SEO trends 2024, here's what you need to know to rank #1 in 2024!

HAPPY new (SEO) year!! But will next year make you just as happy, with all the new SEO trends? We think so!

With the right knowledge, a flexible attitude and by actively continuing to learn, SEO is still a great way to drive sustainable online growth in 2024!

The top SEO trends in 2024!

• Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), one to definitely keep an eye on!
• The growing influence of E.E.A.T. (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness)
• The importance of content that matches search intent
• How search behaviour is changing! We cover video, voice search (as always!) and, in our view, a really cool feature with lots of potential, Google Lens!
• Why there are more and more zero-click searches. And how you can work around this!
• What we (Matthijs and Joram) think 2024 has in store for SEO!

Ready to grab 2024 by the horns and get everything out of it? Let's get started then!

In short, the key points!

• Google Search Generative Experience (SGE): a revolutionary approach in Google Search where AI provides search results based on the content of authoritative websites. (A really cool development!)

• The importance of the E.E.A.T. factor: emphasis on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, the core factors for evaluating websites and content, keeps growing.

• Content that matches search intent: a growing focus on creating content that closely matches the specific search 'intent' and needs of users.

• Changes in search behaviour: the shift of searchers towards social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram

  • Growth of video content: video is becoming an even more dominant medium for consuming information.
  • Continued growth of voice search: adjustments to the way people search using voice commands.
  • Rise of Google Lens (AR search): augmented reality and visual search are playing a bigger role in search strategies.

• Increase in zero-click searches: more searches will be answered directly in the search results, which increases the need for optimised rich snippets and knowledge graphs.

The arrival of Google Search Generative Experience (SGE)!

The arrival of Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) could completely turn the way we get results from Google upside down!

But first, what it actually is…

What is Google Search Generative Experience (SGE)?

In short: Google Search Generative Experience, or SGE for short, is a technology that uses AI to give a direct, tailored answer based on authoritative websites from the search results.

It looks something like this!

So imagine: you search for "SEO trends 2024", and instead of a list of websites, you get a coherent, tailored answer straight from Google's AI.

This will appear at the top of the search results page (SERP), with an answer and the sources SGE based its answer on! And that's exactly where the opportunities lie!

Something like this…

Here's how you seize those opportunities!

We're introducing a new term for a lot of people in SEO! Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), this means optimising for Answer Engines, think ChatGPT, Google SGE, Google Bard, Bing Chat and so on.

Where traditional SEO focuses on optimising content to rank higher in search results, AEO focuses on direct, accurate and above all COMPLETE answers to searchers' questions.

How do you optimise for AEO?

• Understand the user's search intent: it's important to understand what the user is actually looking for. This goes beyond keywords; it's about the underlying questions and needs. Go the extra mile!
• Create content that answers questions fully: develop content that directly answers questions relevant to your audience. This can range from frequently asked questions (FAQs) to detailed explanations and guides.
• Use structured data: by marking up content with schemas (structured data markup), you can help search engines better understand the context of your content.
• Focus on quality and accuracy: make sure your answers are reliable and accurate. This builds trust with both users and search engines
• Make sure all the info is findable on your website! In other words, build topical authority, meaning Google sees you as THE authority in a certain field. You build this by covering every topic within a main subject.
• Don't forget internal links! They make sure users, but also Answer Engines (AIs), can easily reach the right pages. So make sure you add relevant internal links to every page!

AEO increases your visibility in search engines and improves the user experience, which is indispensable in this AI-driven era of SEO.

Applying this early prepares you for a future where direct, accurate and complete answers will be the norm, and to give those answers you obviously need experience and expertise!

Which brings us nicely to the growing importance of the E.E.A.T. factor! Keep reading and learn even more SEO trends for 2024!

The E.E.A.T. factor keeps getting more important!

We're seeing a strong focus from Google on the E.E.A.T. factor. E.E.A.T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.

Building this factor goes beyond simply creating content.

It's about demonstrating your expertise and experience in a field or topic.

Building authority within your niche or industry.

Providing complete answers and experiences, and earning the trust and loyalty of users and customers.

