SEO Trends in 2024, How to Adapt?

This article will show you the latest trends in search engine optimization in 2024. But, here's the truth: it's not your average SEO guide for the year. We'll cover the big trends, yes, but we'll also share our opinions and tips on how to adapt. So, if you are looking to improve your website this year, this article is just what you need.

Let's take a quick look at the past year in SEO review. In 2023, there were some key updates that will influence SEO strategies in 2024 and beyond. Let's review those important changes and trends.

Recent algorithm updates

More focus on the authors.

Another big new feature was the focus on author entities in the latest algorithm updates.

Google is now better at recognizing and valuing the authors behind content. This means that content associated with well-known and respected authors gains more trust and credibility, affecting rankings more than ever.

Increase in the use of artificial intelligence tools by marketers.

Also in 2023, more marketers began using AI tools. These tools are useful for speeding up SEO tasks, from planning to content creation.

AI tools are offering more and more search capabilities, but surprisingly, we have not noticed significant changes in people's search behavior.

Despite these technological improvements, people still rely on search engines like Google to get answers to their queries. And most importantly, we have not seen a decrease in organic traffic as a result of these AI tools.

Now, let's take a look at the upcoming SEO trends in 2024.

SEO 2024

AI increases scale, but also makes it more important to deliver original value

AI is good at generating generic content based on what is already in search results. The real problem arises when this generic content spreads across the internet due to excessive use of AI.

Think about it: if everyone starts relying solely on AI to create content, we will see a saturation of similar topics over and over again. This problem is also reflected at the individual level, on your own website.

As a content creator, you run the risk of falling into the trap of using AI too much to fill your blog with content that is mostly based on what has already been published elsewhere.

Even leading automated writing companies, like Jarvis, are realizing this. After securing large investments, one of their first actions was to hire human writers to create content for their own website.

This sends a clear message: even a company that is at the forefront of automated writing technology recognizes the irreplaceable value of human writers.

It is clear that you cannot rely solely on AI for content; Creativity and human knowledge are fundamental. And here's another interesting fact: despite the increase in the use of AI to create content, the demand and rates for experienced writers have increased.

How to take advantage of AI to increase content generation?

AI is like a writing assistant with various skills. Here are some ways to use AI to increase content generation:

Ask AI to act as an editor and help you apply a specific tone and voice to your draft.

• Summarize known information.

• Shorten long texts.

• Convert long paragraphs into bullet points.

• Create tables with existing information.

Develop high-level outlines that serve as a basis for the content, but do not go into detail.

Then, you as the expert can step in to add unique details and depth that only a human touch can provide. Or you can provide those outlines to writers or subject matter experts to use as a starting point and build from there.

But even when using ChatGPT to create content, it's important to be clear and specific in your instructions.

First-hand experience is the key factor in quality content that AI cannot replicate

First-hand experience in content is what truly meets user needs and aligns with what search engines now value: authenticity and depth .

First-hand experience has become the new differentiator between generic and high-quality content. Think of it as the need to publish content that AI cannot replicate. This includes content about your own experiences, opinions, interpretations of data, studies based on data you have collected, or anything else that cannot be generated automatically.

And this approach is not limited to written content.

For example, on platforms like YouTube, TikTok or Reddit, people are looking for that personal, human touch: real opinions and authentic experiences.

It's a contrast to traditional search engines, where results can seem more impersonal or generic.

How to duplicate first-hand experiences?

Instead of creating content from scratch, document what you're already doing. If you don't have practical experience in the topics you want to write about, you can interview an expert on the topic and base your content on their knowledge.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) can be of great help in this regard, as they provide valuable and unique information, as well as helping you increase the authority and distribution of your content.

This brings us to the next SEO trend to focus on in 2024: authors.

Authors have more value than ever

The main challenge now is how search engines, such as Google, will adapt to the rise of AI-generated content. There are already cases, where trusted websites were caught creating fake writer profiles to publish AI-generated articles.

This raises a big question for search engines. If they rely solely on the site's authority, they risk overlooking low-quality AI-generated content.

What is Google's response to this?

Increase efforts to identify and evaluate AI-written content. When content is associated with a recognized author with relevant experience and knowledge, it gains an additional layer of trust and authority.

Therefore, presenting authors as experts in their fields improves the credibility of the content and aligns with Google's preference for content created by knowledgeable and reputable people.

It's like putting a face and a story behind the information, further solidifying the trustworthiness and relevance of your content for both users and search engines.

How to leverage authors for SEO in 2024?

