I know what you are thinking. Things are changing again. Just when you started to understand how SEO works and you started seeing the fruits of your labor, they go and pull the rug out from under you. But that is why we are here! In this blog, we will go over three SEO changes that will help you keep up to date and at the top of your customer’s searches. 

Content and Length

One of the first changes we will discuss is content creation. Websites with plenty of content are always sure to attract more customers and rank higher in search results. The more content you share, the better the chances are of attracting new customers. Content length is a good way to rank better in searches. So, what is the magic number? Most studies say that the sweet spot is somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Content within that word count will usually rank higher. Does that mean your content will always rank at the top if you hit the word count? That may not always be true.

Several other factors come into play when it comes to ranking. Well-written content tends to rank high as well. You want to make sure that whatever content you are sharing is relevant to your company and reads well. Images can also help. We will get into image updates later.

Passage Based Ranking

Another change that just began in 2021 is Passage Based Ranking. Passage Based Ranking means that searches can now rank individual passages that are embedded in a webpage. The purpose of this is to help bring up more targeted results for more specific questions. Instead of drudging through link after link after link, Passage Based Ranking can bring up certain sections of a website that pertain specifically to your search. This can also help bring attention to specific topics with no content structure buried within your website. In other words, it can uncover the buried treasure that your customers may be looking for. 

Image Search Updates

The last change to discuss is upcoming changes to image searches. The biggest change to image searches is the addition of tabs. Tabs are a great way to help narrow down certain searches where one or more of the words can have multiple meanings. For example, if you were to do an image search for wood, the tabs across the top of the page would create tabs for different kinds of wood. So, if you were looking for a certain type of wood but could not remember the name, tabs displayed on the top could aid you in finding exactly what you are looking for. This makes things like captions and Alt Attributes even more important when adding images to your content. 

This is only a shortlist of the many SEO changes that have happened recently, and of course, the changes will keep on coming. Contact us with any questions about these changes or any others that may come. Let us help keep you on top!