What's Happening in the SEO in 2024: Trends and Predictions

Authoritative platforms such as Moz and Yoast have released their forecasts regarding SEO in 2024. Additionally, SEO specialists are making similar predictions, and I will mention one of them in this material today.

So, let's delve into the SEO trends for 2024 as forecasted by reputable sources. 

SEO Predictions for 2024 from Yoast

Yoast highlights the increasing influence of E-A-T – Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Adding the letter "E" (Experience) to E-A-T signifies the growing importance of personal experience in creating valuable, user-oriented content. 

The focus on mobile devices remains relevant, and while it may not be groundbreaking news, the popularity of these devices continues to rise.

What Moz Foresees in the World of SEO for 2024 

Moz presented a very interesting one article about predictions in SEO 2024, in which various experts gave their comments according to different aspects of the search and other points. Some interesting and important thoughts from these predictions:

• Emphasis on Expert Content: Google will implement updates to elevate the significance of content created by individuals and experts.
• AI-Driven SEO: There will be deeper integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in SEO and content creation, reshaping the SEO landscape under the influence of Google SGE (Search Generative Experience).
• Shift in SEO Success Metrics: As SGE integrates into SERPs, SEO metrics will shift from traditional ones like rankings and click-through rates to focus on conversions, lead generation, and brand visibility.
• Limited Impact of SGE on Search: The introduction of Google SGE may not drastically alter users' perceptions of search, and the focus should be on improving the Google algorithm.
• Move from Google-Centric Search to Alternative Platforms: Users are increasingly turning to platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest, so it's crucial to adapt SEO strategies to these trends.
• Transition from SERP Optimization to Culture-Shaping Content: In the future, SEO strategies will be directed towards creating content that shapes culture rather than merely optimizing content for SERPs.

SEO Predictions for 2024 from Experts

Matt Diggity believes that SGE (Search Generative Experience) won't have as much impact on SEO as some currently anticipate. He outlined the following reasons why artificial intelligence won't reach a level of implementation to be feared:

1. Artificial intelligence delivers results in approximately 8 seconds, which is a slow process. 
2. In most cases, people do not want to see AI-generated responses because they value the contributions and opinions of other humans. 
3. If websites stop receiving traffic, people will cease to create content, resulting in AI having nothing to learn from, and data quality will deteriorate.
4. Ultimately, SGE appears above advertising placements. When advertisers investing money in ads receive fewer clicks, site owners will stop buying this advertising space. In 2022, Google earned over $200 billion from search advertising.

Additionally, in his prediction, Matt Diggity noted that backlinks will become an even stronger ranking factor in 2024. Although Google claims that they are not included in the top 3 ranking factors. I wrote about this earlier, so I suggest you also read the article "An analyst from the Google team explained the importance of links when ranking a site".

As evidence to support his statements, Matt Diggity suggests looking at any search results (in the U.S.), where sites with a Domain Rating (DR) above 60 consistently appear in the top 5. One significant factor influencing this metric is, of course, backlinks. 

Additionally, I previously mentioned E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). As pointed out by Marie Haynes, Google analyst Gary Illyes stated that E-A-T is based on links and mentions on authoritative web platforms.

Let's sum up

In 2024, significant transformations and innovations are anticipated in the field of SEO. Key trends include an increased focus on E-A-T, the growing importance of personal experience in creating user-centric content, a shift towards mobile search, and the integration of artificial intelligence into SEO processes. There's an expected change in SEO success metric evaluations, as well as a shift from optimizing for SERP to creating culture-shaping content. The integration of backlinks and emphasis on their impact on site rankings are crucial. Insights from expert Matt Diggity suggest that artificial intelligence may not have as substantial an impact on SEO as anticipated.