What's new for 2023?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a constantly evolving field. As search engines continue to improve their algorithms and user preferences change, SEO tactics must also adapt to stay effective. As we move into 2023, there are several SEO changes that are expected to have a significant impact on the industry. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of these new SEO changes coming for 2023.
From voice search to E-A-T, this article covers the top trends that will shape the SEO landscape in the coming years. Whether you're a seasoned SEO professional or just getting started, this article provides valuable insights to help you improve your website's search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site.
Voice search optimization
Voice search has been on the rise for several years now, and it’s only expected to continue to grow in popularity. In fact, by 2023, it’s estimated that there will be 8 billion digital voice assistants in use worldwide. As such, optimizing for voice search will become increasingly important for SEO.
Voice search optimization involves creating content that’s optimized for spoken queries, rather than written ones. This means using natural language and long-tail keywords that mimic how people speak. Additionally, content should be structured in a way that answers questions directly and concisely. This can include using FAQ-style content or creating content that’s specifically designed to answer common questions related to your industry.
Core web vitals
Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure how fast a webpage loads, how quickly users can interact with the page, and how stable the page is while it loads. These metrics are expected to become a major ranking factor in 2021, and will continue to be important in 2023.
Improving your Core Web Vitals can help improve user experience, which in turn can lead to better search engine rankings. Some ways to improve Core Web Vitals include optimizing images and videos, reducing the number of requests made to the server, and using a content delivery network (CDN) to improve load times.
Featured snippets
Featured snippets are a type of search result that appears at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). They provide a concise answer to a user’s search query, and are often displayed in a box with a featured image.
Featured snippets can help drive traffic to your site and establish you as an authority in your industry. To optimize for featured snippets, focus on creating content that answers specific questions related to your industry. Use headers and bullet points to structure your content in a way that’s easy to read and understand. Additionally, include images and videos that help illustrate your points.
Video SEO
Video content has exploded in popularity in recent years, and it’s only expected to continue to grow. In fact, by 2023, it’s estimated that 82% of all internet traffic will be video-based. As such, optimizing your video content for SEO will become increasingly important.
Video SEO involves optimizing your video content for search engines. This includes using descriptive titles, meta descriptions, and tags that accurately describe the content of your video. Additionally, include transcripts and closed captions that make it easier for search engines to understand the content of your video.
Mobile-first indexing
Mobile-first indexing means that Google will primarily use the mobile version of a website to determine its ranking. This means that if your website isn’t optimized for mobile devices, your search engine rankings could suffer.
To optimize for mobile-first indexing, make sure your website is fully responsive and mobile-friendly. This means using a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes, optimizing images for mobile devices, and using a mobile-friendly font size.
E-A-T
E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are three factors that Google uses to determine the quality of a website’s content. In 2023, E-A-T is expected to become an even more important ranking factor.
To improve your website’s E-A-T, focus on creating high-quality content that’s accurate, informative, and well-researched. Additionally, include author bios and establish yourself as an authority in your industry. This can include creating guest posts on other reputable sites or collaborating with other industry experts to create content.
Local SEO
Local SEO involves optimizing your website for local search queries. This can include targeting keywords that are specific to your geographic location, creating local business listings on Google My Business, and using location-based keywords in your content.
Local SEO will continue becoming increasingly important in 2023 as more people use their mobile devices to search for local businesses. To optimize for local SEO, focus on creating content that’s specific to your location. This can include creating location-specific landing pages, including your address and phone number on your website, and including customer reviews and testimonials.
User intent
User intent is the reason behind a user’s search query. Understanding user intent is important because it can help you create content that’s specifically tailored to their needs. For example, if someone is searching for “best running shoes”, they may be looking for a list of recommended shoes, whereas someone searching for “running shoe reviews” may be looking for more detailed information about specific shoes.
To optimize for user intent, focus on creating content that’s specific to the user’s needs. This can include creating different types of content for different stages of the buyer’s journey or using long-tail keywords that mimic how people search for specific products or services.
AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being used (Chat-GPT anyone?) to create high quality content that ranks very well in search engines. This trend is expected to continue in 2023, with AI becoming even more prevalent in the search industry.
To optimize for better rankings, focus on Chat-GPT created high quality content that you can modify to pass AI detection on search engines. Creating high-quality content that’s relevant and informative is one thing, but keeping the natural "human element" is another.
Conclusion
In conclusion, SEO is a constantly evolving field that requires constant adaptation. By staying on top of the latest trends and implementing the latest SEO changes, you can stay ahead of the game and improve your search engine rankings in 2023 and beyond. Whether it’s optimizing for voice search, improving your Core Web Vitals, or focusing on user intent, there are many ways to improve your SEO strategy and drive more traffic to your website.