Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a rapidly changing landscape where SEO professionals work to rank their clients’ websites for relevant search phrases. What will work successfully in the future is different from what was a successful approach in years past. Therefore, it’s useful to keep an eye on what’s coming over the horizon to look for clues. Here are 4 SEO trends for 2021 that are emerging and likely to hit the forefront.
1. Search to Focus on Inline Content
A content marketing strategy now needs to adjust to reflect that Google will ramp up its ranking of content within a page, rather than the page itself. This is a new focus for the search giant in its continuing journey to provide the best results possible.
Therefore, companies will find one section of an article or press release being highlighted and used as its own search result – rather than the complete page. A review of existing content connected to the value provided within each section and optimising each H2 section header is needed to help the ranking for when the change occurs.
If you’re struggling with this in-house, you can utilise the services of experts in the industry like James Taylor SEO. They’re well-positioned to re-optimise existing content to allow it to rank better in 2021 for this new era of search results. Beyond that, their outreach services to build a better backlink profile are worth mentioning too.
2. Mobile-first on Override
Mobile is now the dominant computing device to access websites. As such, Google now crawls the mobile version of a website first and gives this precedence for search results.
As this will stay one of the key SEO trends for 2021, companies need to focus their attention on the experience for smartphone and tablet users. Effective layouts, fast-loading pages, and content that is easily digestible on-the-move are just some of the recommendations here.
3. Core Web Vitals is Almost Here
The Core Web Vitals Algorithm update from Google is expected to roll out in Q2. It’s intended to highlight both pages/ sites that offer a better user experience for the searcher and pages/ sites that don’t.
Currently, Google plans to add labels to search results as guidance for user experience. This could significantly affect the click-through rate for higher and lower-ranking results.
The current Core Web Vitals test results can be seen within the Google Search Console. Alternatively, other website speed checkers provide similar testing facilities too.
4. Pick the Right Content Type Based on Results
Increasingly through 2020, we’ve seen Google change how search results are shown with YouTube videos, images, and forums obtaining greater prominence. Particularly with “How to” queries but also noticeable elsewhere, often a YouTube video grabs the top spot with a single blog post ranking next, and then four additional videos thereafter.
It’s necessary when using content that will be marketed through SEO to choose the right content type when doing so. If Google is suggesting that a video is the best way to answer a question, then that’s what should be produced. Work with the algorithm, not against it.
Follow these key SEO trends for 2021 to steer in the right direction in 2021 and avoid being left behind.