SEO in 2021: Will it Be Different? (Upcoming Google’s Page Experience Update)

Courtesy of the pandemic and economic downturn, it’s safe to say that 2020 didn’t turn up the way many people hoped for. This includes marketers as well who had to steer their strategies - including their SEO strategy - due to the changed consumer behavior and overall swing in the market. So, the countless articles penned on “SEO in 2020” didn’t really come much into effect. The question now is will SEO in 2021 be any different? As COVID-19 continues and with the signs of recession not getting any better, how should brands handle their SEO work?

Creating SEO Content for a New Purpose

The core of search optimization would remain the same: Long-form content. However, the kind of content to be created for SEO purpose in 2021 would see a transitional shift. And this shift would vary for different industries. So, the first big change would come is how you plan your content calendar. In addition, the kind of keywords you target would see a significant change. For instance, with consumers’ purchasing power hit, phrases that are more sales-centric might not return with the same rewards. The keywords that address the new challenges and needs of the consumers would be widely deployed. Similarly, with SEO being just as much about conversion, the planning and production of the middle-of-the-funnel content would have a newer scope and approach.

Goodbye to Old Practices

The remaining of SEO fundamentals in 2021 would stay on its long-term course, which would include old practices and methodologies like blog commenting getting cornered with less relevance. Meaning, if you still deploy outdated spray-and-pray techniques, you’re going to see poor results.

Google’s Page Experience Update

One of the biggest changes, however, SEO in 2021 will see is the rollout of Google’s new algorithm: page experience. As Google describes, “The page experience signal measures aspects of how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page. Optimizing for these factors makes the web more delightful for users across all web browsers and surfaces, and helps sites evolve towards user expectations on mobile. We believe this will contribute to business success on the web as users grow more engaged and can transact with less friction.” So, if your webpages aren’t effectively optimized to deliver better user experience – this is especially important for mobile users – your organic traffic in 2021 might see a significant hit. There are no hard rules on how you can optimize for page experience update. It relies on looking at your metrics, understanding how users interact with your pages, identifying their experience, and making the needed changes on your site (design, layout, content, and other elements). The best SEO services providers are already working around the possible impact of this algorithm update next year. If you need help as well in the SEO department, consider connecting with the best digital marketing agency and working with their experts. They can help you better prepare for Google’s page experience update and overall SEO in 2021, which will see big changes owing to the continuing pandemic and recession.

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