As the New Year approaches, business owners are looking to get back on their feet following a rather gloomy and depressing 2020 year. While things won’t automatically improve just because it’s January 1st, a new year has a way of refreshing our attitudes and preparing us for change. We’ll also be through the holidays, allowing you to focus on other core business objectives.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, will remain a critical part of your digital marketing strategy in 2021. Without it, the search engines wouldn’t be able to tell what your website is about and how to rank it appropriately. With that said, let’s cover three important SEO trends that will help your brand thrive in 2021.
1. Core Web Vitals set to be ranking signals in 2021.
In the coming year, Google will be rolling out the Core Web Vitals algorithm update. This update considers the technical aspects of a web page that can stop users from enjoying your content. These include things like page load speed, responsiveness and visual stability.
By addressing these areas on your webpages now, you’ll have a head start over your competitors. Too busy to do this? Enlist some technical help. Google has already confirmed that Core Web Vitals are becoming ranking signals in the spring of 2021 so you don’t want to delay.
2. Content still rules – but it’s not all created equal.
We get it. Creating content consumes an incredible amount of time and money. But it remains front and center in the SEO world. People continually head to the internet whenever they have a question, are interested in learning something new or want to research a product. Without branded content, you don’t have a voice.
The problem is that not all content is created equal. To create effective content that reaches your audience, you need to find them in the right moment and with the right medium. Only then can you start a conversation and nurture them through the funnel.
In addition to creating quality, original content, be sure to switch things up. People learn information in different ways so you need a balanced mix of video content, infographics, long-form blog posts, surveys and more.
3. Active link building adds a powerful boost to SEO.
Last on our list is active link building. Link building isn’t one of the most fun things to do, but it’s one of the ways Google determines your content’s E-A-T score:
- Expertise. Your content creators should be knowledgeable on the subjects they’re writing about. They should also fact check their writing and avoid spreading misinformation.
- Authority. Google prefers websites that are highly regarded by others. Name your authors and their respective titles.
- Trust. Google also wants to know that the results they show first are trustworthy. Add relevant content to your About Us page, Contact Us page and privacy policies. Maintain a secure site and update your location on Google Maps.
Note that the quality of your links matters more than the quantity. Building a strong link profile comes with time, patience and diligence.
While SEO remains critical in 2021, we’re still getting back to the basics rather than moving ahead with new ideas. By following these three tips, you’ll have no trouble creating a stronger website that climbs the search rankings.