seo trends

The years roll on, and one thing that never stands still is SEO trends. We’re always looking to improve organic traffic and get first-page status on Google. This involves keeping up with changing tech and marketing spaces.

You also need to keep up with faster speeds and figure out the needs of changing demographics. New data privacy requirements are also a factor. Finally, you need to provide content that leads to conversions.

All of this and more is necessary to appease the SEO algorithm gods. For a breakdown of 7 SEO trends to follow in 2022, read on.

1. A Need for Speed

One SEO trend that will never go out of style is fast loading speed. We expect convenience, speed, and uncomplicated experiences, especially when browsing online.

Tech is also evolving every year. Our phones are getting faster, and internet content is becoming higher quality. This places heavy loads on older infrastructure and a need to keep up.

Research has suggested that most users expect a page to load in 2 seconds or less. Every millisecond of delay your sites and services have hurt conversion and traffic. If you’re trying to get into Google’s good graces, it’s important to remember this.

Loading speed is an important consideration when they rank sites on search results.

2. Target What Your Audience Needs

Good search engine marketing involves knowing what the user wants, and then trying to provide that. This is now more important than ever in a world of increasing competition and limited time. No one has time for empty filler or long backstories to a recipe or tech guide.

You have to find out what your audience wants and cater to it while maintaining a balance. If your content is too short, it won’t help the user find what they are looking for. If your content is too long, they’ll get bored and go elsewhere.

Google considers how long users spend on your site and how often they visit. Therefore, the key to growing your organic traffic is to be clear, concise, and targeted. Focusing on your user’s needs will result in repeat visitors and higher SEO rankings.

3. Moving Away from Relying on Third-Party Cookies

When it comes to SEO trends in 2022, this is one you shouldn’t sleep on. SEO has relied on third-party cookies and data collection to help drive traffic for the longest time.

Even Google is getting involved. Every SEO-minded company is finding ways to transition to a “first-party” approach. Enabling users to share data with their knowledge and consent will help drive traffic.

A common way this happens is through offering quotes or asking users to sign up for emails. You have to be careful not to come off as annoying or intrusive. A good strategy is to offer deals such as a discount at check-out if they subscribe to emails.

Any freebie or incentive can help drive and convert traffic.

4. Keep Your User Experience Fresh, Updated, and Relevant

You need to work on your site and articles to keep everything fresh, updated, and relevant. No one likes outdated or inaccurate content, and Google hates dead or broken links. A good strategy is to try and produce more content that remains accurate in perpetuity, or at least update them often as new info comes out.

You want your site to impress users and build a positive reputation of trust. This drives more traffic, which helps in SEO rankings. You don’t want janky code or poor UI design to drive people away.

You also don’t want old or ugly designs to make a bad impression. Comfort is important for long-time users, but integrating your site into the modern era is vital. A good SEO marketing and website design company can help you make all the difference.

5. Keep All Your Campaigns Cohesive

When it comes to good SEO for business, you need all your marketing campaigns on the same page. Gone are the days of targeting different audiences based on media use. These days, everyone is everywhere at the same time.

Facebook users also use Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Reddit. They watch YouTube and TV, read online newspapers, and listen to podcasts. The internet ties all user experiences together, meaning the average user will run into you on multiple platforms.

This is why you need a cohesive approach so that the user knows you when they see you. If you try to change your look to target a particular group too much, you’ll lose recognizability.

6. Don’t Rely Too Much on Text

This sounds anathema to traditional SEO approaches. We’re used to focusing on keywords and backlinks. The thing is, SEO is becoming more AI-driven, with Google leading the way.

Pictures, videos, and other non-traditional content now rank high in search rankings. Not everyone likes to read long posts or even medium ones. Offering video or interactive alternatives helps drive and keep more traffic.

This is why most major news sites attach a video clip to their articles. A diverse approach to content consumption is the future of SEO.

7. Take Advantage of Google Discover

In an attempt to level the playing field and flex what the algorithm is capable of, Google came up with Discover. In essence, it tries to use a user’s personal and local trends to suggest links to their searches. It’s a sort of super-specific alternate ranking.

Every good SEO company should be trying to make use of this. If you’re running a small business in your local area, you can take advantage of Discover. You can increase the chances that you’ll show up on the first page of a resident’s search.

If done right, someone searching for services near them will see you before anyone else.

Keep Up With SEO Trends

Keeping up with the latest SEO trends is essential for business success. If you can’t drive traffic, you won’t get customers. You need to optimize your content for SEO and the users themselves.

It helps to have friends who know how to play the game. At Fishhook Marketing, we specialize in building optimized websites to grow your business. Give us a shout today and see what a difference proper design and SEO make.