SEO Guide for Entrepreneurs: What to expect

We find ourselves today in front of a perpetual change in search engine algorithms and search engine optimization (SEO). So staying updated with new trends and anticipating the future is essential for entrepreneurs looking to develop their online presence.

We thought it was the right time to analyze what awaits us in the field of SEO and make predictions based on our experience of over 9 years in providing SEO services.

SEO experts are increasingly challenged to generate viable content strategies, adapt to Generative AI, and use automation tools in a balanced way. Meanwhile, Google has continuously raised its quality standards, adding “experience” to “expertise, authority, and trust” for its EAT algorithm, which is now: E-E-A-T.

This guide will provide an overview of these trends and others in SEO, as well as a series of key SEO predictions for the next year, offering a comprehensive and applicable guide for every day of work on your website.

We do this to help you navigate with success and more confidence as an entrepreneur in the ever-changing world of SEO.

So, what can we expect in SEO?

1. User Experience (UX) as a Crucial Ranking Factor

User Experience (UX) is becoming increasingly important in the world of SEO, and it is expected that UX will play a central role in ranking web pages in the future. Google and other search engines are focusing on how users interact with websites, considering several essential aspects to evaluate the quality of user experiences.

1. Page loading speed is a crucial factor in ensuring a positive experience for users. With the widespread use of mobile devices for web browsing, websites must load quickly and be optimized to function correctly and comfortably on these platforms. Slow-loading sites can prompt users to leave the page and seek alternatives, negatively impacting rankings.
2. An intuitive navigation structure is another essential element in ensuring a positive user experience. Websites need to be well-organized, with clear and easily understandable navigation. Menus and links must be strategically placed to guide users to relevant information.
3. Relevant content represents another pillar of user experience. Users expect to find quality content that addresses their needs and questions. Creating unique, informative, and valuable content can contribute to keeping users on the site and encouraging them to return.
4. A positive user experience not only improves user retention but can also have a positive impact on conversion rates. Users who feel comfortable on a site and easily find what they are looking for are more likely to take actions such as filling out a form or making a purchase.

User experience is becoming increasingly important in SEO, and those who pay attention to aspects related to speed, adaptability, navigation structure, and relevant content will have a higher chance of achieving higher rankings in search engine results. For online entrepreneurs, investing in improving user experience can bring significant benefits and contribute to the long-term success of their businesses.

2. The Rise of Voice Search and Virtual Assistants

This is one of the most significant trends in the current SEO landscape. With virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri gaining more users, it is crucial to understand how to optimize content for this major technological evolution.

Optimizing for voice searches involves implementing specific strategies to enable search engines to provide precise answers to verbally posed questions. Here are three basic rules to adapt to this trend:

1. Structuring content for frequently asked questions: Understanding patterns of voice search is crucial. Users of virtual assistants tend to ask complete questions, such as “Best restaurants near me” or “How to make a carrot cake?” Therefore, your content should provide clear and concise answers to such questions.
2. Ensuring mobile accessibility: Most voice searches are performed on mobile devices, so ensure that your site is optimized for this platform. Check if your site is responsive and loads quickly on mobile phones. Also, ensure that information is easily accessible and displayed correctly on smaller screens.
3. Understanding virtual assistants: Each virtual assistant has its own set of rules and preferences. For example, Alexa prefers to read information from a “flash brief,” while Google Assistant uses “Featured Snippets” to provide quick answers. It is essential to understand how these virtual assistants work to optimize your content accordingly.

As voice searches become more integrated into our daily lives, adapting to this trend proves crucial for online success. Entrepreneurs who invest time and resources in optimizing for voice searches will be in a more advantageous position in the online competition.

3. Website Security

The implementation of the HTTPS protocol has become increasingly important in the SEO landscape, and this trend is expected to continue. Search engines place a growing emphasis on online security, and sites that are not secured with HTTPS risk appearing poorly in organic rankings.

What does HTTPS mean? It is a security protocol that encrypts data transmitted between a user and a website. When a site is secured with HTTPS, personal, financial, and any other type of data users enter on the site are protected from interception by hackers and any other unauthorized access. This is particularly important in a world where cybercrimes are quite common.

Search engines, especially Google, have started to favor sites secured with HTTPS over those that do not provide this security. This means that, to the extent that two sites offer similar content and experience but one uses HTTPS and the other does not, the secured site will have a much better chance of obtaining a higher position in search results.

