terms or by taking time to explain them, you are providing an informative service to potential customers, encouraging them to explore your site further.
How SEO has Evolved
Throughout 2021, SEO has evolved to place a heavier emphasis on user experience, which is expected to become more pronounced throughout 2022 and onward. By optimizing page loading speed, mobile usability and continuing to create and adapt evergreen content, you can improve your ability to reach and maintain a wider audience.
Contact Wordsmyth Creative Content Marketing today for help with all of your search engine optimization and digital marketing needs.