SEO, which is short for search engine optimization, is an effective way to attract prospects to your website or social media and a time-tested marketing strategy for improving brand exposure. As an organic method for lead generation, SEO can bring in high profits without much expense.
However, there’s a catch! You must use it the right way. If you fail to do so, your web pages or social media posts will be queued in the hundredth or thousandth pages of SERP–Search Engines Results Pages.
On average, Google receives 3.5 billion queries per day. Only 0.80% of searchers click on the results on the 2nd page, while the 1st page gets a 31% click-through rate (CTR). To generate organic web traffic, your content must be ranked on the first page of SERP.
At first glance, search engine optimization may seem easy. Some believe that “proper use of keywords could land them on the first page.” However, according to Neil Patel, the founder of the Daily Caller and one of the world’s most celebrated digital marketers, SEO evolves, as well as web crawlers and ranking algorithms, every year and every quarter.
SEO Trends You Should Leverage in 2021
Without further ado, here are the top SEO trends your business needs.
1) Core Web Vitals
Last year, Google announced three new metrics, which are called “the Core Web Vitals.” These are for measuring UX or user experience, including interactivity, loading time, and visual stability. Basically, they’re all related to one thing: website speed.
By May 2021, Core Web Vitals will be included in Google’s ranking factors. In the next months, pay close attention to the metrics so that your website will appear on SERP’s first page.
The Algorithm will work like this: If there are two web pages with similar high-quality content, the web crawlers will give a higher rank to the page that has better optimization and site speed.
2) Google’s BERT
BERT stands for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. Google’s BERT algorithm utilizes machine learning and natural language processing.
Fundamentally, machine learning (ML) is the development and use of computer systems designed to learn as well as adapt without the need to follow explicit instructions. ML makes use of such algorithms in analyzing and drawing inferences from data patterns.
The combination of ML and NPL helps search engines provide more accurate results to users. They also work in over seventy languages and for almost every keyword on Google.
So, this is good news for bloggers and social media marketers. BERT makes web crawlers more conversational. They now have the ability to interpret the intent of the searcher. Search intent is what the user is surfing the web for. Is he/she looking for a list, a product, or a how-to tutorial?
With the update, Google search engine bots (Googlebots) will value conversational articles. Such content is often engaging and easy to read.
This update makes Google appear to understand how the human brain works. However, the update also entails that websites offering content-driven mismatches will be negatively impacted. This could result in a lower ranking.
Even if the long-form, content is very detailed and high quality, if it does not satisfy user intent, then the google bots will give it a very low rank. This could spell less web traffic and sales for the brand.
With the BERT update, the web crawlers have been indexing web pages that provide useful content to users, who use specific keywords and queries
Nevertheless, please remember that BERT isn’t a penalty algorithm. Rather, it’s an element in Google search that greatly helps in filtering out the most useful and relevant content.
3) Keyword Research
Keyword research has been a time-proven effective SEO strategy. On google, over 50% of the searches are considered zero-click searches. This is approximately 180 billion searches per month. Hence, Google and its search engine bots prefer web pages that have the following, when ranking for SERP:
- Business listings with contact details and menus
- Content with snippets with answers and related inquiries with relevant answers
- Articles that use keywords as subheadings
Surfers can get the information they need without clicking any result. And the webpage used for the generation of the most relevant list, answer, or result will experience the most traffic among others.
This will only be possible if your website and business profile utilizes keywords relevant to the searcher’s intent.
Since there are now many algorithm updates and most digital niches are saturated and rife with competition, keyword research can be very integral to your digital marketing strategy, whether you are planning to publish a video, image, or text content.
4) Google Still Prefers Original Content
Although many new rules and updates have been introduced, Google still prefers original web content. According to Yoast, an SEO plug-in provider for WordPress, Google has made ranking updates for better recognizing and generating original reporting at the start of 2021. Because of the updates, web pages containing unique, relevant, and valuable content will stay longer in the high ranks if it’s optimized properly.
5) Location-based Search Intent
Google, the search engine giant, utilizes machine learning and artificial intelligence to understand queries. Google also values location, as well as location-based ranking factors
When a user searches for a brand or business near his/her place, Google will generate local results. This is where keyword research can be the most valuable. If you intend to attract locals, you can also do so with organic marketing and search engine optimization.
For example, websites of local businesses in Singapore will be served to you if you use the keyword “Singaporean restaurant.” In case you use the keywords “SEO services in Singapore,” you’ll also see the meta title of this article, as well as other web pages offering the same content.
Google tends to challenge marketeers and startups with their updates and algorithms. In terms of location-based specific searches, the search engine generates results based on various factors, such as past search history, exact location of the device, and the type of browser the user is using. This could be a mobile browser or a web browser.
SEO Services in Singapore
Investing in a good search engine optimization strategy is a given if you’re quite new to your industry. Even giant corporations, like Procter and Gamble and Hyundai, employ SEO services in Singapore whenever they’re aiming to reach the locals.
According to Statistica, 75% of searchers in Singapore never click on the 2nd page of SERP. That is 3/4 of your prospects and target market that you could be losing today.
As the country’s most trusted advertising agency, we’ve provided impeccable SEO strategies and digital marketing campaigns to numerous clients, both abroad and locally. Our marketers are experienced in working with businesses of all sizes across different industries.
We’ve aided in the growth and success of countless brands in Singapore alone. In just 90 days, you’ll be able to see changes and results that can positively affect your business and give you those clients that you’ve always been wanting.