The continual changes in SEO can be divided into two types: a shift from search engine optimisation to search experience optimisation, and the growth of user-generated content across the Internet. According to Business Insider, 90% of internet searches are done through Google, with over a third of all search queries resulting in no clicks! Due to a substantial increase in user experience, searchers are increasingly receiving their queries addressed right immediately on the top page of results without even having to go to a website.
Computers are now capable of learning on their own, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), which is called machine learning. Search engines can now interpret connections between search terms and material using machine learning. Unlike in the past, when websites could gain popularity by “cracking the Google algorithm code,” contemporary SEO focuses on improving search experiences.
Then vs. Now
The search engines of the past were little more than text retrieval systems. This meant that ranking was based on known and highly exploitable criteria such as keyword usage within a document. Because of a lack of context, homographs were unintelligible and exact match rules excluded typos and syntax variations.
The field of study concerned with meaning is known as semantics. Inexperience optimisation is the area where machine learning has brought value. Results are increasingly influenced by intent and context as search engines learn more about the meanings behind words and related content.
Keys to Success
Organic search, according to SEO thought leader and Moz creator Rand Fishkin, generates 20 times more clicks than paid search, making it the most effective and cost-efficient way to generate website leads. The number of online searches is only going to increase as the use of voice technology expands across cars, homes, cellphones, and wrists. It’s more essential than ever to have an effective SEO approach in place for your company.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Lists are popular on Google. Make good use of them!
- The death of keyword-based SEO is a well-known fact. Create and optimise content for themes and ideas instead.
- Organise your information around responses to varied and particular questions. For example: where may I get a gluten-free vegan banana milkshake and 2 AM in Des Moines?
- Prioritise user experience. If your site is too sluggish, Google won’t care how fantastic your lists are.
- For improved UX, align navigation, page structure, and content organization to a coherent buyer’s journey.
- Check to see if your site is mobile-friendly. Smartphones are the most popular device for conducting online searches, with over half of all queries taking place in this manner.