Furthermore, securing a site with HTTPS is essential for protecting users’ sensitive information. This applies especially to e-commerce sites, where users provide financial data, and to sites that collect personal data, such as email addresses and passwords. Implementing the HTTPS protocol requires obtaining an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate and configuring the web server to use it. It is crucial to perform this process correctly to ensure proper site security.

4. Optimization for Mobile Devices

With the continuous evolution of technology and the increasing use of smartphones, optimizing for mobile devices becomes increasingly crucial in the SEO world. This aspect will continue to be a dominant trend, and sites not optimized for user experience on smartphones risk losing visibility and traffic.

Why is mobile optimization so important? There are several key reasons:

1. Increased use of smartphones (91.40% of people on the planet use a phone in 2023): more and more people access the internet using their smartphones. This means that sites must provide a pleasant and efficient experience for users on these devices.
2. Search engine preferences: search engines, such as Google, have started to favor sites optimized for mobile devices. This means that mobile-friendly sites have a better chance of obtaining a higher position in search results.
3. User experience: mobile optimization is not only about the visual aspect of the site on a small screen but also about the overall user experience. Sites must load quickly, provide intuitive navigation, and have buttons and links that are easy to tap on touch screens.

To optimize a site for mobile devices, it is necessary to adopt a responsive design, ensuring that the site adapts its layout and content to different screen sizes. This helps maintain a consistent user experience across various devices, from smartphones to tablets.

5. The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning on SEO

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning are transforming the way search engines operate, and this transformation is expected to continue. AI allows search engines to better understand user intent, deliver more relevant search results, and adapt to changing search patterns.

Here are some ways in which AI and Machine Learning are influencing SEO:

1. Personalized search results: AI analyzes user behavior and preferences to provide personalized search results. This means that two users entering the same query may receive different results based on their past searches, location, and online behavior.
2. Content optimization: AI tools help content creators optimize their content for search engines. They analyze the relevance and quality of content, suggesting improvements to enhance its visibility in search results.
3. User experience improvement: AI contributes to improving user experience by analyzing user interactions with websites. It identifies patterns that indicate positive or negative experiences, allowing website owners to make informed adjustments.
4. Voice search: AI plays a significant role in powering voice search technology. As more users rely on voice-activated devices, AI algorithms work to understand and respond to spoken queries effectively.
5. Predictive analysis: Machine Learning enables search engines to predict user behavior and trends, helping businesses stay ahead of the competition by anticipating shifts in search patterns. Online entrepreneurs and SEO professionals must stay informed about the latest developments in AI and Machine Learning. Integrating AI-driven tools into SEO strategies can enhance performance and provide a competitive advantage in the evolving landscape of online search:

• Studying Analytical Data: Collecting and studying analytical data are essential for monitoring and improving SEO performance. AI can take on this task and provide SEO specialists with valuable information about user behavior, conversions, click rates, and more. For example, a social media site can use AI to analyze analytical data and identify usage patterns on the platform. This can help in developing new features and improving user experience.
• Competitor Monitoring: AI can track competitor websites and provide information about the keywords they use, content structure, and their SEO strategies. This data can help SEO specialists adjust and improve their strategy:
  1. Website Crawlers: Tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Sitebulb can scan your site to identify technical issues such as pages with 404 errors, incorrect redirects, or missing meta descriptions.
  2. Link Checkers: Tools like Xenu’s Link Sleuth or Online Broken Link Checker can be used to find non-functional links on your site.
  3. Site Performance Analysis Tools: Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools provide detailed reports on your site’s health, including technical errors they can identify in their crawls.
  4. Website Load Speed Testing: Using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix can help identify issues related to page loading speed, which can significantly impact user experience.
  5. Site Audits: AI can perform periodic site audits to identify technical errors, non-functional links, or other issues. This automation ensures your site is in good working order. Various tools use algorithms and artificial intelligence technologies to automatically analyze and report website issues. They can identify technical errors, non-functional links, and other problems so that you can take corrective action promptly to keep the site in good working order. Automated site audits can be performed using various methods and tools. Here are a few examples:

• Content idea generation: AI can generate content ideas, such as meta tags or product descriptions. These content ideas can then be reviewed and customized by SEO specialists.

  Keyword recommendations: AI algorithms can suggest suitable keywords for an SEO strategy, based on extensive keyword analysis and search trends.

