If you’re like most SEOs, you spend your days glued to Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs), watching as your website inches its way up the rankings.
But what if I told you that many of the ranking factors that have been gospel for years are no longer as important as they used to be?
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest changes that have taken place in SEO over 2022 – and how you can adjust your strategy in 2023 to stay ahead of the competition. Buckle up – it’s going to be a wild ride!
Page experience algorithm update
One of the biggest changes for the SEO world in 2022 is imminent with Google’s upcoming page experience algorithm update. This update places a huge emphasis on fast-loading pages, accessibility, and mobile-friendliness if you want to remain competitive. It’s almost like an Olympic event where everyone competes for the gold medal – but instead of speed and coordination, it’s about making sure your site loads quickly enough and offers an interesting user experience. Almost anyone can face the finishing line with enough practice and preparation… time to start training!
The rise of voice search
Voice search is drastically changing the SEO game. Search engine algorithms are now considering voice-specific ranking factors such as natural language processing to accurately serve users with the most relevant results.
This means that optimizing content for natural-speaking keywords and creating user-friendly FAQs can have a huge impact on ranking highly in search engine results pages. After all, if you can’t wow Siri with your website, chances are you won’t be wowing your customers either!
The site speed is going to major factor now
Page speed has become a major factor in determining which websites are returned as the most relevant search results.
Google recently adjusted its algorithm to make sure that faster sites get higher rankings than slower ones, proving that no matter how great the content is if a website’s load speed isn’t up to par, it doesn’t matter.
In an internet-driven world where patience is becoming more and more of a virtue with each passing day, page speed is the crux of online success. Just like Usain Bolt has set records on the track, websites vie for world records in loading content lightning fast.
While lightning may not strike twice when it comes to web browsers having patience, these days making sure your website loads quickly can prove beneficial – even on Google’s scale!
Content quality matters more than ever
The power of backlinks has been redefined since search engine optimization (SEO) ranking factors were updated. Until recently, building a successful website was all about generating enough backlinks to increase its visibility.
However, with changes in the ranking algorithm, content quality matters more than ever: a wealth of external links suddenly means nothing without fresh, relevant content that users actually want to read.
Search engines are now evaluating sites based on user experience rather than the sheer number of links they’ve gained, making backlinks an invaluable tool in developing an effective SEO strategy.
Wrapping up
SEO is a field that’s always changing- what worked last year may not work this year. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of the latest trends and changes, so you can make sure your website is as visible as possible. In 2022, there are several changes that SEO experts will need to be aware of to create an effective SEO marketing strategy in 2023. We’ve outlined some of the biggest changes below, so you can make sure your website is ranking high in Google search results. Thanks for reading!