We felt this personally, and not in a good way, haha, with one of our own websites. We'd gone with a faceless website with no real author. The result after Google's September update, as you can see, was painful, but we learned a lot from it!

AI and SEO

With the rise of AI in SEO and the flood of new AI-generated content, telling quality apart becomes more important.

While Google has no problem with AI as such, it's pushing for quality content that goes beyond superficiality or plagiarism.

The idea is to offer content that's genuinely helpful for the searcher and that satisfies the search intent.

This means that to rank well, you need to go the extra mile!

Just adding that FAQ section, spending more time on a nice infographic, or gathering a bit more data.

The importance of strong, authoritative links

Because of this flood of content, Google will also have to look at other factors beyond just keywords and website speed, and that's where the importance of links from authoritative sites or platforms comes in.

We think link building will become even more important in 2024, especially links from authoritative websites or links from relevant people, thought leaders and experts within your industry / sector!

Want to get started with link building right away? See what we can do for you, click here!

The shift towards E.E.A.T. highlights the need for rock-solid content that lines up closely with users' search intent.

It's not just about standing out with your expertise, it's also about your content resonating with your audience and fully delivering what they're looking for!

In the next section, we'll dig deeper into the importance of that rock-solid content, which fits perfectly with your target audience's search intent.

Rock-solid content that matches search intent becomes hugely important!

In the fast-changing world of SEO trends in 2024, we see an unmistakable shift: content that fits perfectly with the user's search intent becomes critical.

With the rise of AI-generated content, it's now more important than ever to stand out with authentic, well-written, action-oriented content.

That doesn't mean you can't use AI at all, just take a hybrid approach, see it as a helping hand!

Use it for analysing data, doing research, helping with writing, and so on. But don't just take everything it gives you at face value, always check it, and add something of your own!

Think about things like:

• Practical tips
• Detailed explanations
• (Buying) guides / step-by-step explanations
• Your own experiences
• Relevant images, visuals and videos
• Interactive elements, such as infographics
• Relevant research
• Etc. Just add anything that offers real value to the reader!
  

Google's mission: perfect search results

Google always aims to offer the most relevant results.

Thanks to machine learning, an advanced technology that uses data to make predictions, for example about search intent, Google can now judge users' search intent better.

The four types of search intent:

• Informational: people are looking for information.
• Navigational: searching for specific websites or pages.
• Commercial: researching potential purchases.
• Transactional: the intent to buy something

With the sea of AI-generated content out there, which is generally super superficial and doesn't satisfy search intent or in-depth questions at all, it's more important than ever to factor search intent into your content creation!

So before you start writing, put yourself in your audience's shoes!

What do they want to know to feel fully satisfied and stop searching? That way you can give a much better answer, and you have a better chance at that #1 ranking!

Situational content: a trend to watch!

What is situational content? It's content that highlights different perspectives and scenarios.

This type of content is rich in variety and takes a lot of expertise to create, helping the user with comprehensive information for a range of situations.

Plus it shows Google your authority on the topic, which is fantastic for your topical authority!

We think this style of writing has huge potential for the future, especially for commercial search intent where people are still in the research phase.

Tips for content creation in 2024

When creating content in 2024, keep the following points in mind:

• Focus on the user experience: make sure your content is appealing, readable and interactive.
• Use a shedload of visuals: use plenty of relevant images and videos.
• Offer NEW insights: create situational content that highlights different angles.
• Work with a topical map! Work with a topical map, an overview of all the topics within your niche!

Now that you understand how important it is to create strong content that matches search intent, let's look ahead at HOW the way people search is changing. More on that in the next part of this blog!

HOW people search is changing!

The search landscape keeps changing, and in 2024 these changes can't be stopped.

Nowadays we see that people aren't just searching through traditional search engines such as Google, but are shifting towards alternative platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Reddit and other online platforms.

This trend marks a shift in SEO trends for 2024, where having a presence across different channels is indispensable.

Branding definitely plays a role here too! Curious how we can help grow your social media presence? Click here to see the options!

But there's more!

