As a tech startup, you need to be ready to change your online content to better suit users' needs. SEO means you need to keep top trends in mind going into 2021 if you want your content to appear first in a google search.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is always evolving. To keep up as a new tech startup, focus on the user's search intent through Google. From the options of voice search and new technologies like virtual reality to access the web, SEO is changing, and it is important to be ready for the new year.
In this post, we will cover how to utilize the fact that Google is getting smarter. You will also learn about how voice searching is different from typing in a question in your browser. Finally, we will look to the future and what is going to change as we move through 2021. Keep reading to also learn what the next big thing in 2022 will be and how you can be prepared for it.
What Is Search Engine Optimization?
SEO has changed, and to be ready for 2021, you first need to know the basics of search engine optimization. Most SEO is based on content. If your content matches the search the best, it will be ranked higher on the listings provided by a search engine.
The most popular thing to curate to increase traffic to your site and build revenue is good content. Content is the most important part of SEO. You want your content to be exactly what the user wants and needs. By utilizing search engine optimization techniques, you can develop a content strategy that answers the user's questions and gives them that little bit more than they think they want.
The following are major points to elevating your content for SEO in 2021:
- Direct answers – Building your post around the answer to a specific question is a great way to move up in the ranks.
- Keywords – Selecting the proper keywords for your content is vital to ranking high on the listings presented to a user as search results.
- Quality – Putting out high-quality posts is important to attracting customers. Use compelling and insightful information to catch the reader's attention and keep them reading.
By ensuring you have all three of these factors met within your content, you may begin to see improvements in your rank among other listings.
Google Is Getting Smarter
Google is one of the top search engines used around the world. When a user wants an answer to a question fast, they use Google. As time goes on, the algorithms behind Google are changing. It is becoming better at predicting what a user needs and answering their next questions. Sometimes, it is so good it results in zero-click searches.
But you want them to click your content and get to your website to learn more. Your answers have to be compelling and concise.
In 2021, you can expect the following metrics to influence Google's ranking factors:
- Snippets – Searches that do not involve a user ever leaving Google is becoming more and more common.
- The user's page experience – Google's algorithm is changing to incorporate UX (user experience) data that they collect based on the number of times a user clicks, how scroll worthy the content is, and how long a user spends on a particular page.
- Video – Consider transforming your content to a video format or adding videos to your website that answer user questions and provide another way to interact with your content.
Keep these metrics in mind as you are creating content. As Google becomes smarter, you want to be adapting right alongside them. Now is the time to start perfecting your content strategy to take full advantage of Google's metrics.
Voice Searching Being Used More Frequently
Using your voice to search for content on the internet is becoming an increasing trend in SEO. With that in mind, you want to consider how natural phrases are interpreted and incorporated into your content. Voice searching is important and should be considered in your SEO in 2021 if it is not already!
The following are some of the current programs that allow for voice searching:
- Alexa or Echo by Amazon
- Cortana by Microsoft
- Google Assistant for Androids
- Siri by Apple
You need to make sure your content checks all the following boxes:
- Account for more keywords phrases and conversational language
- Be brief and compelling when answering questions, do so early in your content
- Create an FAQs page to answer important and straightforward questions
- Modify content to be mobile-friendly
- Use customer insights based on research and data to your advantage
- Use schemas to describe your content to the search engine better
As a tech startup, you want to adapt before the SEO changes. By using voice search as a part of your SEO, you will stand out from the competition. Your content will rank higher than others and be more impactful in the long run.
Get Ready for 2022
Because you need to be ready before the change actually happens, you must know what to expect in 2022. As a new tech startup, you are expected to be savvy with the new technologies that are coming on the market.
Search engine optimization is going to continue changing in the following ways:
- Augmented reality
- Social media
- Virtual reality
While all of these technologies have been around for a while, they are constantly developing a better user experience. You can use this to your advantage!
As 2022 approaches, get on board now. It is time to start creating content for these platforms that is creative, insightful, and concise. You will stand out for being among the first, and you can continue to adapt your content to suit your user's needs.
Augmented Reality
As augmented reality is incorporated into more apps, you can expect it to impact the way people are searching. The biggest thing this will impact is searches based on location. Users will eventually be able to use their camera and search for reviews.
Virtual Reality
With both virtual and augmented reality, you can expect websites that incorporate these technologies to have better user experiences. As this is something that Google is adding as a criterion for their rankings in 2021, creating content that applies to new technologies is important.
Social Media
Do not neglect social media as a way to improve SEO in the coming years. If your content is well managed, you can expect how it performs on social media to have an impact on SEO. Search engines are becoming more and more comprehensive in the data they use to rank content. It is only natural that your social media presence will have an impact on the future of SEO.
2022 will be here before you know it, and by being ready for what is coming, you will end up ranking higher than your competitors.
In Summary: Be Ready For The Changing SEO... Always
Because SEO is always changing, it may seem tough to do it on your own. Nowadays, you can easily hire a team of professionals who will design a content strategy. These companies can meet and exceed your needs. And as a new tech startup, it will give you the edge you need to outperform the competition.
You need to develop a strategy for SEO that is always looking to the future. 2021 is here, and it will quickly come and go. New technologies are evolving every day, and thinking creatively about how you can incorporate them into your content strategy is vital to success.