Now there is no doubt that 2020 was a very challenging year for many people. In the SEO world, things changed as fluidly as everything else. However, 2021 is gearing up to be another year when things are about to change even more drastically in SEO.
This article will look at 3 things we think every SEO Specialist and business owner should know going into 2021.
Intent and Demand are Now Fluid
Search intent and demand are now more fluid than they were once considered. Today, search intent matters more than anything else, making it a significant part of any SEO strategy. So, most SEO projects will start with a fundamental understanding of the intent behind every search query being targeted, and pages will be built based on that.
The goal is to make your page the best match for the search intent; if you do that successfully, Google ranks your page on top of everyone else’s.
However, search intent is now very fluid, and Google can adjust their search results in a bid to cater to people’s changing intent. The change in intent means a shift in search behavior, which means you need to be one step ahead of others when adapting your SEO strategy to fluid intent.
Local Business SEO Is Changing Big Time
If you do local business SEO, make sure that you can adapt to some rapid changes expected throughout 2021. While nobody knows for sure what will change, we know that it is looking to become more complex this year and that Google wants to filter out low-quality content sites.
It goes without saying that local businesses have been the hardest hit during the pandemic. Social restrictions and extensive lockdowns in many countries and US states have forced businesses to get creative.
Local companies are looking for ways to remain connected with their clients and sell via contactless pick-up and virtual consultations.
Google has so far done an excellent job of providing various options in their Google My Business listing, allowing businesses to communicate with their customers. Local business owners or the SEO companies they hire now need to keep their ear to the ground to ensure that their listings are more than just a brief description with opening timings.
The listings now need to rank, and that’s changing a great deal in 2021.
The Emphasis on Relevant Backlinks is More Than Ever
We have heard many top SEOs state that backlinks are irrelevant to ranking.
However, please take a look at the top 10 search results for businesses in your industry, and it isn’t hard to see that backlinks are one of the things that are propping them up.
The emphasis in 2021 is going to more so on the backlinks’ relevance instead of just the link coming from a high authority source. The link’s value will depend on how it relates to your business and if it offers the person clicking on it any value.
Google’s AI is left to determine this, which means that if you have backlinks on your website or ones coming in, make sure they offer something relevant and valuable.
Final Word
Search Engine Optimization is more fast-paced than it ever was before. Google’s latest algorithm updates tend to create significant ripples, and 2021 is gearing up to be a very challenging year for SEO professionals because there are going to be more ripples.
However, SEO’s best practices have always stood strong, i.e., good content, authority, and having a strong social media presence, which helps with branding.
That’s why these will continue to be relevant through 2021 and beyond for many industries.
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