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We are SEO nerds here at Clapping Dog Media.
We are continually reading, listening and watching the top Googlers for insights into how to better serve our clients.
After weeks of analyzing and reading we have created a list of 5 SEO Trends we believe will be important in 2022.
5 SEO Trends for 2022
1. User intent
Understanding search intent will be extremely important in 2022. User intent or search intent is the primary goal a user has when searching.
Understanding user intent will allow you to create content that meets the goal of the searcher. There are three man types of user intent:
- Navigational – The user is trying to get to a certain site.
- Informational – The user is looking for information.
- Transactional – The user is prepared to buy something.
Once you can tap into the mindset of the customer you will be able to answer their questions. In the video below “What Is Search?” I explain that Google wants to provide the best answer to every search inquiry, so the websites that are on page 1 will be the ones who most successfully connected the dots from what the user is looking for to quality content.
High quality content that is aligned with user intent will rank highly on the search results page.
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2. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
Google keeps getting smarter and smarter at understanding language thanks to AI and ML.
Instead of just focusing on individual keywords like in the past (remember the days of keyword stuffing?), Google can now make connections between all of the words in the search term to gain a deeper understanding of the query and therefore give better options in the search results.
In May 2021 Google introduced Multitask Unified Model (MUM) which is designed to help users when there is not an answer to their query, with this update Google is now capable of using contextual information from different sources to present comprehensive and more accurate answers to complex search queries — this is made possible by AI and ML.
3. Quality content
The secret to being at the top of the search results is quality content.
Focusing on the audience’s needs and creating engaging, high-quality content that answers the search query will be the biggest differentiator for the sites that show up on page 1 this year.
Google loves authentic, trustworthy websites that have thorough knowledge and understanding of their subject. In other words, Google will continue to scan the content and look for EAT:
- Εvidence of Expertise.
- Authority in your area and has quality backlinks to authoritative and relevant websites.
- Whether the user can Trust the answer.
4. Topical Authority or depth of expertise
Topical Authority is related to quality content.
Google wants to put experts at the top of page 1. So you must be the expert by providing comprehensive, full coverage of your subject area so when a user visits your site they will find all the answers they are looking for. You will need to prove to Google that you have deep knowledge and expertise of your topic. We recommend that you have a variety of content types including blog posts or articles, video and imagery.
Also, be sure to build clear content structure. This will help Google to make the connection among the articles published about the same topic.
5. Authentic Images and Videos
Loren Baker the founder of Search Engine Journal, stated that:
“Sites with unique images will see a large boost in Image, Product, and normal search in 2022.” This is a reaction to younger users resonating so much with TikToks and other user-created content that they can instantly tell if an image is real or staged. Users resonate more with real images, so when possible, use authentic, non-stock images on your site.
We are moving to a search results page that is rich with text, images and video. Google’s goal is to have a SERP that is visually browsable and intuitive. We predict that in the near future, Google image search will not be a secondary search engine but rather the images will be incorporated into one search.
This is true for video as well. Video is the preferred method of learning for more and more users. So it is important that you have authentic video that speaks to your audience.
Google recently launched a new structured data feature that helps users get better video results for their search queries. The new feature, called Key Moments, and helps users to navigate video segments easily. Here is an example, I searched for “how to peel a pomegranate” and this is the top search result — a video that starts playing at 7 seconds.
In 2022, the one thing you should know is that authentic, helpful content (text, images, videos) will dominate page one of the SERPS.
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