When you’ve been working in marketing for as long as I have, you tend to get asked the same questions over and over again.

One thing people are always asking me is, “Is SEO still relevant?”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked this question, and I always answer with the same emphatic, “Yes!”

For the purposes of this article, I’ll say it again: Yes, SEO is still relevant in 2024, and it will continue to maintain its relevance into the foreseeable future, as search engines like Google aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, if ever.

And if search engines aren’t going away, then neither is search engine optimization. If anything, its relevance, and importance, will only continue to expand as we move further into the future.

You don’t have to take my word for it, though. If you ask anyone working in the marketing industry about the importance of SEO, they’re going to say the same thing.

For example, as you can see from the graph below, in a survey from Conductor, which polled more than 400 marketing experts from across North America, 93 per cent of respondents reported that SEO has had a positive impact on website performance and marketing goals.

This is just one example, but there are countless surveys like this out there, with marketers reporting great results from their SEO efforts, and this shows just how important this practice is.

With that in mind, if you want your marketing efforts to be successful, rather than worrying about the tired old debate over whether SEO is relevant or not (which has already been resolved long ago), you should spend that time and energy following the latest SEO trends.

That way, you can keep up with your competitors, as you won’t be missing out on any new tools or techniques that can help improve your SEO.

So, if you’re wondering what’s new in SEO, want to stay up to date on the latest trends in SEO, and want to learn how you can use these things to your advantage, then keep reading to find out about our predictions on which SEO trends will dominate in 2024.

What Are the Latest SEO Trends?

If you want to keep up with your competitors in the SEO department, then you’re going to want to be aware of the latest SEO trends.

Otherwise, you could end up getting left in the dust while your competitors continue to climb the search engine rankings.

With that in mind, below we’ve offered our predictions for what will be the dominant SEO trends of 2024, so you can stay in the loop and be better equipped to compete.

1) Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in SEO strategies is becoming increasingly prevalent.

This trend is being driven by the need for more personalized, relevant content and the ability to analyze vast amounts of data more efficiently.

AI algorithms can predict search trends, understand user intent more deeply, and automate tasks like content creation, keyword research, and SEO audits.

That being said, businesses looking to maintain and improve their search engine rankings in 2024 will benefit from using AI tools to enhance content relevance, improve user engagement, and streamline SEO processes.

What’s more, Google will soon release updates that can distinguish between AI-created and human-created content, with possible penalties for content that’s created solely by AI, so that’s something else to keep in mind, and it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.

2) Voice Search Optimization

Voice search is growing exponentially, and that means a significant portion of searches are expected to be voice-based in 2024.

This shift is happening in large part due to the increasing use of digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.

That being said, businesses that want to improve their SEO in 2024 should do what they can to help voice assistants understand and deliver their content effectively.

This involves things like focusing on natural language, question-based queries, and local SEO elements, as voice searches are often local and conversational in nature.

3) E-A-T and User Experience (UX)

Google’s emphasis on Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T) continues to have a significant influence on search rankings, underscoring the importance of content quality and site usability.

With that in mind, sites that offer valuable, accurate content and a seamless user experience are likely to rank higher.

Businesses looking to improve their search rankings in 2024 should focus on building their reputation through quality backlinks, user reviews, and clear, authoritative content that’s aligned with user intent, while doing whatever they can to improve site speed, functionality, user interfaces, and mobile responsiveness.

4) Video Content for SEO

With the popularity of video content continuing to rise, optimizing video content for search engines is becoming a critical SEO strategy.

Believe it or not, YouTube serves as the second largest search engine, making video SEO something that can have a huge impact on the visibility of your brand.

Businesses can leverage this strategy to enhance their SEO this year by creating engaging, informative videos that cater to their target audience, using relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, and tags, and embedding videos on their websites to increase the amount of time users spend browsing them.

5) Mobile SEO

The dominance of mobile searches necessitates a mobile-first approach to SEO, and this is especially true today, as Google’s mobile-first indexing predominantly uses the mobile version of a site when determining its ranking.

That being said, ensuring your website is optimized for mobile, with fast loading speeds, responsive design, and user-friendly navigation, is more essential today than it ever has been.

At any rate, businesses that want to improve their SEO in 2024 can make use of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) to create pages that load almost instantly, improving site speed and enhancing user experience on mobile devices.

6) Local SEO

Local SEO is incredibly important for your search rankings, especially if your business is targeting local customers, and I think this is going to become even more crucial in 2024.

Businesses that want to optimize for local search can do this by ensuring accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information across listings, garnering positive reviews, creating locally relevant content, and coming up with local link-building strategies.

Moreover, having an optimized Google My Business profile continues to be a key aspect of any local SEO strategy, as it allows local consumers to easily find your business online.

7) High Quality Content

With the overwhelming saturation of content on the web, depth and quality of content are becoming crucial differentiators, and this is especially true today in 2024, as it becomes harder and harder to gain the trust of consumers.

With that in mind, long-form content that thoroughly covers a topic, provides value, and addresses user questions is more likely to rank well, not least because users are likely to spend more time consuming it.

So, if you want to improve your SEO in 2024, you should focus on creating comprehensive, high-quality content that meets the needs and intents of your target audience, incorporating original research, expert insights, and actionable advice whenever possible.

8) Semantic Search and Intent Matching

As search algorithms become more sophisticated, they’re better at understanding the context and intent behind queries.

And in 2024, as artificial intelligence becomes more and more advanced, semantic search and intent matching will become critical components of any SEO strategy.

Businesses looking to improve their SEO this year should optimize their content to match the intent behind search queries, focusing on topics rather than just keywords, and structuring content to answer questions directly and comprehensively.

9) Data Privacy and Security

With increasing concerns over data privacy and security, and data breaches becoming increasingly common, websites that prioritize user privacy and data protection are likely to see a boost in trust, and in turn, rankings.

That being said, in 2024, implementing HTTPS, offering transparent privacy policies, and ensuring secure data practices will become even more important, both in terms of consumers’ perception of your brand and how your website will rank on the search engines.

10) Zero-Click Searches

If you’re not quite sure what this is, a zero-click search is when someone searches for something on a search engine but doesn’t click on any of the results.

The prevalence of these kinds of searches has been on the rise and will continue to increase in 2024, due in no small part to chatbots and Google’s enhanced SERP features, including things like Featured Snippets, which can offer information related to a search query without the user having to click on a link.

As a result, if you want your SEO to improve in 2024, you’re going to need to look for new ways to connect with users via search engines, through things like a Google My Business profile or a detailed Q&A section on your website.

11) Longer-Tail Keywords

Typically, most of a website’s visitors come from longer, more specific keyword phrases, otherwise known as long-tail keywords, which are typically three, four, or five words long.

But recently, people have been noticing something new: Longer keyword phrases, made up of seven words or more, are becoming a major source of traffic.

This is likely to continue throughout 2024 and beyond, especially since Google is becoming more intuitive at providing relevant results for users’ search queries.

So, if you’re looking to improve your SEO this year, you should start injecting some of these longer-tail keywords into your content as soon as possible.

Want to improve your website’s SEO? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with our SEO specialist, Daniel, to find out how we can help?

About the Author, Susan Friesen

Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.

Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.

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