As we jump into 2024, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to the ever-changing SEO landscape.
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Below are three of the top trends we see influencing SEO in 2024, and actionable tips for how you can stay ahead of them. 

Picture of Google logo on top of office building with blue sky background.

SEO Trend for 2024 #1: Search Generative Experience (SGE)

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You’d have to have been living under a rock to not know AI changed the landscape of digital experiences in 2023. And as we enter 2024, users are beginning to not only trust AI experiences, but prefer them.
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In response to this, Google is testing their new search experience, called Search Generative Experience, or SGE for short. SGE offers AI-generated answers to users’ search queries that are based on a compilation of Google’s search result data.  
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From Google:
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“With new generative AI capabilities in Search, we’re now taking more of the work out of searching, so you’ll be able to understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily.”

An example of an SGE search result page, taken from Google Labs:

Screenshoot from Google Labs showing the SGE experience.

What can you do about it?

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First off, you can try SGE for yourself by visiting the Google Labs website and getting a feel for the new experience.
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Secondly, aligning your business’s content strategy for 2024 with user questions and expectations will help prepare you for the future of search. Make sure your business is ready for SGE by creating content on your website and social platforms (SGE also scours social platforms) that answers users’ questions and showcases your business in the way you want it to be represented through AI-generated experiences like SGE.
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Two tools you can use to find out what questions users are asking about your product or service are AnswerThePublic and alsoask.com. We recommend using these tools to answer FAQs on your website, which will help your business be ready for when SGE rolls out.
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SEO Trend for 2024 #2: The Importance of Experience

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With Google beginning to show TikToks in search results, and prioritising platforms like Reddit and Quora for their authentic user-generated content, you can see the trend towards amplifying user generated content in search results. 
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For context, user generated content is defined as content (websites, social media posts, YouTube videos, reviews, etc.) that is created by real customers or users of a product or service. 
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As Ashley Liddell from Searchengineland.com puts it:‍

“At its core, UGC includes content created by users or customers, ranging from product reviews to comments and discussions.
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UGC is a game-changer in digital content. It shifts from brands telling the story to your audience speaking collectively… UGC is now a key part of our online experience, shaping opinions, influencing decisions, and fostering communities.”
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What can you do about it? 

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Going into 2024, focus on your users. Work with them to generate reviews based on real experiences. Make 2024 the year your try out influencer marketing. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, maybe reach out in a local Facebook group and ask if there are any local UGC content creators who have a portfolio in your industry. If you’re nervous about it, stick with users under 10,000 (depending on your market and business size). 
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Need help managing your influencer campaign? Let us help!
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Take a few hours every month to level up your Google My Business profile to create trust and authority through a fully completed profile, complete with linking to your website, accurate hours and contact information, customer reviews and real images submitted from customers. Undertake a review campaign if necessary to gather reviews from past customers. Consistently post on your Google My Business profile - we recommend at least once monthly. 
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Request a free Google My Business profile audit!
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Need help with a Google My Business Review Campaign? Get in touch today!
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SEO Trend for 2024 #3: SEO Beyond the ‘S’ and the ‘E’

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SEO is always changing. And that is what makes it interesting; however, it also makes it a precarious game. You don’t want to invest all your time and money into any part of SEO, just for the algorithm to change and all your effort to be wasted. 
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That’s why we recommend diversifying your SEO efforts to think beyond the search engine results page. 
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Image of two men, one recording the other with a video camera and the other posing with sunglasses on.g


What can you do about it?

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Think about diversifying your SEO efforts beyond just search. Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube videos can be valuable channels to generate engagement with your audience. Not sure what to say? Create a short and sweet video answering the FAQ questions you created in the steps above. Don’t worry too much about repeating content - your videos might reach different audiences than the FAQs on your website. 
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Now that you’ve made it to the end of our SEO Trends for 2024 article, you have what you need to get your year off to a great start. Feel free to get in contact with us today if you have questions or need help with your SEO efforts.
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Article Sources:

SEO trends and triumphs: a look back at 2023 and what to expect in 2024, Lily Ray

How to integrate user-generated content into your SEO strategy, Ashley Liddell

Share of adults in the United States who trust an artificial intelligence (AI) powered search engine to perform selected activities as of February 2023