Grow your expertise and reach with video content!

Did you know that the total number of people watching videos is expected to reach 3.5 billion in 2023! That's according to these statistics!

This isn't just an SEO trend, it's a major shift in how people search, consume information and make decisions

The shift to video

People are increasingly choosing video over written content. It's not just more engaging, it also offers a richer experience.

Think of Google's video search results, these aren't just prominent, they're often more compelling than plain text links too.

You've got a nice thumbnail image, and as soon as you hover over it, it starts playing, it's a lot more active and appealing!

For e-commerce businesses and brands, this is a GOLDEN opportunity to showcase their products and services.

Video content as brand expertise

Videos let you demonstrate your expertise and brand personality in an authentic way.

This also helps build your E.E.A.T. factor and grow your online presence as part of the SEO trends in 2024.

5 tips for effective video SEO

• Optimise your titles and descriptions: make sure they're engaging and include trending SEO terms and relevant keywords.
• Use subtitles: this boosts not just accessibility but also SEO value.
• Work in relevant keywords: just like with traditional SEO, keywords in your video content matter a great deal.
• Focus on quality content: content, relevance and quality are king, in both written and video content.
• Make your videos shareable: make sure your videos are easy to share on social media and other platforms. Think short-form content!

Video content is a great complement to the written content on your blog, and can seriously boost visitor engagement and help build a loyal customer base!

But with the growth of video content, we also need to pay attention to another evolving SEO trend: voice search.

This forms a complementary strategy you should consider as part of your search engine optimisation strategies.

Voice search, like every year!

Every single year, voice search pops up in the list of SEO trends, and yet it still doesn't seem to have reached its full potential.

Even so, in 2024, it remains an area full of untapped opportunity!

With the rise of smartphones and smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home, and their integration into new cars, voice search keeps becoming more accessible and popular.

Challenges of voice search

Although voice search is often mentioned as one of the top SEO trends, it still doesn't seem to have fully broken through, it's more of a steady climb.

This could be down to technological complexity or slower adoption by users.

Plenty of sites also aren't optimised for voice search, which means the answers aren't always great. But this has improved a lot over the years!

But AI is likely to change a lot here too. So, positive developments!

Optimising for voice search

To help you get started, here are a few general points to keep in mind:

• Focus on natural, conversational search terms. Write the way you'd actually use voice search yourself!
• Improve your local SEO strategies, since a lot of voice searches are local in nature.
• Make sure your website loads fast, since speed matters for voice search results.
• Add an FAQ to your copy, most voice search results are pulled from featured snippets and FAQ sections.

That way you're better prepared for the rise of voice search!

And now, while we're on the more familiar territory of voice search, there's an even more exciting development waiting in the wings, something that could completely change the way we search. Introducing Google Lens!

Grab the huge potential of Google Lens! (AR search)

Google Lens, a groundbreaking innovation in the world of SEO trends for 2024, is a visual search technology that's revolutionising how we explore information and interact with the world around us.

With this technology, users can use their camera to identify objects in their surroundings, translate text, or even scan and buy shop items directly.

I (Joram) tried it myself, and you can search for products, translate text, solve maths problems, you name it, in no time at all. I scanned my shoes and within a few seconds I could see my shoes and similar options!

What is Google Lens?

Google Lens combines the power of AI with augmented reality (AR) to offer an interactive search experience. From translating text to finding similar products, the possibilities are endless. This is a real turning point in SEO trends and opens up a world of possibilities for AI and SEO integration. Here's a video from Google themselves showing how it works!

Opportunities for e-commerce

For e-commerce brands, Google Lens offers a unique opportunity to present their products in an advanced way. By optimising your store for visual searches, you can get ahead in the top SEO trends.

That means using clear images and making sure you have accurate, detailed product descriptions that match visual searches!

How do you optimise for Google Lens?

• Use high-quality images: Google Lens results are always images, so it really matters to have sharp, good-quality images with good descriptive alt text.
• Link building: make sure your product pages are well connected to relevant internal content, think category pages, as well as external sources.
• Focus on mobile-first indexing: optimise your website for mobile devices, Google Lens is only accessible on smartphones!

