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This year has been a wild ride for search. After the March 2024 Core update, many sites are in a recovery phase. Niche Site Metrics, an online database that tracks data on various niche sites, found that over 1.7% of sites in its database were de-indexed by Google. Some of these sites have been disbanded, while others continue to work to repair and reindex their sites.
On the other hand, some sites have received a massive boost in traffic. Reddit, for example, has continued to be a big winner from recent updates. In fact, since Google’s algorithm received an update in June 2023, the estimated monthly traffic to Reddit from Google has surged, jumping from slightly over 100 million to nearly 600 million visits.
And more changes are coming. While no official data has been announced, Google is set to release the full Search Generative Experience (SGE) very soon. The Google team is testing the new experience on a small group of users in the U.S. and for anyone who has opted into the ‘Google Labs’ experience. Once testing subsides, I expect it to roll out for the majority of users.
I get questions every so often about where I see 2024 going for search. Recently, one of my friends asked me…
“How are we supposed to keep track of all these changes in search while running a business full-time?”
To be frank, I am not sure if it is possible. Search is changing at a rapid pace. What works one day may not work the next. Ultimately, we do not control Google. And, no one has an exact formula for SEO success accounting for all upcoming changes in the next five years.
However, if we zoom out and look at the bigger picture of what is going on, there are some definitive trends that we can follow and prepare for. Here are four trends I believe will likely forever shape search.
1. From Now On, Search Favors Real People Being Themselves
The age of keyword-stuffing bland, generic, un-authored content is over. Google is prioritizing authentic, unique, and expert voices. When creating a new piece of content, it is important to ask ourselves, “Why me?” Visitors want information sources that they can trust. Because of this, Google wants to know if you are the best source of information to rank for a given topic.
Content marketers are looking for new ways to develop and provide signals of authority and credibility to answer the increasingly more important “why me” question. Content quality is not just about the text on the screen, it is now very much about the author and their credentials.
In your bio, about page, team pages, make sure to brag about your experiences and expertise. Who wants anonymous strangers providing medical advice anyways?
🗨️ Related Reading: What Are Ownable Conversations?
2. Perspectives, Data, and Unique Insights Are the New Gold for Content
I hate to say it, but encyclopedia-like content is not valuable anymore. This will be especially true when Google rolls out SGE. Most visitors will not make it to your site when searching for a simple definition. I like thinking about SGE as an enhanced Featured Snippet system. If the search intent is answered before clicking on your page, you will not be getting a visitor.
That being said, there are ways to entice those individuals to still go to your page. For example, in my personal experience, if I see that a page may include some interesting data or statistics, I am more likely to click-through and check out the stats. Or, if a page has a unique, in-depth, tested marketing case-study, I am much more enticed. AI is the new baseline for content. Content marketers need to see how they can provide value beyond this new baseline.
AI is like the average of the entire internet regurgitated back out. Winning content is not going to be easy or average.
Questions to ask yourself:
- How can the value proposition of your page be higher than that of a response from ChatGPT or another chatbot?
- What unique insights, data, or experiences can you share that AI and no else has ever had?
🔍 Related Reading: How Google’s AI Search Will Change Marketing Strategy
3. The Basics Are Not Going Anywhere
While the search landscape rapidly evolves, core basic SEO is becoming the expected norm. Users still want sites with high-usability, great visuals, and fast-performance.
Google is pushing it heavily too. With the last March update, their team updated its core web vitals, introducing Interaction to Next Paint (INP) to its group of page quality signals. The search engine’s hyperfocus on quality websites is not going anywhere.
Like building a house, you must start on a solid foundation. Otherwise, the house will crumble as you build on it. There are plenty of tools to evaluate your site’s SEO. You can try out a free SEO consultation tool, which can evaluate your site’s ‘foundation’ in about 30 seconds.
Before taking over your niche on the internet, make sure you have the basics in order.
4. Diversification — Not of Investments, but of Channels
As algorithms fluctuate, relying too heavily on Google search alone is risky. A smarter strategy is to diversify your acquisition channels by optimizing for platforms like YouTube, Amazon, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and X (formerly Twitter) and leveraging paid media.
Like diversification for your investments, it protects you from volatility in any one channel area.
Newsletters are booming too.
In fact, 81% of B2B marketers say email newsletters are their most used form of content marketing.
I value newsletters because they come with built-in distribution channels and allow for the cultivation of personal connections with customers. Because of that, they’re one of the best ways to nurture leads.
Ultimately, it all comes to trust and standing out from the ever-increasing outside noise.
No Signs of Slowing Down
Search shows no signs of slowing its pace of change. While you may not be able to keep track of all these shifts, you can provide diversified value across audiences. By tapping into these four trends, entrepreneurs can navigate and capitalize on the evolving search landscape.
This article was written by John Hall from Forbes and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].