Is SEO alive in 2023?
With every new year, the web fills itself with experts chanting the usual litany for the death of SEO.
However, SEO is still very much alive and thriving and it will live as long as there are people who use search engines for their buying decisions, and there are businesses who want their websites to be found organically.
After all, 53% of trackable web traffic in 2022 came from Organic Search and over 80% of buying decisions begin with a search engine.
The truth is that the people who say SEO is dead are just finding it much harder to influence Search Engines Result Pages than 10 or even 5 years ago.
For example, in 2015 it was still possible to rank a product page accompanied by good marketing content and visuals; today it’s nearly impossible. This is because people who approached search engines in 2015 were at the last stage of their buying journey; they were ready to buy and were searching for specific products or services. Nowadays people begin their buying journeys online when they are far from ready to buy, and they expect search engines to accompany them along their journey – short or long. Therefore, in 2023 you are more likely to rank for a blog post giving buying recommendations and reviews, than you are for a product page.
To make things even more difficult, since 2016, Google has slowly encroached on organic search results in favour of paid advertising; as a result, SEO professionals were forced to develop innovative strategies for not only showing up on the first page but also competing with paid ads.
So how can you shape your SEO strategy to make your website visible on search engines, in this complex landscape?
Here are some SEO best practices which search engines in 2023.
Optimise for Search Intent.
You have to figure out how to fulfil user search intent by focusing on the buying journey and optimising quality content which meets visitors’ needs at different stages of the funnel; this will show search engines that you have something to say to visitors who come to your website with different intents.
Make sure your website offers a seamless user experience.
Search engines will reward the pages from websites which offer clear navigation, relevant content and fast loading pages for desktop and – even more importantly – mobile.
Content is still king, but the kingdom has changed.
It’s not about how often you post, but how relevant, authoritative and trustworthy your content is; how it showcases your expertise and backs it up with evidence. That’s what will make your voice heard.
Search Engines love brands.
Make sure your website has clear brand identity; reinforce your identity with a focused blog and by connecting your social media pages to your website (but treat your social media pages like a different channel).
Do your Local SEO well
(if relevant to your business objectives). This helps to ensure that your website appears near the top of search engine results pages for relevant queries in your area.
Optimise for voice search.
Google states that 41% of adults use voice search daily and, according to a recent Microsoft survey, “digital assistants have begun embedding themselves in consumer lives” 44% of users said that they use voice search to “research products or services”.
Use AI.
AI has become a core component of major search engine algorithms. If you understand AI and how it impacts search engines, you can boost your SEO, but AI is also an excellent tool to help you spot trending topics and discover content gaps.
The right question is not “is SEO is still alive?”, but “what is the right SEO strategy for your business?”
