Last year was an odd one for all of us, even in the world of SEO.
Not only were there three Google algorithm core updates to deal with, as well as a bug that impacted millions of search queries, but we also had to deal with the impact that COVID-19 had on search behaviour. Not only did this mean having to adapt where and how we worked, but it also impacted the way we optimised clients’ websites.
With more updates on the horizon and a continued focus by Google on the relationship between SEO and User Experience, we take a look at how organic search and SEO are shaping up in the aftermath of COVID-19.
The Page Experience update: August 2021
When we are looking at the year ahead in terms of organic search, the best place to start is with the algorithm update that we already know about.
Google has, for once, decided to tell us about their forthcoming Page Experience update in advance, with a focus on how significant a change it is going to be and how laborious it may be for us to prepare for.
This update will reward those websites that are already optimised for classic page experience metrics such as:
- Page speed
- Security
- SSL
Here at Zool, we have been optimising for these metrics for a while now, but this year they will become an even more important aspect of Google’s ranking algorithm.
A focus on technical SEO
Technical SEO has always been important but as Google makes their Googlebot more and more sophisticated, it now means that technically sound websites are going to rank more highly in the SERPs.
You can’t just rely on technical SEO however, as quality content that meets all of the E-A-T guidelines is also going to continue to be important as it is something that the Core Updates were aimed at rewarding. However, without solid technical SEO foundations, your content could easily get lost in the noise.
Technical SEO is all about making sure your website is easy for the bots to crawl, as well as making sure any issues are diagnosed and solved, as well as adding any additional coding in as needed – as you can see, the job of technical SEO is never completed!
At Zool, we see technical SEO as the foundation for all of our organic search campaigns, to ensure our clients’ content is not only found by search engines, but also turned into traffic and customers.
Branding is critical too
In the past, SEO has focused heavily on non-branded keywords (keywords that don’t mention your brand name) and driving visitors to your website based on these keywords but nowadays branded keywords (directly related to your company) are just as important.
Google has started to reward brands that are doing great things outside of their websites, and that are building products and services that offer genuine value to their customers.
Therefore, your branding and PR activity can also have a significant impact on the performance of your SEO campaign – which is why we always recommend a fully integrated marketing campaign to our clients to ensure their website takes full advantage of this.
What does the future look like?
Google’s algorithm updates are becoming more and more frequent, and they will probably keep updating them as long as search engines exist.
The core updates usually target similar areas such as expertise, authority and trust (E-A-T) and are just Google’s way of fine-tuning things and improving the SERPs.
Search engines are always looking for ways to improve their results and the quality of the answers they are serving up to users – and this could be to do with content quality, engagement, user experience or security.
Although many people fear algorithm updates in case they affect their site traffic negatively, here at Zool we don’t mind them, as we already concentrate on things such as content-led performance, engagement and technical SEO anyway.
So for 2021, we plan to carry on pretty much as normal – focusing on building on our solid technical SEO foundations and delivering great digital performance for our clients based on beautifully crafted websites.
To have a chat about your business’s SEO needs and ambitions, contact the Zool team – we’d love to help. Or take a look at some of our recent case studies to find out how we’ve helped other brands to achieve their performance goals.
The organic search landscape in the aftermath of COVID-19
Digital SEO / Jun 6, 2021
Last year was an odd one for all of us, even in the world of SEO.
Not only were there three Google algorithm core updates to deal with, as well as a bug that impacted millions of search queries, but we also had to deal with the impact that COVID-19 had on search behaviour. Not only did this mean having to adapt where and how we worked, but it also impacted the way we optimised clients’ websites.
With more updates on the horizon and a continued focus by Google on the relationship between SEO and User Experience, we take a look at how organic search and SEO are shaping up in the aftermath of COVID-19.
The Page Experience update: August 2021
When we are looking at the year ahead in terms of organic search, the best place to start is with the algorithm update that we already know about.
Google has, for once, decided to tell us about their forthcoming Page Experience update in advance, with a focus on how significant a change it is going to be and how laborious it may be for us to prepare for.
This update will reward those websites that are already optimised for classic page experience metrics such as:
- Page speed
- Security
- SSL
Here at Zool, we have been optimising for these metrics for a while now, but this year they will become an even more important aspect of Google’s ranking algorithm.
A focus on technical SEO
Technical SEO has always been important but as Google makes their Googlebot more and more sophisticated, it now means that technically sound websites are going to rank more highly in the SERPs.
You can’t just rely on technical SEO however, as quality content that meets all of the E-A-T guidelines is also going to continue to be important as it is something that the Core Updates were aimed at rewarding. However, without solid technical SEO foundations, your content could easily get lost in the noise.
Technical SEO is all about making sure your website is easy for the bots to crawl, as well as making sure any issues are diagnosed and solved, as well as adding any additional coding in as needed – as you can see, the job of technical SEO is never completed!
At Zool, we see technical SEO as the foundation for all of our organic search campaigns, to ensure our clients’ content is not only found by search engines, but also turned into traffic and customers.
Branding is critical too
In the past, SEO has focused heavily on non-branded keywords (keywords that don’t mention your brand name) and driving visitors to your website based on these keywords but nowadays branded keywords (directly related to your company) are just as important.
Google has started to reward brands that are doing great things outside of their websites, and that are building products and services that offer genuine value to their customers.
Therefore, your branding and PR activity can also have a significant impact on the performance of your SEO campaign – which is why we always recommend a fully integrated marketing campaign to our clients to ensure their website takes full advantage of this.
What does the future look like?
Google’s algorithm updates are becoming more and more frequent, and they will probably keep updating them as long as search engines exist.
The core updates usually target similar areas such as expertise, authority and trust (E-A-T) and are just Google’s way of fine-tuning things and improving the SERPs.
Search engines are always looking for ways to improve their results and the quality of the answers they are serving up to users – and this could be to do with content quality, engagement, user experience or security.
Although many people fear algorithm updates in case they affect their site traffic negatively, here at Zool we don’t mind them, as we already concentrate on things such as content-led performance, engagement and technical SEO anyway.
So for 2021, we plan to carry on pretty much as normal – focusing on building on our solid technical SEO foundations and delivering great digital performance for our clients based on beautifully crafted websites.
To have a chat about your business’s SEO needs and ambitions, contact the Zool team – we’d love to help. Or take a look at some of our recent case studies to find out how we’ve helped other brands to achieve their performance goals.