That way you're ready for this cool feature!

This shift towards visual searches with tools such as Google Lens plays an important role in another emerging SEO trend: the rise of zero-click searches.

People now find answers directly without clicking through to a website, which poses a new challenge for SEO strategies.

More and more zero-click searches!

A striking trend within SEO is the rise of 'zero-click searches'. This phenomenon, where searchers find the information they need directly in Google's search results, without clicking through to a website, is becoming more and more prominent.

Think featured snippets, such as business details, currency exchange rate boxes, celebrity information, or stock price blocks (see the image below).

These give searchers a quick answer to their questions.

The power of long-tail keywords

One way to counter this trend is to focus on long-tail keywords.

By offering more specialised, in-depth information, you increase the odds of getting a click. Take stock prices, for example.

Instead of simply showing the price of Apple shares, you could create content that explains 'Why did Apple shares go up'.

This offers more value and depth, which leads to a higher click-through rate (CTR).

Example of how you can use long-tail keywords!

Imagine an article titled: "Why did Apple shares go up? The factors behind the recent price increase!".

This is a perfect example of targeting long-tail keywords, where you don't just give information about the share price, but also offer an in-depth analysis of the reasons behind this change.

These SEO trends underline the importance of adaptability and innovation in SEO strategies.

As we prepare for SEO in 2024, it's important to recognise these changes and get started in good time!

Ready for a happy SEO 2024! (our best wishes!)

Looking back at the SEO trends for 2024, we see a fascinating landscape full of innovation and opportunity. Here's a quick recap of what we've covered:

• • Google Search Generative Experience (SGE): a real turning point in how we get results!
  • E.E.A.T. factor: expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness matter more than ever with the rise of AI-generated content.
  • Content aimed at search intent: becomes key for success in your content strategy!

• Change in search behaviour: increasingly shifting to other platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.
• • Video content: keeps growing and grows your reach and expertise.
  • Voice search: remains a growing trend, answer questions directly and naturally.
  • Google Lens (AR search): tap into its unprecedented potential. A great opportunity for online stores!
• Zero-click searches: with more and more featured blocks from Google, users get their answer straight away.

Need help with SEO?

Looking for guidance in the fast-changing world of SEO? Digital Bean is ready to work with you with short lines of communication. We offer personal, tailored strategies to strengthen your online presence. Check out the options below!

Joram's thoughts on SEO in 2024

In my view, 2024 is going to be a fun, educational and turbulent year full of change!

For SEO specialists, content creators and online marketers, adaptability is really going to be put to the test!

I think standing out is going to take a lot of creativity and persistence again! But this is also a chance to learn and develop. I think the focus needs to shift to the quality of what you put out there online, rather than the quantity!

The biggest development is Google's SGE, which could seriously shake up the search results, but that remains to be seen, people still like reading from a trusted source. So online branding is only going to become more important!

The coolest development, for me, was Google Lens! It makes searching unbelievably easy! I'm really curious what 2024 has in store, I can't wait!

Matthijs's thoughts on SEO in 2024

Like Joram, I also think SEO specialists' adaptability is going to be put to the test.

AI is genuinely going to become a big part of the SEO world, and it won't be so much about who can produce the most content, but more about how you use AI to make your content top-notch and build a good SEO strategy.

Next year, it's increasingly going to come down to authenticity. How can your content stand out from all the other content out there? Because producing content keeps getting easier.

Just like last year, I think 2024 will be a turbulent year too, where Google and other search engines, but also website owners and SEO specialists, will be hard at work searching for the right strategies and solutions to serve visitors as well as possible.

Either way, I'm looking forward to it and curious what this year will bring us all. Wishing everyone lots of success and a great year ahead.

Goodbye 2023, welcome 2024!

Finally, a vote of confidence for everyone working in the fast-evolving world of SEO: believe in your ability to adapt, learn, and grow.

With the right strategies and a bit of help from experts, you can achieve excellent results!

Wishing you lots of success and, of course, all the best for the new year!