Search Engine Optimization is a critical process in your lead generation and conversion – and a process it is. To benefit from SEO, you can’t just set it and forget it.

You need to commit to it and continually keep working on it.  

You need to stay updated on the latest trends and follow the newest advances to keep ahead of the curve and outperform the competitors.

Search engines like Google are always looking to enhance the user experience and improve their satisfaction levels. They’re constantly tweaking their SERP metrics. That means you’re constantly running the risk of staying behind on the latest trends.

To ensure you’re back on track in 2021, take a look at the most significant SEO trends for this year.

1. Call Tracking DNI 

A vast majority of consumers will look up a local business online before getting in touch with it. Around 88% of those consumers will call or visit that business within the next 24 hours.

But how would you know whether a visitor found out about your business through a friend or family member, your newspaper ad, or online thanks to your SEO efforts?

The only way to know for sure is with call tracking DNI (dynamic number insertion).

With a DNI, you’d have a unique phone number for every single one of your ad sources. So, if a caller were contacting you on the number listed on your web pages, you’d know how you generated that lead.

Call tracking DNI will help you monitor leads and prospects online and offline and provide you with unique insights into how your consumers find out about you.

Don’t forget to review every call you receive and analyze the most common questions and concerns. It will allow you to further improve your online presence with detailed FAQs and guides.

2. Voice Support 

AI Voice support is the next big thing in the world of SEO. Over the past few years, consumers have grown accustomed to using devices like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, even their smartphones to perform convenient voice searches.

Today, over 40% of all internet users in the US alone rely on voice search for everything from finding directions to booking tickets and ordering food.

It means that you need to adapt your SEO strategy (and your content) to accommodate voice search queries.

They typically consist of very specific long-tail keywords.

Instead of using a key phrase such as “best movies 2021”, for example, a user relying on voice search will be more likely to say something like “what are the best movies available on Netflix in 2021”.

3. WordPress Development 

WordPress is the world’s largest CMS (content management system), powering over 43.2% of all websites currently online.

It has every tool and feature you may need to enhance the quality of your site and improve your user experience and satisfaction.

With WP, you’ll find it easier to improve SEO, optimize your site for mobile, add SSL certificates, enhance site security, and more. So, don’t neglect everything that WordPress has to offer.

4. Machine Learning and AI 

Personalization is the name of the game for businesses trying to improve their online presence, and search engines like Google are well aware of that.

91% of consumers are more likely to do business with a brand that offers relevant experiences and personalized recommendations.

So, if you want to stand out and improve your SERP ranking, you need to start boosting your personalization efforts, and the only way you can do that is with the help of machine learning and AI.

These technologies can help you collect and analyze customer data with ease, which will allow you to present more relevant offers to every individual website visitor.

Not to mention that machine learning and AI can also help you analyze your performance and gain insights into how you can further improve your SEO.

5. Core Web Vitals 

In 2021, Google started using new metrics to measure user experience. The metrics are known as Core Web Vitals, and they include:

● Loading  

● Interactivity  

● Visual stability

Together, these three metrics essentially measure your page speed – how quickly it loads, how quickly it becomes interactive, and how stable it is as it’s loading.

6. Mobile Optimization 

Mobile optimization isn’t precisely a new SEO trend, but it’s becoming ever more relevant. As the internet slowly turns almost completely mobile, you must ensure a flawless mobile experience.

You need fast-loading pages, heightened mobile visibility, smoothly running media, and more if you want to attract smartphone users.

Search engines like Google will always prioritize mobile-optimized sites on their SERPs, even when users are performing their search via PC.

A mobile-optimized site will always get a better ranking if two or more sites offer the same relevant content and a similarly excellent user experience.

7. Long-Form Content 

Long-form content (3,000+ words) gets more views, more traffic, more shares, and more backlinks than shorter content. So, as a general rule of thumb, going for long-form content is a much better option.

However, there’s still quite a difference between content quality and quantity. If you rely on outdated techniques like keyword stuffing, you’re running the risk of being penalized by search engines.

It’s in your best interest to first focus on quality, create value for your consumers, and then deliver quantity second.

8. Zero-Click Searches 

Search engines have been using zero-click searches for a while now, but it’s only since 2020 that they became important for SERP ranking.

In essence, zero-click searches allow the user to find the information they’re looking for without first visiting your page.

Suppose you have relevant information regarding the user’s search query. In that case, Google will scan your site and display it as a top result, allowing the user to enjoy a “zero-click” experience.

To start using zero-click searches, you can use featured snippets, cards, videos, lists, tables, and more.

Final Thoughts 

Search engines are constantly evolving and trying to improve their services, which means that you always need to stay on the lookout for the latest SEO trends.

As mentioned, SEO is a process, not a one-time deal. And if you want to keep benefiting from it and keep using it to attract leads and loyal customers, you need to keep improving it.