Digital Marketing
The World of SEO in 2024
The Round-up of SEO in 2023
SEO is arguably one of the most responsive industries out there, with constant advancements in technology, changes in search engine algorithms, and shifts in user behaviour. Blink twice and no doubt you'll miss something. As we step into 2024 it's clear that SEO is no longer solely about technical supremacy; reviews and customer experience have now been destined to be key in influencing SEO, increasing conversion rates and building customer confidence. As we start the new year, we have done a round-up of the biggest changes you might have experienced in SEO in 2023 and we are poised for significant transformations that will reshape strategies and tactics in 2024.
What made the headlines in 2023?​​
November 2023 brought us a fresh update to Google's Review Algorithm providing new opportunities to showcase your business advocacy. A stronger focus on the calibre of reviews, where authentic and detailed experiences shared by experts or well-informed users are given more prominence. It's clear that SEO is no longer solely about technical supremacy; reviews have now ascended to be key in influencing conversion rates and building customer confidence.
Understanding the Review Algorithm Update
Google's latest update is designed to prioritise high-quality reviews. The aim of this update is clear, which is to reward content that provides insightful analysis, original research, and is written by knowledgeable or enthusiasts well-versed in the topic. Reviews can play an influential part in customer experience and conversion too. Reviews can sometimes be a challenge to collect but with 90% of brands saying reviews have correlated with ranking performance, they are increasingly valuable to your website's performance.
Ways this Update Could Benefit Both SEO and Customers
Increased Credibility
High-quality reviews can significantly make your business stand out from competitors, reviews help to create credibility and trustworthiness in the opinions of website users and potential customers.
Improved Visibility
Google is always looking for ways to provide the best websites to its search engine users and this algorithm update does just that. If Google discovers high-quality, expert and positive reviews on your website, it will reflect positively in the rankings. This update makes it more important than ever to focus on garnering high-quality reviews. There are technical best practices, such as schema, which helps Google understand your reviews.
Customer Feedback
Naturally, there may be some neutral or constructive criticism left in your feedback. These reviews can provide valuable insights into your customers' experiences, helping you to improve your products or services. If there are any reviews which don't reflect positively on the business, it is always worth leaving a reply showing that you're doing all you can to rectify the customer's opinion.
How to Benefit from the Review Algorithm Update
Ask for Detailed Reviews
There are various platforms which you can use to collect reviews, a third-party platform does help verify your reviews. Google Business Profile has a review section and widget, allowing you to collect and display reviews within your website, for free. To incentivise customers you could explain how their feedback not only helps other customers but also supports your business.
Focus on Expertise and Authenticity
Content is king, but only if it's factual, unique and, of course, useful for your customers. An alternative way to build reviews, especially if your business is in a specialised field, why not reach out to industry experts or knowledgeable enthusiasts to review your products or services.
Respond to Reviews
Take the time to engage with the reviews, both positive and negative. This not only shows appreciation and that you value customer feedback but also enhances your credibility.
Don’t Ignore Other SEO Best Practices
Keyword-focused SEO Content Strategy
Continue to produce high-quality and relevant content. As we enter 2024, the fundamental SEO principle is that good content is crucial for ranking success. Take the time to research, plan and map your keywords to avoid page cannibalisation but this also gives you a broad net of potential search terms.
Local SEO
For local businesses, especially service-based businesses, the 2024 SEO landscape still pinpoints to the importance of your business reputation and how prominent your business stands out in the local area. To help gain better traction in regional searches, focus on a variety of location-based keywords and localised content to inform Google and your customers of where you are.
Technical SEO
A technically sound website is the backbone of any SEO strategy. Technical SEO can be very broad but if you start with the basic fixes these will begin to have compounding effects on your technical website health.
There's more to Come in 2024
As we enter 2024, the fundamentals of SEO are heavily shifting from a solely technical focus to algorithms developed to maximise the user experience. In black and white, Google's number one aim is to serve its searchers with the best website, answering their queries in the most minimal time possible. That means if your website is authoritative, technically sound, clean and easy to use, attractive and clearly targeted at a particular niche, chances are you're going to come out on top.
The Challenge of AI
We're on the edge of our seats waiting to see the Google update targeted at AI. There has been so much industry talk around the topic of AI but Google is playing its card close to its chest on this one. What we do expect are advancements in natural language processing (NLP) and the possibility of optimising content to get picked up by AI platforms. We could see shifts in how search engines interpret and rank content, rewarding websites that provide high-quality, contextually relevant information.
The Prominence of E-E-A-T
It was hard to escape the prominence of E-E-A-T in 2023, it was in every conversation, it was mentioned in every industry blog, it was recommended by every industry expert... and, for once, we don't expect anything to change in 2024. E-E-A-T is here to stay and we expect heightened scrutiny on content accuracy, citations, and the reputation of authors and publishers, particularly in sensitive niches like health, finance, and news.
Always putting the User-first
This was a running theme through 2023 and continuing the trend, we think this is going to stay at the forefront of Google Algorithm updates in 2024. It might take a few different forms but one development that won't be a complete surprise to us would be the importance placed on privacy and data security compliance. This, after all, is the ultimate assurance and protection for any website or search engine user. It's our opinion that privacy concerns and data security regulations will shape SEO practices in 2024, with search engines prioritising websites that in turn prioritise user privacy and data protection. This means that implementing HTTPS encryption, adhering to GDPR and CCPA guidelines, and providing transparent privacy policies will be essential for maintaining search visibility and user trust. We will definitely be keeping an eye on this space and trailing a few techniques!
As a business owner, when adapting to these Google algorithms remember, that it's about quality over quantity. Focus on creating genuine, insightful content and continue to follow Google Guidelines for your SEO strategies. By doing so, you'll not only adapt to ongoing changes but also position your business for greater online success. If you want further guidance on how to make your website an SEO success get in touch today for a free SEO consultation.
