Can you believe another new year is right around the corner? As they say, time flies when you’re having fun – or in our case, when you’re busy keeping up with the latest trends in SEO (search engine optimization). 2022 was a year of change and evolution in the SEO world, and 2023 is sure to bring even more advancements to the table as we continue to put the tumultuous pandemic years in our past.
From algorithm changes to new features to SERP design updates, there are plenty of trends that business owners and marketing experts need to be aware of in order to stay ahead of the curve. Here are a few of the top SEO trends for 2023 we expect will dominate the search landscape:
1) Voice Search
It wouldn’t be a true list of the top SEO trends for 2023 if we didn’t start with possibly the biggest one of all: voice search. From Siri to Alexa to Cortana, voice-activated search assistants have become more and more popular in recent years – and that trend is only expected to continue. In fact, 71% of consumers would rather make a voice search than type a search query.
As more and more consumers adopt these technologies, it’s important for businesses to optimize their content for voice search. This means using natural language and long-tail keywords, as well as structuring content in a way that’s easy for search engines to understand. Think in terms of the way humans speak when formulating your content structure, such as “What is digital marketing?” instead of “digital marketing info”.
2) No-Click Searches
A no-click search is exactly what it sounds like: a search that doesn’t require the user to click on any results in order to find the answer they’re looking for. This is typically achieved through the use of SERP features – the extra elements that appear on a search results page such as featured snippets, image carousels, and local pack listings. These elements are designed to give users the information they need without having to click through to a website.
While SERP features have been around for a while, we expect them to become even more prominent in 2023 as Google continues to favor them in its search results. This is good news for businesses that are able to take advantage of these features in their SEO efforts, as they provide a great opportunity to get in front of potential customers. While it may be a little more difficult to earn a spot in one of these featured sections, it’s well worth the effort as they can provide a significant boost to your traffic and visibility in organic search results.
3) Visual Search
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In the world of SEO, they may be worth a thousand customers. A visual search is a type of search that uses images instead of text as the basis for its results. This trend has been on the rise in recent years thanks in part to the popularity of visual platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, and we expect 2023 will be its biggest year yet.
Why is that, you ask? Two words: Google Multisearch. 2022’s launch of the Multisearch update revolutionized the way visual searches are conducted by giving users the ability to search within an image. This means that instead of having to describe what they’re looking for in text, they can simply point to it in an image to find even more targeted results. For businesses, this means it’s more important than ever to include high-quality and optimized images on your website and blog. Not only will this help you rank better in image searches, but it will also give you a better chance of appearing in these visual search results.
4) User Experience
User experience has always been important to Google, but it’s become even more of a focus in recent years. Google is constantly tweaking its algorithm to provide users with the best possible results, and that means giving preference to websites that offer a great user experience. We expect this trend to continue in 2023, as Google continues to prioritize even more ways to improve their search experience.
There are a few things businesses can do to make sure their website is providing a great user experience. First, they need to focus on creating mobile-friendly and responsive websites that are easy to navigate and use. Second, they need to ensure their website loads quickly and efficiently. And finally, they need to make sure their content is well-written, informative, and relevant to their target audience. By taking these steps, businesses can ensure they’re providing the best possible user experience and boosting their ranking in search results.
5) Fresh Content
Speaking of content, one of the best ways to ensure your SEO strategy stays ahead of the curve in 2023 is to keep your website and blog fresh with new and relevant content. Google loves to see new content, and they often give preference to websites that are regularly updated. This is why it’s so important to have a solid content strategy in place for your business as we move forward into the new year.
Not sure where to start? Try creating a content calendar to help you plan and schedule your posts. This will ensure you’ll always have a roadmap for your content strategy, and help you stay on top of the latest trends and topics in your industry. You can also consider repurposing older content or using tools like Google Trends to find new ideas for blog posts and articles. By conducting thorough keyword research and keeping your content fresh, you can ensure your website is continuously piquing the interest of new customers and search engines alike.
