The field of search engine optimization (SEO) is ever-changing, and 2022 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for the business. There were multiple big Google algorithm updates in 2021, including the Core Web Vitals Update and the Page Experience Update, and more are planned for 2022.

The search engine optimization trends for 2022 emphasize accessibility, mobile-friendliness, machine learning, and overall fantastic Google Search experiences.

2022 SEO Trends

1. Metrics for site usability will become more important.

Google prioritizes site performance that results in the best user experience, as proven by the 2021 Page Experience update. They’ve demonstrated that they’re not afraid to penalize sites that don’t achieve specified speed and UI/UX metrics (Core Web Vitals), as well as those with poor accessibility.

Almost everything related to on-page search engine optimization incorporates UX and UI in some way. It doesn’t matter if you have the best content in the world if users can’t consume it due to a terrible web experience.

What site capabilities should you prioritize in 2022 for SEO?

Site Speed: 

If your site takes more than 5 seconds to load, you could lose 40% of your audience. Site speed is a vital aspect of any excellent web experience, and with the correct UI design features and technical SEO, you can maintain it fast.

Accessibility:

The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) manages the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Principles), an internationally recognized set of guidelines for digital accessibility. Your site’s organization and usage must be accessible to all users, as measured by permeability, operability, understandability, and resilience.

Mobile readiness:

The majority of Google search users access the service via a mobile device. As a result, when indexing and ranking a website, Google now employs mobile-first indexing. This implies that you must ensure that your site runs appropriately on mobile and is easy to read and navigate for mobile customers. Many of these 2022 SEO trends include mobile-friendliness.

2. AI machine learning algorithms for content generation

Artificial intelligence is altering the landscape of practically every business, including SEO. AI technology, such as machine learning, can consume massive amounts of data at faster rates than people, analyze the data, and then utilize it to automate a range of marketing operations. Using AI (like GPT-3) in marketing will be one of the top SEO techniques in 2022 and beyond, from chatbots to data analysis to content development.

In 2021, content generators such as GrowthBar and Copy AI took off. Both tools are built on OpenAI’s GPT-3, a natural language model that generates human-like written content based on inputs and algorithms—whether it’s a blog post, article title, short description, social media caption, or something else.

3. The continuing significance of backlinks

The 2020 presidential election and Covid-19 forever altered the way we consume information – and even deception. Google will place increasing weight on backlink equity for SEO rankings in order to maintain searchers’ trust. Link equity is the value provided by a site by connecting to your site, which is influenced by domain authority, current Google rankings, and other criteria.

As a result, creating (useful) backlinks is essential to any decent SEO strategy. They’re one of the most effective ways for Google to determine whether your website is trustworthy enough to refer searchers to via better ranks.

Backlinks have always been one of the most important SEO ranking variables. A link linking to your site from another site can have a significant impact on where that page or your site ranks in the search results, with the best links coming from sites with a higher DA that are in the same space or niche as you. When a site like that links to a piece of your material, it tells Google that your work is worthy of being recommended.

4. Possibilities for semantic search

This term is frequently used but rarely fully explained. Semantic search is a type of intent and contextual meaning-based search that is linked to Machine Learning. It leverages historical data, followed by trial and error, to improve the search experience, making it easier for them to locate what they’re looking for.

Google is a business, and its mission is to make getting answers to searches as simple as possible so that customers keep using Google. And, on your end, you want it to be as easy to find and utilize your site as possible so that customers return.

5. Google will enhance SERP features as well as the Knowledge Graph.

You don’t always have to click into a search result to find the information you’re looking for. Lyrics, airline information, local companies, and a plethora of other queries begin and conclude in the Google search engine results page (SERP) via highlighted snippets.

Google’s Knowledge Graph and Passage Ranking algorithms leverage user data to present relevant information to you. Google’s goal is to assist searchers to get the information they need while giving the least amount of content possible, as well as the ability to “dig deeper and broader” into their queries.

6. YouTube and video optimization are two of the most important aspects to consider.

Last year, the number of channels earning $10,000 or more per year increased by 50%. Video is taking up more and more of the Google search engine results page (SERP), and I’m sure you’ve observed businesses using YouTube, TikTok, Instagram videos, and other platforms to boost consumer engagement and attract new consumers.

So, if developing optimized video content isn’t already part of your SEO plan, you should start working on it in 2022. There are a few new techniques to add rich information to YouTube videos and boost their worth, in addition to employing keywords in the title, URL, and description.

7. ALWAYS EAT

Though this 2022 SEO trend isn’t really new, EAT is essential to all aspects of search engine optimization.

To provide a nice user experience, develop outstanding content, build backlinks, and rank on the SERP, your material must have EAT: expertise, authority, and trust. The more knowledgeable you are about a subject, the more authority you have over it, and the more Google and searchers can rely on you. The more trusted you are, the more backlinks you will receive, the higher you will rise in the rankings, and the more authority you will have, and so on. All three elements generate a feedback loop of higher–or lower–rankings, thus they must all be prioritized.

According to the Quality Rater Guidelines, there has been a greater emphasis on E-A-T as a ranking criterion for Google, and this will continue in 2022.

Conclusion

When it comes to SEO trends and methods, it’s critical to stay current because Google’s algorithm changes every year.

Though these changes and tips and tactics may appear sophisticated, SEO essentially boils down to something that all businesses should prioritize anyway: offering helpful, accurate, and engaging information to those who seek it. And this is a pattern that will continue indefinitely.