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In 2022, you can make big steps with SEO

Author

Arno Kriek

Date

3 November 2021

Keywords

algorithmclick ratiocontentdevicee-commercefeed marketingGooglegoogle shoppinglocal packmy businessonline findabilityPitfallssearch enginesearch resultSEOserpspeedwebsite

With the search engine Google making its algorithms more complex every year behind the scenes, it takes a lot of hard work to keep up with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). And even though there is a thick package of trusted search engine stayers, you need to be ahead of the curve every year with your SEO approach. What pitfalls should you watch out for in 2022?

Google in school

Fortunately. Content is still the boss. In fact, with Machine Learning and AI, Google manages to move up a class every time, and what does it show? It is a fast learner. Phrases are better understood and high-quality content is clearly appreciated. Google now indexes not only at the page level, but also at parts of it. It could just be that an entire page that Google previously deemed irrelevant is now rated differently. Because a small passage from that page does qualify as useful information. In this, Google is now primarily focused on the English language, but take it from us, in time it will also apply to Dutch. So: good content, content, content. We have always said it.

Knockout race

But speed is also a requirement. It’s kind of a knockout race actually. The slowest sites are the first to drop off at Google. Because the user experience is under a magnifying glass. Fast is not fast enough. A website that does not score well on site vitality is quickly labeled a rusty old thing. As it should. A site should have fast-loading pages on every device that are interactive and exceptionally friendly to use. Almost SEO-striking. That means you have to stay sharp and continuously tinker with your website technically as well. Don’t sit back because before you know it, you’ll be among the next group of dropouts. How vital is your website in 2022?

Get your store ready

What you hang out with, you get infected with. Google is going to further tighten its e-commerce policies and move more like an e-commerce platform. Just look at the free Google shopping space. So with the presence of Product Knowledge Panels, it has become much more important to have your data neatly in place. Clear structured offering. So your Feed marketing (automated forwarding of your website product database to different platforms and comparison sites) alone is not enough for SEO.

“We know, it’s annoying. Everything has to do with everything
on that diabolical Internet.”

To click through or not to click through

With different Search-Engine-Result-Pages, you get different click-through rates. And let those SERP scores again depend on the type of search. That means you have to take into account the effect that, for example, Google Shopping has on a search query. This can literally be very different when videos or a Local Pack are present. Then the CTR can be completely different (the ratio of the number of impressions of the link to how often it is clicked). We know, it’s irritating, everything has to do with everything on that diabolical internet.

Familiar and close to home

Of course, what we see happening in the real world has been happening online for a while. Buy close to home, around the corner, support locally. It’s going to play an expanded role. Also in our search behavior. So Local Packs are impossible to imagine away from Google. Such a Local Pack shows local businesses in search results with an image of their location in Google Maps. Just type in something and the local search results pop up where you stand. For your SEO policy, this could definitely be a thing. Make sure you have a My Business account with Google. If you have received more than five reviews, you may end up in the Local Pack. But not immediately at the top, of course. Then all the other SEO points should be in perfect order first, too.