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If you run a business, you’ve probably heard the acronym “SEO,” but what does it mean? SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is tweaking and developing your site to rank higher on Google. An SEO strategy is your plan for hitting that top spot on the results page.

Getting your business on Google’s front page puts you in front of more potential customers and collaborators. With a bigger possible audience, this means more customers, which equals growth. Thus, SEO tactics are very important in the digital marketing sphere.

The thing about search engines is that their algorithm isn’t static. Regular algorithm updates mean that what it takes to gain a high rank may change over time. This fluidity is why it’s important to incorporate a handful of different facets of your website and content when you’re building your SEO strategy.

Why do search engines update their algorithms?

Search engines update their algorithms for the same reason we update our content: Adaptation. The market is evolving every day, and new needs are arising.

Updating the algorithm means zeroing in on those new needs from users. These needs may result from other technologies growing and evolving (looking at you, artificial intelligence!), or how people interact with their search engines changing.

Algorithmic updates may also mean that there’s different information available that may not have been available since the last update. For example, if one skincare company begins labeling its products for certain ingredients and it starts a trend, vendors of these companies may consider adding a filter for the ingredients.

How are search engine algorithms currently impacting SEO strategies?

When websites don’t adapt to the new algorithms, they’re penalized in the rankings. This adaptation is why staying on top of algorithm changes is so important. 

For instance, search engines favor a good mobile interface, so businesses that incorporate a good mobile experience rank higher, but this wasn’t always the case. When this change debuted, it directly impacted SEO strategies in that mobile development became a top priority for businesses that had previously overlooked it.

The algorithm and its updates should be the base of your SEO strategy because that’s what the search engines use to rank sites. 

How are search engines evolving over the next decade?

Technology is evolving every day, meaning that search engines will inevitably mirror that growth. Predicting what’s going to be the next big thing in algorithmic terms can be tricky. Still, based on previous patterns and the trajectory of modern website technology, you can make a few conclusions. 

AI remains relevant

Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown exponentially over the last few years. It’s no secret that everyone’s using AI, including search engine giant Google.

artificial intelligence

Source Image generated with ChatGPT DALL-E

So, it’s a great time to dive into the world of AI, if you haven’t already. It will only get more advanced, meaning businesses leveraging AI’s power to offer heightened consumer experiences will rank better. Understanding AI and taking advantage of its advances also means that you can stay on top of changing algorithm expectations.

The next prediction includes AI examples so you can dip your toes into the machine learning pool.

Convenience factors like chatbots and voice search make an impact on expectations

Live chatbot software and voice search tools are examples of how AI positively affects consumer experience with businesses. Tools like this are likely to make an impact in search engine rankings—perhaps not immediately, but later on.

Chatbot software is already everywhere. Chatbots answer questions from potential customers and those who have converted swiftly and accurately, no matter the time of day. This swiftness builds positivity in the relationships with your consumers and potential buyers.

Voice search software is still gaining popularity, but with the heightened rate of mobile purchasing, anything that makes the mobile consumer’s journey easier will likely affect ranking. Getting to know these types of software will be helpful for future optimization.

Some restaurants are using on-demand voice ordering to keep things running smoothly without sacrificing a great ordering experience. This technology streamlines the ordering process and supports individuals with disabilities, fostering a more inclusive environment.

Localized content may make a difference 

It’s no secret that having your website and content available in multiple languages increases your audience reach, sometimes by double or even triple. As AI translation technology improves and becomes more accurate, it will likely be a more popular strategy among businesses competing with yours.

Get ahead of the curve by localizing your website and content now. Then, you’ll tap into your new audience segments and be covered if search engines decide to take multilingualism into account when ranking pages.

Content diversity plateaus—but it’s still important 

Content diversity is already key in search engine optimization and building an audience. However, since there are only so many ways to deliver content—think TikToks versus Instagram carousels versus long-form blog posts—new content types are less likely to be added to the list. 

Now, a new social media platform may become all the rage, and in this case, having a business account will likely be beneficial. Just be sure the platform isn’t a fad that will cost you more to maintain than you get from it.

