You have a website or a blog and you want to continue increasing its visibility? It’s clear you will need to keep up your SEO efforts.
However, because the web is in constant evolution, some practices will, in 2024, have more or less impact on your search rankings than in 2023.
So, to help you better anticipate the upcoming changes, here is a list of the main trends that should shape SEO in 2024.
1. The impact of AI on content and ranking
This was the big upheaval this year: making artificial intelligence tools available to the general public. This opening to the web has greatly disrupted the landscape established by search engines.
Today, thanks to AI you can create websites from A to Z, build pages, produce content, images, videos, testimonials… all in a very short time! But one question remains: is this content of quality for the algorithm?
The arrival of AI tools, notably Google's RankBrain, has revolutionized how search algorithms operate. These systems enable search engines to understand the user's context and intent with precision.
2. User-focused content increasingly important
If you care about SEO best practices, you should know that "content is king." Well, in 2024, that will be even more true.
Take the time to create quality content that offers real added value compared with what your competitors provide. Also, be sure to structure it well so both readers and search engines can quickly understand what it's about.
Perfect HTML markup, high-quality content targeted to a specific topic, and clear, simple writing should be enough to boost your search ranking.
3. The long tail increasingly useful
Offering quality content is one thing, but users must be able to access it. So, if the main keyword is particularly competitive, it's essential to implement a long-term strategy.
Yes indeed, by using terms derived from the same semantic field and by targeting longer queries, you should increase the visibility of your content on search engines.
This will be even truer in 2024 since the web is increasingly competitive. But again, be careful not to create pages just for the sake of creating pages. Choose keywords that match your activity so you appear as an expert in your field in Google's eyes.
To help you with your SEO strategy, Redacteur.com now offers you a turnkey organic SEO strategy based on a semantic SEO audit and on the development and writing of 15 to 60 pieces of content!
Also read: How to find long-tail keywords?
4. Improve your internal linking
Over the years, the number of sites and web pages Google has to crawl keeps growing. And Google's crawl budget is not unlimited. That's why, in 2024 more than ever, your website's structure and internal linking need attention.
A good site structure and internal linking help search engine robots navigate your site properly and discover all your pages to index them. It's also a way for them to distinguish your different semantic clusters or SEO silos.
So, to be sure your pages are properly indexed, rework your site structure. Make sure your most important pages are easily accessible and pay attention to your link anchor text!
Also read: How to learn SEO in 10 steps?
5. Relying on backlinks is still a good idea
To boost its popularity, a solid link-building strategy should also be put in place. If a good internal linking Promoting your content is a first step appreciated by Google; obtaining inbound links should be your goal.
Obviously, the ideal is that these come from popular websites. To achieve this, writing guest articles is a good idea although it is often very time-consuming. Note that this pursuit of popularity often goes hand in hand with building a strong brand.
6. E-E-A-T at the heart of the 2024 SEO strategy
You knew E-A-TE-A-T for Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (or in French: Expertise, Autorité, Confiance). Now it's time for E-E-A-T With this new E, Google incorporates the degree of Experience. The idea is simple: when content discusses a topic, the search engine tries to determine whether there is real experience behind it.
For example, for an article about a product test, the search engine will try to understand whether the writer actually tested the product. The goal: to provide users with ever more authentic content!
Google wants relevance and credibility. User experience is at the center of its ranking policy, and if it judges that content is not authenticated or is inappropriate, your website is likely to be pushed far back in the search results.
- Expertise : if you want to be credible with your audience, your posts must reflect your skills and knowledge on the subject. In other words, you are expected to be an expert in your field.
- Authority : you will need to demonstrate that your website is authoritative in your industry, notably through quality backlinks related to your topic. Also consider disavowing backlinks from questionable domains in Search Console.
- Trust : this involves several criteria such as site security (HTTPS), but also customer reviews, the presence of legal notices, and terms and conditions of sale or use…
- Experience : you genuinely master the topics you discuss on your website. The idea is not to be a simple relay of information, but to be the source of a legitimate, real experience. Show that you master the subject you talk about!
7. Core Web Vitals: an SEO ranking factor
Since 2021, Google takes into account what it calls the Core Web Vitals. The emphasis is on UX, although it reminds you that SEO remains a priority for your ranking. Concretely, without a high-performing website, you'll have trouble trying to gain SEO traffic. You will need to improve your site's UX and technical performance.
How? By focusing on your pages' loading, interactivity, and visual stability:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) : measures loading performance. Ideally, visible elements should appear within the first 2.5 seconds from the start of page loading.
- FID (First Input Delay) : measures interactivity — that is, the moment when a user can interact with your site (click your CTA, open a link, etc.). Google recommends not exceeding an FID of 100 milliseconds.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)): measures visual stability. To provide a quality user experience, Google recommends not exceeding a CLS score of 0.1.
