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seo in 2024

8 SEO Trends & Predictions to Consider in 2024

In today’s digital environment, businesses must stay on top of the most recent trends and techniques in search engine optimization (SEO), constantly changing. Several significant SEO trends are apparent when we look ahead to SEO in 2024 and how they will affect SEO.

This article will explore the 8 SEO trends that companies should consider as they plan their strategies for SEO. These trends emphasize the requirement for organizations to stay current with the most recent developments in SEO, from the growing significance of organic search to the usage of AI technology in content creation and image generation.

Businesses may increase their online visibility and get more website visitors by understanding and adapting to these trends. So let us examine the 8 SEO trends you should consider for your SEO in 2024 plan.

1. Emphasis on Organic Search as Google Ads Take a Back Seat

For years, businesses have relied significantly on Google Ads to promote their goods and services while increasing visibility on the search engine results page (SERP). But as 2024 is here, we may anticipate a change in how companies approach their SEO strategies, focusing more on organic search and less on paid advertising.

Adopting ad-blocking software, which reduces the efficiency of Google Ads, explains this trend. As more consumers choose ad-blockers, businesses must find new strategies to reach their target audience.

The continuous improvement of Google’s search algorithms is another element influencing the emphasis on organic search. With each update, Google is improving at interpreting user intent and delivering more relevant search results. Therefore, businesses must optimize their website and content for an organic search to rank better in the SERP.

In addition, people view organic search results as more reliable and credible than paid ads. This is because organic results are determined by relevance and quality, whereas paid ads are seen as promotional content.

In general, the transition to organic search means that companies must concentrate on producing excellent, relevant content that connects with their target audience.

This includes developing high-quality backlinks, optimizing content for appropriate keywords, and creating a powerful online presence on social media and other digital channels. Businesses may increase their online visibility, increase traffic to their website, and eventually increase conversions and sales by concentrating on organic search.

2. Featured and Zero-Click Snippets: The New SEO Goldmine

A click on an organic search result is not performed in almost half of all searches. Instead, searches like these occur in search engines like Google, Bing, or Yandex and are known as zero-click searches.

Zero-click searches are now considerably more prevalent due to the increasing number of new SERP elements that give users access to various widgets alongside organic results. Google’s Direct Answer and Knowledge Panel are two examples of SERP elements that support zero-click searches.

How can marketers ensure they will continue to get organic traffic? If a SERP feature, such as a Direct Answer or Knowledge Panel, is already connected to your target keyword, you might want to focus on alternative SEO strategies.

Consider incorporating content that addresses various user demands or increasing your use of long-tail keywords. The most crucial part of creating content is keeping readers in mind. Your website will receive consistent repeat visits if you offer value.

Whereas we can not ignore the expansion of featured snippets in search results for our next trend prediction for this year. The serving of featured snippets will continue, and they will probably gain importance over time.

In case you have not seen them, featured snippets are the boxes of results frequently appearing above the search results. They can be in the shape of FAQs, how-to guides, bulleted lists, or even just a single sentence.

Without creating lengthy content, these are fantastic shortcuts to the top of the SERPs. You are probably qualified for a highlighted snippet if your page provides helpful information people commonly seek.

seo strategy

3. Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T): The Key to Successful SEO

Google updated its search rater criteria on December 15, 2022, adding E for experience to the acronym E-A-T, which stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

Although these guidelines do not directly affect ranking, they are still helpful for SEO professionals because they show us the direction Google desires to take its algorithms. Someone with first-hand knowledge of the subject should create the content to make it E-E-A-T.

You need to hire a freelance writer or content creator who has used your product or service, been to a specific location, or impacted brand purchases if you cannot convince an experienced person to produce this content internally.

However, even though E-A-T was first mentioned in 2014 when Google added the concept to its Search Quality Guidelines, many SEO professionals still do not believe this is their job.

4. AI Integration in Content Creation: The Future of SEO

Creating content is one of the numerous fields where artificial intelligence is used. An increasing number of apps mix content creation, AI, and SEO in 2024. These automated technologies can help firms save time.

While text generation using AI-powered tools can be highly effective, human post-editing is still necessary to ensure high-quality content is suitable for your intended audience. The content is also enhanced with the nuance and imagination of human writing, with examples to help readers move through the text quickly and stay true to your brand’s individuality to stand out from the crowded field competitors.

However, human editors can review AI-generated texts and alter the content to make them more acceptable to the intended audience and humans. They can add their perspectives, give the content a unique tone, and simplify the language.

5. Entities: The Next Frontier in Google's Search Algorithm

google entities

It appears that Google has sufficiently developed its BERT and MUM algorithms to enable them to understand the entities hidden behind keywords. Therefore, entity-based optimization will probably replace conventional keyword optimization.

The evolution of the Knowledge Panel is one of the causes of this. Google analyses some content using its natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to identify the most important words (or entities) and “decide” what the content is about.

The information gathered is then added to Google’s current understanding of the subject entity. Once gathered enough information, Google pulls all the knowledge into a knowledge panel.