  Testing and improving conversion rates: AI can run A/B tests on elements such as buttons, images, or text to identify which variants lead to higher conversion rates and can recommend changes.

  Link management: AI can monitor the backlink profile and alert teams about broken or low-quality links. It can also recommend new link acquisition opportunities.

  Content translation: AI can translate content to make it accessible to a global audience, ensuring translations are accurate and relevant.

  Creating structured data via Schema.org for technical SEO needs: This brings increased efficiency, improved accuracy, and adaptability to change. Using AI in this context involves developing algorithms and machine learning models that can automatically identify and mark the structure and relevant data types on a web page. These algorithms can tag page content, identifying Schema.org entities such as products, events, people, locations, and more.

  AI in link building as well: Tools such as LinkAssistant from SEO PowerSuite use AI to identify high-quality link-building opportunities based on factors like relevance, authority, and others.

  Automating repetitive tasks through artificial intelligence delivers significant benefits for SEO specialists. It frees up time and resources for more strategic and creative tasks, such as developing high-quality content, identifying new keyword opportunities, and planning long-term SEO strategies. With the help of AI, SEO can become more efficient and better adapted to the constantly changing requirements of search engines, offering a real chance of success in a competitive online environment.

  Therefore, AI is truly at the center of SEO’s evolution. With increasingly advanced capabilities for understanding user intent and personalizing search results, AI will play an ever more important role in improving SEO efficiency and user satisfaction. SEO specialists must stay up to date with these developments and integrate them into their strategies to achieve long-term success.

  6. Adapting to “Generative AI”

  One of the most important SEO trends will be related to “Generative AI” and the way Google is expanding the use of this technology in the search process.

  A significant shift: Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that has made major progress in recent years. Google has introduced the “Search Generative Experience (SGE)” as part of this process. This is a system that uses generative AI technology to improve how search results are presented and delivered to users. With SGE, Google aims to provide more relevant and contextual information, reducing the need for users to click through to websites.

  How Generative AI Influences SEO

  Generative AI significantly impacts how SEO specialists approach website optimization. Here are several ways this trend is changing the landscape:

  Content optimized for Generative AI: SEO specialists need to start creating content that can be easily interpreted and used by generative AI algorithms. This content must be structured in a way that delivers quick, clear answers to user queries.

  Improved user experience: Generative AI can provide faster and more relevant answers, which enhances the search experience. This puts pressure on SEO professionals to ensure their websites deliver an optimal user experience.

  Adapting to new requirements: Google is adding “experience” to its ranking criteria, meaning SEO specialists must ensure their websites are not only informative but also easy to use and capable of delivering a positive user experience.

  Continuous analysis: With the changes brought by Generative AI, SEO specialists must constantly monitor site performance and adapt to new requirements.

  Competition in SERPs: Google is experimenting with more SERP features that lead to “zero-click searches.” As a result, one of the most challenging aspects of SEO will be content production and content strategy. As more SEO professionals adapt to Generative AI, competition in search results (SERPs) will become more intense. SEO specialists must find ways to differentiate their content in an increasingly competitive “red ocean” landscape.

  Transparency in advertising: As Generative AI delivers more contextual results, transparency in advertising becomes essential to clearly distinguish between organic and paid results.

  SEO specialists must understand the new requirements of Generative AI and adjust their strategies to remain relevant in an ever-changing SEO landscape. By continuously monitoring performance and adapting to new demands, they can continue to offer users a better search experience and more relevant results.

  SEO will continue to evolve at an extremely fast pace, and adopting new SEO strategies aligned with emerging trends will be crucial for online success. Entrepreneurs who understand and embrace these trends will be better prepared to successfully navigate the constantly changing SEO landscape.

  At the same time, it is important to understand that SEO is not just about technology and algorithms, but also about people. What matters most is ensuring that our websites provide valuable and relevant experiences for users. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve and user intent becomes better understood, the future of SEO is promising. In this context, entrepreneurs who adopt and integrate these trends into their strategies will gain a competitive advantage in the online environment.

  Therefore, to succeed in SEO, stay flexible, keep learning continuously, and adapt to the rapid changes in the industry. You have taken the first steps toward understanding these trends—now it is time to turn them into concrete actions and grow your online presence successfully.

  With a passion for SEO and anticipation for the future,
  The SEOLITTE Team

  +373 69 809 235
  info(@)seolitte.com