2022 was, without a doubt, another year that caused plenty of chaos and confusion for everyone in the SEO world, whether you are a business owner, a brand, or especially a new marketer just starting out with SEO. Many were left lying awake with their hands pressed to their foreheads, because in 2022 alone, Google released as many as 8 algorithm updates that directly affected SEO rankings.
The volatility that occurred was an unavoidable, direct result of Google's algorithm updates, forcing both brands and marketers to keep pace. Ask yourself: over the past year, how much did Google's various updates affect the way you adjusted your strategy? And will the coming year of 2023 be as brutal as this one? In this article, Relevant Audience has gathered the possibilities and predictions from SEO experts for 2023 to share with you, so you can stay informed and be ready to plan your work for the year ahead. If you're ready, let's dive in.
1. Volatility from updates will continue
If the post-COVID-pandemic world coined a new term, the "New Normal," then the world of SEO professionals in 2023 will likely be a New Normal as well, just like the volatility that arose from the search engine algorithm updates in 2022. With the many updates and releases this year, many SEO experts believe the impact may carry into the following years, with Google rolling out increasingly intensive algorithm updates, along with new features being launched continuously, significantly shortening the time between updates. And that means countless problems will certainly arise for SEO Specialists throughout the entire year.
2. Visual search will become the new trend
There's no denying that the new generation of internet users spends most of their time on social media platforms more than ever, whether it's TikTok or Instagram, and that directly affects search engines like Google. It shows that many internet users are beginning to bypass searching through Google Search in favor of TikTok or Instagram instead. For example, when looking for travel destinations or restaurants, instead of wasting time typing keywords to search on Google Search, they switch to searching on TikTok or Instagram and simply scroll through Reels to find results instantly, while also getting a clearer overview and reviews. Therefore, in 2023, it may be time for Google to start changing or developing certain features that must deliver a better search experience for Gen-Z users.
3. Most businesses will turn more toward Technical SEO marketing
As Google updates its algorithm more frequently, it means Google still aims to deliver a great experience to users, whether that's loading a website that is stable, fast, and not sluggish or slow. Therefore, doing Technical SEO, which is an approach that brings together various techniques and methods to organize a website's structure as well and as appropriately as possible, helps Google's algorithm see that the website structure is good enough to be ranked and surfaced to general users.
4. It's not yet time for the Metaverse
In 2023, for anyone thinking about the Metaverse, our advice is to leave it to Microsoft and Facebook alone for now. Because in an interview on stage at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore back in 2021, Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, confirmed himself that Google is not yet ready to enter the Metaverse market, even though it has products in development that still seem far from the dream, such as Google Glass. That means it definitely won't be anytime soon that Google will move into the Metaverse market.
5. It's time to officially say goodbye to Universal Analytics
Even though Google has postponed, again and again, the date to discontinue analytics tools like Universal Analytics (UA3), it has now been confirmed that July 1, 2023 will be the day Google officially retires UA3 and requires all users to fully migrate to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). So if anyone hasn't yet started migrating their data, now is the time to begin learning and studying so you're ready for the change that's coming in 2023.
Final thoughts
So what do you think of the possibilities we've gathered for you? While most of the predictions revolve mainly around search engine algorithm updates, it won't be a problem if marketers or brands can genuinely create content that is useful and aligned with users' needs, in order to match what Google wants, which is for users to get the maximum benefit from searching for information. Whether you're reading this article as a general user or as a marketer, get yourself ready for the fierce, unrelenting impact coming in 2023.
Source: SEJ
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Relevant Audience is a company providing Digital Performance Marketing Agency services, with the main goal of delivering digital marketing services that help businesses reach target audiences who are looking for products or services at the right time, place, and device, through various online channels. Our services cover Search Marketing, Social Media Ads, Search Ads, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization), all the way to Influencer Marketing, and we are also part of the Google Partners program.
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