Improving a site's performance can increase its traffic and visibility on the SERP by up to 20%! Although Core Web Vitals are not new in 2024, it's still clear they must be taken into account.
You can view your site's page performance status directly in Google Search Console.
8. Secure your website and protect user data
Although this is not directly SEO-related, neglecting your website's security will cost you valuable positions in the SERP.
Two reasons for this:
- Google's algorithm takes site security into account in its ranking.
- If the user doesn't feel secure, they will quickly leave your website.
It is essential to enable HTTPS on your site, and Google even gives a small SEO boost when navigation on your site is secure.
If you haven't done so yet, draft your company's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy.
9. Boost your local SEO
Users are increasingly motivated to consume locally. More than half of Google searches are local searches to find a place or a nearby business.
In 2024, Google's algorithms will favor local businesses by implementing new methods of data filtering:
- If you don't have a page yet Google Business Profile, it's time to get one and don't forget to keep your information up to date!
- Create local landing pages;
- Appear in Google News and in the mobile Showcase.
Also read: Local SEO: how to stay at the top of search results?
10. Popularity as a new pillar of SEO
In 2024, good SEO will only be possible for a website if it enjoys significant popularity.
In other words, a website that generates substantial traffic will be better ranked by Google. It's always easier to rank pages for competitive queries from a site that is already well ranked.
11. The rise of video
Videos are everywhere—and with good reason, internet users love them! Don't neglect the tremendous potential of video marketing if you want to rank well in 2024. With a conversion rate multiplied by six, video content is a powerful lead magnet.
By 2024, it is estimated that video will account for more than 80% of all internet traffic
That's why investing in video content to feed your site will be good practice. This content format can generate significant traffic if the videos are well designed. In 2024, producing your own videos can therefore help boost your website's SEO.
But beware: like any SEO content, videos must be relevant and provide useful, high-quality information.
Also read: Develop your video project with 6 golden rules and 8 tools
12. User experience is becoming increasingly important
In 2024, running a user-centered strategy will help improve your site's SEO. It's no longer just about attracting users; you must also offer them a quality experience so they want to stay and return.
Moreover, as was already the case at the end of 2022, your thinking should move more toward SXO go beyond SEO. In other words, SEO strategy and user experience will become one and we'll talk about Search Experience Optimization
To please visitors and keep them coming back, working on the user experience is essential. You should therefore ensure it is easy to navigate between the different pages of your website.
You should also guarantee visitors a fast loading of your website pages. Indeed, too long a loading time can cause visitors to leave: you will need to do everything possible to ensure your pages display quickly. For example, you could adopt the SVG or WebP format for your images: they will be smaller in size without any loss of quality. Ideal for optimizing your pages' loading time!
13. Increasing efforts to please mobile users
At a time when mobile devices account for an ever larger share of web traffic, anyone launching an online project must ensure their site is optimized for smartphones.
The different pages of your website should therefore adapt to the size of the screens on which they are viewed: this is what we call Responsive designWith pages designed for smartphones and tablets, mobile users will be able to browse comfortably and will therefore be more likely to return if they enjoyed the experience.
To optimize your mobile traffic, you will therefore need to take into account mobile-first expectationsIndeed, Google ranks websites differently on smartphones and on PCs to reward those that provide optimal comfort to mobile users.
If this is relevant to your business, carrying out a strategy of local SEO can help you achieve good results as quickly as possible for a newly launched site.
Also read: Google Web Stories: 5 tips to optimize your SEO visibility
14. Voice search becoming even more prevalent
Although voice assistant tools have been around for several years, it seems that today, more than before, we need to focus more on the answers we want to provide to those tools.
Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa… All these AI-powered virtual assistants are now a key concern for many professionals seeking greater visibility on the web.
Today, voice search has gone from a novelty to a norm. Forecasts suggest that over 50% of all online queries will be voice-based by the end of the year. Therefore, adapting content to match conversational phrases is becoming a reality and a priority.
15. Image-based search
Although complementary to voice search, visual search offers real SEO potential. To be indexed, choose only high-quality photos and optimize all your ALT attributes.
When selecting images, ask yourself whether they meet a need and add value to your content, with the aim that Google will consider your image relevant enough to include in its image results.
More and more internet users are also searching using photos, especially to find products. If you own an e-commerce site, your product photos are essential to help users find you!
Our tip for succeeding in SEO in 2024
In 2024, SEO practices will continue to evolve, and those who best anticipate these changes will come out on top.
So, starting now, give importance to your content, which more than ever should be written for users. By anticipating the search engine's expectations, it's certain that in a few months your efforts will be rewarded by Google.
Take advantage now of the expertise of a SEO writer to write your content. By going through Redacteur.com, you can benefit from the advice and expertise of our teams and receive support from a dedicated project manager for guidance.
The article SEO: 15 major trends for 2024 first appeared on Redacteur.com.
