2020 was chaotic, to say the least. While 2021 was slower in terms of the hullabaloo the previous year brought, it was still slower because the pandemic didn’t lift up and the fear prevailed. Although 2022 brought some respite, it also hit home the fact that now we need to get on our collective toes and focus on what is the need of the hour. Since the year is almost half gone, the spotlight should be on SEO resources and the talent and time that go with them. 

In order to future-proof your strategy, you need to know the SEO trends. Algorithm updates and search trends have to be kept on top of your radar as this is constantly evolving and influencing all the ways we perform and optimize our web pages. It is necessary to start planning your digital marketing campaigns in advance. And SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) figures somewhere on the top. 

However, whatever worked earlier has changed tremendously now so you have to change strategies to stay on top of it. That is the only way for your website rankings to sail through the SERPs in 2022. A positive user experience requires an increased number of links, engaging & informative content and eliminating spam. Google has proclaimed that they are working on all these and more this year itself. 

However, what does this mean for your strategy as the search engine blueprint advances to new highs yet again this year?

Let’s look at the top trends in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for 2022

1. First-party data collection: We all have already experienced the expiry of third-party cookies. Google has worked on privacy issues and has made this move, especially for consumers although it has shaken things up for marketers. Hence, the introduction of first-party data collection. Well, this is a workable instrument as the footfall to the website is directed via search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing and then the website owners incentivize it by offering email newsletters, or notifications on offers and sales; thus collecting contact information firsthand with such captive strategies. All marketers need to focus on this as this is the only way to get information now.
   
   
2. User Intent: Individual recognition along with keyword intersection is an excellent way to get inside a user’s mind. This aids in making the content that is being searched for. It is imperative to look at the buyer’s journey minutely and understand how to use the keywords that connect the dots between each stage.
   
   
3. Improved Page Speed & insights: SEO is big and the technical optimization that SEO provides includes page experience and Core Web Vitals. This data has page speed insights that will assuredly show you how the performance of your web pages is currently ranking. This year, SEO services will expand and page experience and Core Web Vitals optimization will be included. As well as page speed is a big issue and when the devices are changing in an optimized way, page speed issues are also to be looked into otherwise they are a big downer. Google has made it amply clear that rankings will have a direct impact if the page doesn’t load in good time. Improved page speed means improved user experience and a better ranking in the SERPs. 
   
   
4. People Also Ask: Research in Google recently showed that in 2.5 million search queries, about 48.6% of searches have the “People also ask” factor, which features prominently on the top in the SERPs, most likely the top on the first page below the ads. If you want to get there, you have to find the simplest answers to the most common questions pertaining to your content. Firstly, find the long-tail keywords in the questions that are most relevant to your content and your audience and then give comprehensive answers. You can use a keyword research tool. As well as include the questions in your H2, H3, H4 and FAQ sections. Get more visibility using this strategy in 2022 even if your webpage has a lower ranking, this is a sure-shot way to get better rankings on SERPs.
   
   
5. Digital campaigns on Omni Channels: For most marketers, it is easier to segregate their strategies separately with their own branding, message, and goals etc., it is important to recognize user behavior and the user today is everywhere all at once. People search for the same thing on different channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, and more. Also, they look for answers on the biggest search engine Google simultaneously. If you are visible as a website and then just one odd channel, they may overlook you as the trust factor is lower. This is because the omnichannel strategy is being adopted by all the brands and the ‘Out of sight is out of mind’ adage is exacting here. There needs to be brand connectivity and brand recognition so that when every portal shows your brand, there will be some acknowledgment and subsequent conversion.
   
   

Conclusion

While it’s true that sticking to the basics of SEO is important, it is vital to even keep up with the trends. While we have covered a few important points in this blog, there are many more to watch out for! At Digital Rhetoric, we implement multiple strategies after evaluating a brand’s needs, and target audience and then we make a bespoke foolproof plan for goal conversion. Watch out for this space for more.