We all know that Google updates its secretive search algorithm many hundreds of times per year. Of course, these changes vary in size, and the vast majority of these updates are very minor. But, there are a few big changes that really change SEO strategies and trends. This means that strategies that worked very well before may in fact no longer be effective, so it is very important to keep track of the latest trends in SEO to remain in the know.
With this in mind, here are the trends to look out for in 2021, with help from Rank by Focus…
1) Mobile-First Indexing
Google has been systemically checking every website to ensure that it’s mobile-ready, and only made the switch when each website passed this crucial test. Over the last few months, all newly indexed websites were indexed mobile-first automatically.
Even though this process has been continuing for the last 4 years, it is expected to complete in March 2021. This means that if your website is not optimized for mobile, it’s time to get your skates on before Google will rank you down for not being compatible with mobiles.
2) Structured Data
Structured data has been around for a while, but it is becoming increasingly more important, and is a new trend to watch out for in 2021. Despite the importance of structured data, it is still not being widely used as an SEO tactic.
The most obvious use of structured data is to create what are known as rich snippets. Structured data appears to be quite complicated, but it is quite a simple process. All it is is adding some HTML to your content. It is possible to do it manually, but you can also make use of a Structured Data Markup Helper aswell. There are plenty of structured data guides online to help with this.
3) Core Web Vitals
In the spring of 2020, Google announced the concept of Core Web Vitals. These are 3 metrics that will help Google measure the user experience on your website. These metrics are intrinsically linked to speed. So, it will measure how fast each page loads, whether it is interactive or not, and measures stability while the page is loading.
Google has announced that Core Web Vitals will affect ranking from May 2021 onwards. While not a major ranking signal, it should be something to consider when checking whether your site runs fast or slow.
If you are in need of a SEO Singapore based expert, we would highly recommend Rank by Focus.