What changes does Google have in store for 2023?
In the fast-moving online world, it’s always a good idea to take a step back and consider the SEO trends that can impact your website performance. Here are the key trends that the SEO gurus believe will impact website performance in 2023.
The use of AI technology
Whilst artificial intelligence (AI) technology may have seemed a nebulous concept to many, the arrival of ChatGPT has brought AI into focus for the general public. If you aren’t aware, ChatGPT is an open-source AI, an AI chatbot that uses natural language input (from humans) to provide answers to a range of questions and tasks. One of its potential uses is in the creation of content, such as blogs for websites. Whilst it is not advised to use ChatGPT to create complete articles – which we will cover in more detail when we discuss ChatGPT in the next issue of Professional Pest Manager magazine – it is certainly is going to be helpful in directing content generation and SEO.
The big E
When it comes to creating website content, Google promotes the EAT principle: Expertise, Authority and Trust. In part, in response to the rise of AI-generated content, Google has now added another ‘E’ – Experience. It will become important that both your company (your brand) and the authors of any content have demonstrable expertise related to the subject matter.
Visual search
Visual search has two elements to consider. Firstly, the need to have good insect images on your website so when users take a photo of an insect to identify it, there’s a chance your website will appear. Secondly, make sure any images used on your site have both a relevant file name and suitable alt tag.
Voice search
With voice search continuing to increase, make sure you have relevant questions on your website, written in a way that potential customers would ask (not only type in a search).
Less crawl frequency
Google has communicated that as part of its sustainability program it will crawl websites less frequently (less crawling uses less energy). This means that any changes you implement may take longer to be picked up by Google and therefore impact on rankings.
Changes to CTR by SERP positions
Endless scrolling of search results is now available on both mobile and desktop. This will impact the click through rates (CTRs) for the organic search result positions. The number one position always gets the most clicks and whilst this will remain the case, the clicks will be more evenly shared as you move down the rankings. Whereas traditionally being at the top of page two would see a big drop in CTR compared to the bottom of page one, with continuous scrolling this will no longer be the case.
Featured snippets
Featured snippets are the one search result that best meets the search query and appears above the first organic search result. As such, not only do featured snippets provide great exposure, but also gain the most clicks. Optimising content to maximise your chances of appearing as the featured snippet is a worthwhile exercise.
Hyper local SEO
For pest control businesses, focusing on maximising rankings and appearances in the local pack results for various search terms is vital to drive traffic. Hyper local content for the various pest services should be a key element of your local SEO activity.
Core web vitals
Keep an eye on the core web vitals for your website in Google Search Console. They are called core web vitals for a reason; Google sees them as important for good website performance and a good visitor experience, especially website load time.