Create author pages on your site. Include details about your background, areas of expertise, links to your publications and social networks.

Make sure the same authors also publish on other sites. This expands the author's footprint and makes it easier for Google and readers to recognize that the author is real.

Add small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) or expert writers to the firm and co-distribute with them. This adds credibility and makes it even more evident that there are expert human beings behind the content.

Encourage the experts who have created successful guest posts for you to come back a few more times to create more content.

SEO now focuses on directly optimizing user intent

During Google's big antitrust case, they were forced to reveal some of the patents behind their search algorithms.

What was discovered is that Google relies heavily on user signals to rank content, not just deep analysis of the content itself. They are experts at determining whether users are satisfied with what they find.

In fact, they are better at understanding how users feel about content than they are at understanding the content itself. This means that SEO is moving towards optimizing user engagement and satisfaction.

Therefore, successful SEO strategies in the future will need to focus more on meeting user needs and expectations, even beyond traditional content.

How to optimize user intent?

User intent optimization comes down to making your page attractive so that users will spend time interacting with it, and ideally, want to share it even more.

Here are some tips to keep users interested:

Monitor user engagement metrics such as time on page, bounce rate, button clicks, or feature interactions. These metrics will give you a clear picture of how users are interacting with your site, and you can then adjust your page accordingly.

Match content to user intent. Align your content exactly with what users are searching for, without going overboard or falling short. If they're looking for a quick answer, don't hide it behind a long text. 

Add visual elements like videos and infographics. These elements are attractive and require time to consume, which can increase the time users spend on your page.

Incorporate elements that encourage user interaction, such as comment sections, surveys and questionnaires. Not only will this increase user engagement, but it will also provide you with valuable feedback on your content.

By focusing on these aspects, you can improve the user experience on your site and, in turn, optimize the signals that search engines like Google use to rank your content.

Search Intent Matching Is Gaining Importance

Matching search intent has always been a key factor in ranking, and it is becoming more so. In fact, search intent is now the focus of Google's latest quality scoring guidelines.

How to optimize for search intent?

Optimizing your content for search intent starts with identifying it.

An easy way to do this is by using Semrush's magic keyword tool. Enter your target keyword into the tool and discover the user intent behind each related keyword.

Alternatively, you can search for your desired keyword and analyze the top results on the search engine results page (SERP). See what type of content is on the first page and what intent they satisfy.

Once you understand what the search intent is for your target keyword, it's time to create content that answers the search query and resonates with your target audience.

Genuine Backlinks Boost Domain Authority

Domain authority used to revolve primarily around links. But nowadays, Google also evaluates your site based on topic relevance.

Thematic relevance refers to how focused and authoritative your content is on a specific topic. But it's not just about creating a lot of content on a topic; it's about showing that you're an authority in that space.

However, this doesn't mean that backlinks no longer matter. They still do it. But what really counts now is the quality of those links. We're talking about links that come from genuinely relevant and authoritative sources in your niche, and that generate frequent clicks to your site.

How to increase domain authority?

Relationship-based link building is what you should look for in any link building effort. "The best links from 2024 will be based on relationships."

Here are some ways to do it:

• Guest Posts: Post and distribute guest content that has a chance of ranking. It's a great example of relationship-based linking, where real experts work together to drive traffic that results in a flow of clicks to the links in the post.

• Triangle Link Exchanges: Exchange links with legitimate sites that are relevant to your content. Look for websites that have content managers who genuinely evaluate whether the links placed will be useful to the reader.

• Link Magnets: Create pages about statistics you've collected yourself, studies you've conducted, free tools, templates, and other original resources that are valuable enough that people will naturally want to link to you.

• Website Portfolios – Create a few sites to cover different aspects of your industry and only post links that are really useful to the reader.

What will be the future of SEO in the coming years?

Over the next five to ten years, SEO evolution will continue to be steady, but not dramatic. Here we explain why we are not making an exaggerated conclusion.

Although AI is transforming the search experience, changing people's behavior takes time. So it's unlikely that people will completely abandon Google in favour of ChatGPT , Bard, or any other generative AI tool.

From the users' perspective, the algorithm changes appear to be consistent so far, with subtle changes in user behavior.

We may see search engines refining how they identify a good website with good content, but it doesn't seem like they are trying to change the very definition of what constitutes a good website and good content.

In short, what worked in SEO in 2004 is still relevant in 2024, and is likely to remain so for years to come. The key remains to offer quality content, based on experience, original and relevant, on a well-structured and reliable website for users and search engines.