Reassess your social media presence and the metrics associated with each account regularly—which will depend on your business. Every six months or so will give you a good period of insight. Streamline where you can, for instance, create videos with AI instead of shooting them, this can mean some savings on your budget. Don’t be afraid to explore offbeat platforms, so long as there’s a potential audience and you’re mindful of costs.

Influencers are here to stay 

Influencer marketing has taken the world by storm and isn’t going away anytime soon. Authenticity has become the name of the game, and people see influencers as authentic consumers of a product or service they’re thinking about trying for themselves. 

While this may not technically be related to SEO, influencer marketing has a ripple effect that reaches your search ranking. This ripple effect is something else that isn’t going anywhere, so it’s worth looking at and leveraging as part of your long-term SEO strategy.

A successful influencer collaboration will inevitably mean more people are searching for you, organically boosting your search engine rank. Having high-quality content that you make with the influencer on your site will also be indexed and ranked positively. So, if you haven’t explored influencer collaboration yet, it may be a good thing to think about.

Longer keyphrases may matter more

Populating your pages with short, relevant keywords is still super important. However, longer keyphrases tend to have better conversion rates. This is because people searching for longer keywords are usually looking for something specific. If you can easily show that you match what they’re looking for, they’ll be more likely to buy your product or service. 

Since longer keyphrases tend to be more successful, it’s only a matter of time before Google figures this out and begins incorporating this in its rank system. So, it’s good to prepare. If you haven’t researched your long-tail keywords, now is a great time to do so. 

long tail keywords

Source

Once you find your highest-ranking long-tail keywords, you can incorporate them (naturally) in your product descriptions, landing pages, and blog posts.

Algorithm adaptation: 4 ways to build evolution into your SEO strategy

Algorithm updates are sometimes public ahead of time, but sometimes they can sneak up on you. Here are some things you can do to avoid being caught off-guard by an algorithm update. 

  • Don’t stop researching: Building your SEO strategy isn’t a one-and-done thing. Search engines evolve, so you must keep growing. Ensure you stay aware of Google’s new features, what they’re looking for, and what your competition is doing.
  • Adapt your SEO strategy accordingly: This sounds intuitive, but you can easily forget this if a drop in rank has you startled. First, understand why your page was affected, then implement a corresponding strategy—if you’re getting dinged because of site speed, adding more keywords won’t fix your problem.
  • Maintain long-term relationships with successful collaborators: Working with someone (or a tool) for a long time is even better than a bunch of one-off projects because the evolution will come naturally. You both will be on the same page about growth and search engine evolution so that you can work as a team toward success. 
  • Understand your metrics: It’s essential to know which metrics to track. Metrics are critical to understanding if your SEO strategy aligns with what it needs to, and they help you understand your pain points. Tracking these metrics from the get-go means you’ll be in the best position to keep growth going in the right direction.

How can search engine algorithm updates hurt site performance?

The most common way algorithm updates hurt site performance is because they can shuffle results. So, if you ranked on the first page, an update may mean you’re not as highly rated anymore. This shift is because updates can sometimes affect how Google indexes pages, so it may read your page differently even though it’s the same content as pre-update. 

Additionally, if there have been unanticipated changes in user behavior and the algorithm notices this before businesses do, their site performance may suffer. Staying on top of trends can help mitigate this. 

Finally, if the SEO update targets something that it hasn’t before—i.e., taking site speed into account for the first time—it may affect your ranking. The best thing you can do is take note of the issue and fix it as soon as possible. This is one of the more frustrating ways algorithmic updates affect businesses, as you can’t always predict them.

Conclusion

Overall, the most important thing you can do is monitor search engine algorithmic changes and adjust your site and content accordingly. Keeping up to date on trends within your industry and building room for evolution in your SEO strategy will also help your business’s trajectory through the next decade

Bernard Aguila

Bernard Aguila is a brand ambassador and SEO Outreach Specialist at Omniscient Digital, a premium content marketing & SEO agency.