How was 2020, did it give you a roller-coaster ride affecting your SEO. Now, how do you take it ahead in 2021? It is time to recharge. 2020 was the past year and it is true that humans faced a lot and it appeared that life came to a grinding halt with the spreading virus pandemic. But you cannot account everything was bad, there were some outbreak and new things blending together.
People adjusted to new lifestyle. Many things that were long lost, emerged in the forefront. Even simple things of cleaning hands, staying indoors and working from home. It is also the time when there is addition of a new member to many families, and it is a great moment. Getting back to SEO industry, everyone should pay attention to ways to gain leverage. It means becoming more prepared and better search marketers. Thus, getting ahead without any reflection to the past, you can know about three things in 2021 about SEO.
1. Effortless Search Intent & Demand
The search intent and demand are effortless. It is not solidified, then one believe it to be. There is a need to understand the searcher intent. In a SEO success strategy, the searcher intent plays a vital role. There is a need to understanding the intent as the primary point. Getting the grasp behind a search helps to build a page and it quenches the search intent. No doubt, Google will not miss you if your page offers the right intent. Google will bring it up in their ranking results. It is a straight approach. If you can make a best page, you are on the top, but making the best is a little intricate). With the pandemic changes taking place globally, what happens to the search intent that has queries?
It means one may adapt to the changes or give up and lose the rankings. For instance, Path Interactive, Lily Ray saw queries such as ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ with queries and ‘Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings’ that were returning with websites such as AA-Intergroup that has the rooms offering virtual recovery meetings and plenty of resources.
It demonstrates the way Google is adapting to results and matching the search intent to satisfy people in quarantine looking for support through virtual recovery. They are able to get this support in the search query even without adding the terms ‘online’ or ‘virtual.’ The search intent shifts are showing the ways that even the behavior of searchers can transform and adapt to new ways. There is potential that a query or a search volume can catch everyone’s attention and explode or vanish in air overnight. All these are a part of any game. It always happens in different verticals and humans do witness such things, especially now during the pandemic early stages.
For instance, the Google Trends for [toilet paper], the sourdough bread, or even movie tickets graph showed a dip. The search intent did not bring any results. Now these dipping graph results give the evidence that diversifying your keywords is crucial. There is a need to search using different keywords to see results. It is time you allow your expert subordinates or colleague freelancers to concentrate on the wrapping part of your finishing projects. Make sure to finish your tasks well before the timeline. It will keep your business going.
It is an evidence that diversifying is mandatory for the marketing strategy to work, than placing in the ‘Google basket’ all your eggs at once. These graphs bring out the need for flexibility and how to use the opportunity to your favor, or try to change the mode towards opportunity. It is the time to work on safeguarding the massive drop in the volume of search intent. Of course, there is no stick to guide the behavior of any searcher, but there is a way you can try monitoring what the searcher is looking for and adjust suitably.
It means keep an alert eye on the searcher intent and how they keep changing to reflect your SERPs. If you notice the ranking of more pages than your page, it shows the need for a different intent is high. It is time you must change your page according to the search intent or keep facing losing rankings. There are various tools to keep a track on the search interest and you may measure monthly search volume using Moz, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. You need not look much beyond; Google Trends will provide directional sense. The new year 2021 is about looking for ways to be flexible. You should know and find ways to adapt and perk your ability to ensure online success.
2. Agility is the key word for Local Businesses & SEO
Adapting quickly is the need, it is not much different for the local search, as well. The worse hit during this pandemic are the local businesses. It is time to change. The social distancing and lockdowns are compelling business owners to look for new and creative ways. They are trying to find paths to connection, it can be anyway, a pick-up or delivery as contactless, and also with virtual consultations.
However, many businesses allow their customers know if they can or not bring a huge difference. Google does a decent job by offering various options that allows to contact and communicate with clients. There was a presentation earlier this year from GMB savant Joy Hawkins, outlining the available options within Google platform. The GMB features are impressive and one can know about the new attributes by checking on Hawkins site for new resources and up date. The brick-and-mortar locations and the local businesses must consider a search to communicate with customers. There is a need to look for legitimate channels. This pandemic has highlighted the need to serve customers during the shutdowns.
The local businesses have to agree with local SEOs that there is a need for being agile to leverage new opportunities. Google is offering new tools and the search engines are offering new features to add. These agile businesses will thrive beyond pandemic.
3. The SEO Community is going to Become Stronger
What do you think of the SEO Community? The fact is, whatever is the adversity, there will be no changes in the SEO Community. It is going to become more innovative and stronger. SEO is a vibrant community that the search professionals are going to have their hands full, then ever in this 2021. Regardless of the global pandemic, the SEO professionals are busy and are helping each other to step up to leverage the search intent.
The SEOs are offering supporting hand to other professionals during the pandemic that even the laid off people resumes appear on Twitter and everyone is trying to help each other in finding a role. There are numerous agencies and search professionals sharing plenty of information and free advice to support businesses. It is a practice seen within SEO, and it was apparent in 2020, in the tough pandemic lockdown times.
This was a privilege that many people took part as initiative from their places. It was to the extent that the SEO professionals were leveraging to raise money for their non-SEO skills so that the COVID affected folks receive positive mental support. For instance, you can see Lily Ray on Twitter presenting her DJ’ing skills with free concerts and also performed concert ‘afterparty’ early this year for SEJ’s eSummit.
The SEO industry is open and impressive, but is different this year in 2021. It is paving a new way showing how we must face the challenging circumstances. It is a must to be in this wonderful community as it helps grow stronger in 2021.
Conclusion
The recently bygone year 2020 was an eye-opener that showed the fact of life. Things can happen anytime. It needs a SEO professional to be agile so that you get to fit to new searches, and do not restrict your potential.
So, in 2021, review SERP’s, align with search interest. You are not alone. You can grow, there is a need to stay aligned with search interest and intent. Stay connected on social media, involve with Friday Focus series of SEJ’s and after viewing the blogs, leave comments, there are plenty of options.
It has been difficult with 2020, but that is over, see the brighter times with 2021.