In local SEO, an entity-based optimization SEO strategy is also essential. In this instance, Google evaluates an entity’s (query’s) relevance to the searcher’s location using its knowledge content before forming the SERP.

6. Google Shopping: The King of E-commerce SEO

As COVID-19 restrictions no longer restrict individuals, there is a rise in offline shopping. Still, Google combines e-commerce facilities into one area, strongly expanding and enhancing shopping features like Merchant Centre, Products, Google Shopping, etc.

Today, Google serves as an e-commerce aggregator that offers products, descriptions, and reviews and serves as a search engine. The only thing it does not do is directly sell products. Instead, it has a where to buy area where websites for sellers are listed.

This trend serves as an indication for online stores to begin integrating services like Google Shopping. As a result, stores will be highlighted in where to buy. The positive aspect is that you can now quickly compare your pricing approach to your competitors and make adjustments to remain competitive.

The issue is that Google Shopping will undoubtedly grab the majority of clicks from e-commerce websites and disrupt SEO marketing funnels. Previously, customers would click on a site snippet to go to the site and shop there.

Users of Google Shopping will only visit a particular product’s page if they choose to purchase from that specific website. However, this is now the new normal for e-commerce.

google shopping

7. Visual Search: A Growing Trend for SEO

In 2024, Google Lens and AI appear to reclaim the spotlight. To successfully include images into its algorithm and finally launch a multimodal search, Google appears to have improved the picture API.

If you had used Google Lens a while ago, you would be able to see that it has improved much since then. Furthermore, there’s still room for development. But, most likely, 2024 will mark when the MUM feature is realized as promised.

The problem is that Google needs to clearly “see” the details on the pictures (and possibly films soon) to correctly recognize the items in an image and search for related images online. The visual appeal on a website must therefore be of a good caliber. Even so, high quality also means bigger sizes.

Thus, the issue now arises. Heavy visuals slow down pages and may negatively impact your rating. This may occur because Core Web Vitals (CWVs) and PageSpeed metrics are significantly affected by extensive visual aids, ultimately degrading the user experience.

Can we expect Google to lower its standards for CWV and change benchmarks? This is the query that has not yet received a response.

8. AI-generated Images: A Game-Changer for Visual Content in SEO

A lot of people are using AI image generators like Midjourney, DreamStudio and DALL-E. Internet users create images frequently shared on social media for entertainment, while some individuals, such as musicians, may employ AI techniques to make album covers.

If you give AI generators adequate context (prompt), they can “draw” stunning images. But, as they say, “The devil is in the details.” That is undoubtedly the case, therefore. The quality of the image will improve with more information provided.

Google successfully identifying these fake images is another intriguing development. Possibly well enough for them to appear in SERPs if the inquiry is relevant.

In reality, all you can do in this circumstance is observe how the issue involving AI-generated images works out. Additionally, it is best not to overuse AI imagery on your website while Google remains undecided on handling them.

Here’s an example. DALL·E 2 AI bot has generated an image. The image was then uploaded to Google’s Cloud Vision API to see what objects the API would recognize. Here’s the result:

Source: DALL·E 2

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How will augmented reality (AR) affect SEO?

A: As AR technology becomes more prevalent, it is possible that it could have an impact on SEO in the future. For example, businesses may need to optimize their content for AR search engines or use AR content to improve user experience. However, as AR is still a relatively new technology, it is unclear exactly how it will impact SEO in the coming years.

Q: How will changes in privacy laws impact SEO?

A: As privacy concerns continue to grow, it is possible that changes in privacy laws could impact SEO in the future. For example, businesses may need to obtain user consent before tracking their online behavior or may need to make changes to their data collection practices. However, as privacy laws constantly evolve, it is unclear exactly how they will impact SEO in 2024.

Q: Will the rise of blockchain technology impact SEO in 2024?

There may be blockchain-based search engines that put user security and privacy first. Blockchain-based content platforms may also open new possibilities for businesses to connect with their target market. However, as blockchain technology is still in its early stages, it is unclear exactly how it will impact SEO in the coming years.

Conclusion

When designing their strategy for SEO, businesses need to consider several trends shaping up to be an interesting and dynamic area of the future of SEO. First, because of the change to organic search, businesses now need to concentrate on creating high-quality, relevant content that appeals to their target market.

They must also optimize for featured and zero-click snippets, prioritize E-A-T, and create entities. Additionally, there are new chances for businesses to increase their online visibility and drive more website visitors due to the dominance of Google Shopping in e-commerce, the popularity of visual search, and the use of AI-generated images.

Businesses must be willing to adapt to shifting search algorithms and user behavior if they want to succeed in SEO. This entails a stronger focus on relevance, quality, and user experience, and it is ready to test out new approaches and technology.

Businesses may position themselves for success in SEO and beyond by staying on top of the latest developments and concentrating on these eight SEO trends. As a result, businesses can eventually drive more conversions and accomplish their business objectives by increasing their online visibility, bringing visitors to their websites, and providing a top-notch user experience.

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