6) Structured Data
Structured data is a type of code that helps search engines understand the content on your website. It’s used to provide additional information about your website and its contents, and it can be used to improve your search ranking. When we look at SEO trends for 2023, we expect structured data to become even more important as Google looks for ways to further refine its search results algorithm.
If you’re not already using structured data on your website, now is the time to start. By adding structured data to your web pages, you can help improve your search rankings and visibility while also making it easier for potential customers to find the information they need. There are a number of tools and resources available to help you get started, but you may want to leave this task to a team of digital marketing professionals with the experience needed to ensure it’s done correctly.
7) Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-first indexing is a type of search engine indexing that gives preference to websites that are optimized for mobile devices. This means that if your website isn’t designed with mobile users in mind, it’s likely you’ll see a decline in your search engine ranking. In 2023, we expect this trend to continue as more and more people use mobile devices to access the internet. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2025, over 75% of internet users will be mobile.
To ensure your website is prepared for mobile-first indexing, you need to make sure it has a responsive design that can be easily accessed and navigated on all types of devices. You should also consider using AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) to help improve your website’s loading speed on mobile devices. And finally, you need to make sure your website is built with mobile optimization in mind, prioritizing easy-to-use features and a user-friendly interface. Be sure to test your website on all types of devices before launch to ensure it provides the best possible user experience on any size screen.
8) Core Web Vitals
Core web vitals aren’t a trend, per se, but they are a group of metrics that will become increasingly important for your SEO strategy in 2023. Core web vitals are a set of factors that impact the user experience on your website, such as loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Google officially made these metrics a ranking factor in May 2021, so you absolutely need to be paying attention to them in 2023 if you haven’t been already.
There are a few different ways to improve your core web vitals. One is to optimize your website’s code and images to reduce loading times. Another is to ensure your website is designed with the user experience in mind, with easy-to-use navigation and content that’s easy to consume. And finally, you can use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to get specific recommendations on how to improve your website’s performance. Of course, this is all easier said than done – which is why you may want to consider working with a team of experienced digital marketers who can help ensure your website is fully optimized for higher search rankings.
9) RankBrain
As its name suggests, RankBrain is an artificial intelligence system that’s used by Google to help rank and sort search results. It isn’t a new system – in fact, it was introduced all the way back in 2015 – but it is constantly evolving. In 2023, we expect it to become more intelligent and insightful than ever.
As RankBrain continues to evolve, it will become better at understanding a user’s search intent and delivering more relevant results. This means that if you want your website to rank highly in the months to come, you need to make sure your content is well-written and relevant to your target audience. As always, you should also focus on delivering a great user experience, as this will become increasingly important to RankBrain and other artificial intelligence systems used by Google.
10) Google Discover
Have you ever noticed a feed of recommended articles that appears when you open the Google app on your mobile devices? That’s Google Discover, and it’s a great way to get your content seen by potential customers. Discover is essentially a personalized feed of content, and it’s based on things like your location, search history, and the types of websites you typically visit. It’s been around for a few years already, but it’s largely slipped under the radar in the world of SEO – until now.
Google Discover is expected to become a major player in the world of digital marketing in 2023, and this is largely due to the fact that Google has doubled down on its commitment to delivering a great user experience. And what’s one of the best ways to ensure a great user experience? Personalized content that’s relevant to the user’s interests. If you want to make sure your content is seen by potential customers in 2023, you need to optimize it for Google Discover. This means creating content that meets Discover’s four requirements for being featured: Schema Markup, Focused Topic, Click-Worthiness and Speed. Doing so may not guarantee a place in a Google Discover feed, but it will certainly improve your chances.
11) Video Content
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth a million. Video content is one of the most engaging and effective types of content you can create, which is why it’s no surprise that it’s become increasingly popular in recent years. In fact, 78% of people watch videos online every week, and 55% do so every day. There’s no denying that video is a powerful marketing tool, but in 2023, it’s expected to become even more valuable. This is largely due to the fact that video content is becoming more accessible than ever before.
