SEO Strategies for 2024: What You Need to Know

Search engine optimization (SEO) as a marketing strategy has continued to grow in prominence ever since the first search engines came on the scene in the mid-1990s.

But as we navigate through 2024, businesses must embrace the latest advancements in the world of SEO or risk falling behind the pack.

Today, we’ll look beyond the timeless fundamentals of good SEO and explore ways of adapting your strategy to capitalize on the latest trends in organic search marketing.

Let’s dive right in.

5 Trending Strategies to Boost Your SEO in 2024

1. Prioritize the Mobile User Experience

Mobile devices now account for 63% of all organic search visits in the U.S., compared with just 27% back in 2013.

And in response to this trend, Google completed its switch to a mobile-first index in October 2023. This means that, for all intents and purposes, Google only considers the mobile version of your site when determining where your pages should rank in its search results.

For this reason, it’s critical for businesses in 2024 to ensure their websites place a premium on the user experience for mobile users.

Here are some key practices to consider when optimizing your site for mobile:

• Responsive design: Ensure your website automatically adjusts its layout, images, and text to fit the device it’s being viewed on. This will provide an optimal viewing experience whether on desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
• Page speed: In 2018, Google confirmed that fast loading times are a ranking factor for mobile searches. Moreover, fast-loading pages lead to higher conversion rates. According to a 2022 study by Portent, a site that loads in one second converts three times more than one that loads in five seconds. You can use a free tool like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to identify ways to improve your site speed. 
• Simplified navigation: Mobile screens offer limited real estate, making it essential to design your site’s navigation with simplicity in mind. Menus should be concise and logical, and site search functionality should be easily accessible to help users find what they need quickly.
• Touch-friendly interface: Given the nature of mobile devices, you should make sure all interactive elements (like buttons, links, and form fields) are easy to tap. This means making them large enough to be clicked without needing to zoom in and spaced well apart to avoid accidental clicks.

2. Focus on E-E-A-T

In order to serve users with the best results possible, Google preferentially ranks websites that they deem a helpful and reliable authority on the subject matter in question.

One way Google assesses the quality of a piece of content is through the lens of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).

The more your content lives up to these four criteria, the more likely it is to be considered high quality.

Here are some tips for maximizing E-E-A-T in your content:

• Demonstrate experience: Share personal experiences, case studies, or practical applications related to your topic. Content that showcases real-world knowledge or firsthand insights can significantly enhance your site’s perceived value.
• Showcase expertise: Highlight the qualifications, certifications, and professional background of your content creators. For topics that demand a high level of technical knowledge or specialization, having recognized experts author your content can make a big difference.
• Build authoritativeness: Building your topical authority requires that you create a comprehensive catalog of content that covers various aspects of a given subject area. Ensuring this content is appropriately interlinked makes it easier for search engines to recognize the depth and breadth of your coverage. Securing backlinks from other reputable sites, either organically or through link-building exercises like guest blogging, can also enhance your site’s authority.
• Ensure trustworthiness: Transparency, professionalism, and accuracy are key ingredients for earning the trust of users and search engines. Make sure that you fact-check your content, cite original sources, and regularly review to detect and correct any errors. Including clear contact information, implementing user-friendly web design, and using HTTPS for data security will also bolster your site’s trustworthiness.

3. Refresh Old Content

Keeping your content up-to-date and relevant is essential for maintaining strong rankings and keeping your audience engaged.

Over time, information becomes outdated, user interests shift, and new data comes to light. It’s therefore important to periodically revisit old pieces and give them a makeover when needed.

Here are some things to keep in mind when refreshing old content:

• Update information and resources: Upgrade your content with the latest statistics and recent research and revise any recommendations you make based on new best practices.
• Improve on-page SEO: Update your title tag, headers, and meta description with the most relevant keywords and double-check that your content aligns with the search intent for that topic.
• Enhance user engagement: Look for opportunities to make your content more appealing to users. This could mean adding new visuals, improving readability, or even incorporating interactive elements like quizzes or surveys.
• Promote the updated content: Once you’ve refreshed your content, don’t just leave it sitting there! Share it on social media, include it in your newsletter, and consider running targeted ads to draw attention to the new and improved resource.

4. Optimize for Featured Snippets

Over the years, Google has increasingly moved towards answering user queries directly in the search results.

According to a 2022 Semrush study, almost 26% of Google searches result in “zero clicks.” In other words, over a quarter of users find the information they need directly within the search engine results page (SERP).

One of the most valuable SERP features you can claim is a featured snippet. This is a special box that appears in Google’s results to quickly answer the user’s query. According to Ahrefs, over 12% of searches trigger a featured snippet.

Here’s the featured snippet that appears for the keyword “how to wash a car”:

A major advantage of featured snippets is that your page doesn’t already need to rank in the top spot to be featured. Think of it as a shortcut to the top of the results page.

While there’s no way to guarantee that Google will select your result for a featured snippet, you can increase the likelihood of this outcome by formatting your content in a snippet-friendly way.

To do this, check the featured snippet that currently appears for your target keyword. It will either be displayed as a paragraph, list, table, or video. 

Next, structure your content to match the format of the existing snippet and think of ways to improve on the information that’s currently featured. For example, you might add more succinct explanations, use higher-quality images, or include more relevant examples. Remember, the goal is to make your content the most attractive choice for a featured snippet.

5. Cater to Voice Search

In 2024, there are roughly 150 million users of voice assistant devices in the U.S. alone.

With this trend only set to grow, optimizing your content for voice searches should become a major part of your overall SEO strategy.

Keep in mind that, unlike typed queries, voice searches tend to be longer, more conversational, and framed as full questions.

Here are some best practices for tailoring your content to voice search users:

• Focus on natural language and conversational keywords: Use long-tail keywords that mimic how real people talk and optimize your content for question phrases starting with who, what, when, where, why, and how.
• Create FAQ pages: Develop comprehensive FAQ pages that directly answer common user questions. Refer to the “People Also Ask” section in Google’s search results for inspiration on which questions to include.
• Optimize for local searches: As much as 22% of voice searches are location-based, which is just one reason to focus on local SEO. Enhance your site’s visibility for local searches by claiming your Google Business Profile listing, adding local keywords to your site, and ensuring that your business name, address, and contact information are consistent across the web.

Final Thoughts

As we move through 2024 and beyond, it’s vital that your business stays up-to-speed with the latest developments in SEO to maintain long-term organic visibility in search engines.

Incorporating the strategies outlined above will help your site remain relevant in an ever-changing search landscape, ensuring that you’re meeting both current and future user needs. Remember, SEO is not—and never will be—a one-time task. You’ll need to continuously monitor these efforts and be prepared to adapt to new SEO trends as they arise.