You know it as the hottest marketing tool of the last decade. Even so, nearly half of US businesses still don’t invest in SEO.
Well, that means that you have less competition standing in your way. However, without updated knowledge of the trade, it’s still a challenge to get ahead.
Luckily, we have you covered. Here are the latest SEO trends to know about in 2023!
1. AI Content Is “Taking Over”
Now, we’re going to start off with an SEO trend that you shouldn’t necessarily follow. That’s right, no matter how good the marketing campaigns are for AI-generated content, it still doesn’t live up to the standards of human-generated content. Not even close.
You’ve probably seen predictions from industry leaders that 90% of all web content (or more) will be AI-generated by 2025. Even if that’s true, which it very well may be, that doesn’t mean that your web content should consist of AI-generated content just yet.
Rather, you should use this trend as a means to get ahead of the competition. If their content begins to lag, you have a great opportunity to get ahead and stay ahead.
However, that’s not to say that there’s no room whatsoever for AI content. It’s a great starting point but you should never use it as anything more than an outline or idea generator.
2. Query-Based Keywords Will Continue to Rise
As more and more households continue to adopt voice-assist technology like Google Nest or Amazon Echo, more searches will use questions. Consequently, using query-based searches has become a common strategy in recent years, continuing into 2023.
For example, you may search on Google “pizza shop near me” or “guitar strings buzz”. Conversely, somebody with a voice assistant may ask “Hey Google, what’s the best pizza shop near me?” or “Alexa, why are my guitar strings buzzing?”
Therefore, adopting more keywords to fit these types of searches will help you adapt to the times. While voice search won’t “take over”, incorporating this into your strategy can help diversify where you rank.
3. Updating Old Content
If you take anything away from this list, remember that Google will continue to crack down on outdated content. Google prioritizes newer, more relevant content whenever applicable.
Therefore, rather than trying to keep up with new content every day, brands could benefit from updating their old content. If you have content that’s shown success in the past (whether dwindling or not), keep it relevant by updating to current statistics, backlinks, dates, and more.
For example, if you have an article about the top SEO trends of 2022, you can update it to the new year and make the information more relevant. Not a whole lot changes from year to year, so this doesn’t have to take too long. No, that’s not what we did!
4. Google Will Crack Down on AI
To put it mildly, Google struggles to keep up with spotting AI-generated content. However, it is still a priority for them.
Therefore, you can expect update announcements in the near future from Google to try to crack down on AI content.
Still, tools like ChatGPT are incredible, and they can create fascinating and informative content with an engaging voice. This poses several challenges for Google, but we can expect a slow (but sure) rollout of measures to stop this trend. If you have a lot of AI content on your website, at least update, it to make it harder for Google!
5. Links Will Remain Important
Already an essential aspect of SEO, backlinks will only continue to rise in importance in 2023. As part of Google’s crackdown on AI-generated content, backlinks will help Google determine original and useful content.
While Google announced in November of 2022 that they would begin to decrease their dependence on backlinks, as they’ve struggled to crack down on some of the link-building practices they’ve spent years trying to combat.
However, it’s unlikely that we will see any substantial changes this year. If anything, you should expect backlinks to become more relevant in the coming months and years as a measure to stop AI content from fooling the algorithm.
6. The Importance of SEO Will Only Grow
To this day, 68% of online experiences start with a search engine. As a result, SEO is one of the most vital digital marketing channels available to businesses of all sizes.
There are many benefits of SEO for businesses, including building organic traffic, brand awareness, and positioning your brand as a thought leader.
Of course, that isn’t to mention the relatively high conversion rates, ROI, and long-lasting benefits compared to most other marketing tools. If you want to build your SEO strategy, there’s no better time than the present.
Still, there’s a lot to keep track of in the industry and a lot of work that goes into your strategy. If you want the best results, talk to a professional SEO consultant today and give your strategy the boost it needs!
Use the Latest SEO Trends Wisely
Now that you know some of the most important SEO trends of the year, use this knowledge to your advantage. Generally speaking, SEO practices have stayed relatively consistent over the years, but it helps to think one step ahead of Google for the best results. If you have the right people assisting you who keep up with the times, then you can position your brand for lasting results.
Stay up to date with our latest digital marketing tips, and don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with us for help with your strategy!