2022 is gone and we’re comfortably into 2023. It’s a good time to take stock of the latest developments in SEO and make sure that you’ve got your finger on the pulse. Here are some of the key things to learn about SEO from 2022 so you can get ahead of the competition:
1. Voice Search – Voice search is becoming increasingly important for SEO as more people use mobile devices to search for things – voice commands make it easier to get the results you need faster. Optimizing for voice search means using natural language and long-tail keywords, as well as making sure that your website is mobile-friendly.
2. Mobile Optimization – With more people accessing websites from their smartphones, mobile optimization has become increasingly important from an SEO perspective. This means designing websites with mobile users in mind, ensuring that they look good and function well on smaller screens, as well as getting rid of any pop-ups or other intrusive elements that can slow page loading times. Especially when it comes to local SEO, you need to target those searching for businesses of your type nearby.
3. Structured Data Markup – Search engines use structured data to understand what your website is about and rank it correctly. Structured data markup allows you to provide additional information about the content on your website, such as reviews, ratings, prices, and more. This helps search engines gain a better understanding of what your website is about and can result in improved rankings and visibility in the SERPs. If you need help, seek solutions like King Kong.
4. Quality Content – Especially with the Helpful Content update, quality content is more important than ever. You must create content that is well-written and relevant to your audience. Content should be focused on providing helpful and actionable information, as this will help boost your website’s SEO rankings in the long run. Rather than solely focusing on keywords, make sure your content is providing value to readers. As such, it’s recommended that you create long-form content – usually anything over 1,000 words – to maximize the impact of your SEO efforts.
5. Backlinks – Building a strong and healthy backlink profile was key for successful SEO in 2022, and this will continue this year. A varied and high-quality backlink profile will help you achieve a higher ranking in search engine results. Creating relationships with other websites and collaborating on projects is one way to build up your backlinks. Additionally, exploring link-building strategies such as guest blogging and content marketing can also be helpful for SEO success.
6. Technical SEO – It seems like 2022 will be the year of technical SEO. That’s because technical aspects are becoming increasingly important in the world of search engine optimization. Your website should be optimized for both desktop and mobile users, with a user-friendly design and fast loading times. Furthermore, optimizing your URLs, image sizes and meta tags can also help boost your rankings.
7. Local SEO – As more and more businesses move online, it’s vital to take advantage of local search engine optimization (SEO) tactics. This means optimizing your website for particular geographic regions. You can do this by using targeted keywords, setting up a Google My Business profile, and making sure that all content is relevant and optimized for local searches.
All in all, a proactive approach will serve you well in 2023 – don’t forget to learn from 2022 and strengthen your SEO strategy this year. Good luck!