1.Voice Search

In the world of instant digital gratification, voice search is an obvious trend that could have got bigger anytime. The time is however, now. Google reports that 4 out of 10 US adults perform at least one voice search per day. Industry-leader Comscore estimates that half of all searches will be performed by voice in 2021.

Optimizing for Voice search requires you to use your natural instinct. Consider long-tail keywords that sound conversational and more natural- sounding. Question-ended statements work better than conventional ones. For example, most of us tend to ask “What are the latest SEO trends in 2021”, but prefer to type “Latest SEO trends 2021”.

2.Artificial Intelligence

Like for any other industry, AI is a game-changer for SEO as well. The reason behind this impact of AI in marketing is the personalization that AI provides. And here's a fact: Google utilizes AI to provide the searchers with results they are looking for.

Google unveiled an AI-based algorithm called Rankbrain that plays an important role in Google Ranking factors for search engine Results (SERP).

Developed with the help of Greg Corrado, the senior Google scientist emphasized on the unique ability of the algorithm to retrieve information from the insights and discoveries that people have searched for, but with no learning ability back then. This presumably implies that the algorithm might evolve with time, making it a top trend to watch.

The big question however is- How to optimize for Rankbrain? While it’s evident that there isn’t any foolproof blueprint of optimizing primarily for Rankbrain, experts believe that user experience could be a primary determinant. These could include CTR, time spent on page and so it becomes necessary to captivate and engage your readers with well-organized and informative content. Using an on-page SEO checker can help understand how your site performs in terms of readability, backlinks and more.

3.Core Web Vitals

Last year in May 2020, Google announced a new algorithm called Google Core Web Vitals that is used to measure the user experience in 3 aspects: Loading, interactiveness and Visual Stability. This algorithm basically relates to the page speed as to how fast the page loads and how stable it is while loading. With Core Web Vitals being an important ranking factor in 2021, you’ll need to pay close attention to page speed. Try using optimum image sizes and eliminate anything that increases page’s load speed.

4.BERT algorithm

Google’s all-new BERT algorithm is based on the user-intent. The BERT algorithm uses machine learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand what the users are looking for. With the BERT update, the search bots have become very conversational and understand much like what a human brain does. This means if your content is not satisfying the user-intent, it may negatively impact SEO- no matter how detailed, long-form or high-quality your content may be.

To optimize your content for BERT algorithm, you’ll need to go by the search intent of the user. You’ll have to analyse what is the context they are looking for. Are they looking for an answer to the question? Or any list of options? Do they want a product review? Or maybe a tutorial? Whatever it is, you will have to give them exactly what they need. For example, searching for ‘SEO’ is different from searching for ‘SEO services’. While SEO is an information-based keyword, SEO services is commercial-based. You need to understand that optimizing your site for “SEO’ as a keyword is quite different from optimizing your site for “SEO services”. In some cases, you may encounter mult-intent keywords such as “SEO expert’ which can give 2 meanings of either ‘being an’ SEO expert or “looking for” an SEO expert.

The best way to optimize your site for BERT algorithm is to search the keyword before writing for it. This strategy will help you understand the intent of a keyword so that you can be sure it will succeed before taking the time to create the content.

5.Video Marketing

Creation of videos have boomed in the internet age. Now, YouTube is the second most popular search engine after Google with about 1 billion users. So if you haven’t started with video marketing,it’s high time to start now.

To optimize video content for search engines, start with the basic video channel name and description. It’s important to not overload your description with keywords, maintain it subtly and make it look authentic. To understand the right keywords, you can use the YouTube’s Autocomplete feature. Start typing your video topics and you will find the suggestions in the search field. Pick the suggestions and craft your video content around it so that you get the share of the most relevant audience.

6. Featured Snippets

If Position #1 is the gold mine for digital business, then position #0 is the diamond mine. Featured Snippets or the position#0 appears as a rectangular box below the search bar. This feature isn’t just beneficial for the searchers but also the businesses and optimizing for it is the best way to gain instant results. However the exact method of getting your page on that spot isn’t very clear. Few experts believe that answering a specific question, and answering in bullet points (well-structured content) could work.

7. Influencer SEO

Last but not the least, Influencer SEO will become a great deal in 2021. Influencers have millions of followers and their followers may become your customers if you bring your business in front of them. When influencers share your content, it not only brings visibility but earns the trust of the followers as well as attracts a huge traffic to your website or page. The ROI can be enormous and so investing in this is definitely worth the cost. However, you need to be sure of which influencer you need to choose. It’s best when you target an influencer which is in the same domain expertise as your business.

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