Thanks to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, even businesses with limited resources can create high-quality videos that reach a wide audience. This is especially true with an increasing number of consumers accessing the internet primarily from their mobile devices. If you want to stay ahead of the curve in 2023, you need to expand your social media marketing strategy to include video content. Stay on top of the latest trends and trending sounds across platforms to ensure your videos are relevant, engaging and ahead of the curve.
12) User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is any type of content that’s created by someone other than the business or brand, such as a customer, influencer or thought leader in your industry. UGC has become increasingly popular in recent years, as it’s seen as more trustworthy and authentic than traditional marketing content. Consumers value the opinions of other consumers, so featuring UGC on your website or social media channels can help build trust and credibility with potential customers and search engines alike.
There are a few different ways you can incorporate UGC into your marketing strategy, such as featuring guest posts on your blog, partnering with influencers to promote your products or services, or even simply turning positive customer reviews into social media graphics. Not only does UGC help you build trust with your prospective clientele base, but it’s also a great way to save time and resources. After all, you don’t have to create all the content yourself – you can simply curate it and build it into your existing SEO strategy.
13) Local SEO
One of the most important SEO strategies going into 2023 will be optimizing your website for local search. With the rise of mobile search, more and more people are looking for businesses near them. In fact, according to Google, 76% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit the business they found within 24 hours!
Local SEO is more important than ever following the COVID-19 pandemic, as people are increasingly searching for businesses nearby – whether for convenience or to support their local community. There are many ways you can optimize your website for local search results, such as claiming your Google Business Profile listing, optimizing your website for mobile, and including local keywords in your content. It’s worth noting that local SEO strategies will differ slightly depending on your location, target audience and the type of business you have, so be sure to do your research and tailor your strategy accordingly. If you’re not sure where to start, working with a digital marketing agency that specializes in local SEO is a great plan A.
14) Accessible Web Design
Accessibility isn’t an SEO trend – it’s a necessity by 2023. Accessible web design is the practice of creating websites that can be used by people with disabilities that impede their vision, hearing and movement. This includes everything from ensuring your website can be navigated using a keyboard to adding alt text to images so they can be understood by screen-reading software.
In recent years, there’s been a greater focus on making sure web pages are accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. After all, if your website isn’t accessible to people with disabilities, you’re excluding a huge portion of your potential customer base. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help you make your website more accessible, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). By following these guidelines, you can make sure your website is able to be used by everyone, which will not only improve your user experience, but will also help you boost your search engine ranking.
15) E-A-T
Reading this article making you hungry? E-A-T has nothing to do with food, unfortunately, but it’s an important SEO concept nonetheless. E-A-T stands for “Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness” and it’s a ranking factor that Google takes into account when determining where to rank websites in search engine results.
So what does this have to do with SEO? Google wants to make sure that the websites that appear in its search results are of the highest quality and are written by experts on the subject. To show that your website meets these criteria, you need to make sure your content is well-researched and well-written, and that your website is viewed as a credible source of information. A great way to increase your website’s credibility is by building links from high-quality websites such as industry-leading news outlets and blogs, as this tells Google that your site is trusted by other authoritative sources.
Turning SEO Trends into SEO Success in 2023
The rapidly changing nature of the SEO landscape means that it can be difficult to predict what trends will take off and which ones will fizzle out. However, by keeping up-to-date with the latest SEO news and updates – and by being willing to experiment with new strategies – you can ensure that your website stays ahead of the curve and continues to rank highly in search results.
Fortunately, you don’t have to keep up with every Google update, algorithm shift or SEO trend on your own – that’s what we’re here for. At Creative Click Media, our team of SEO experts are always on the lookout for the latest industry news and updates, so you can focus on running your business. Higher rankings, more traffic and better leads are only a click away – contact us to get started on your SEO strategy for 2023.
