Transparency and openness as key factors
The loss of SEO rankings is currently a topic that is causing many a sleepless night. In recent years, Google has continuously emphasized transparency and openness as key evaluation criteria for websites. For website owners, this means publishing clear information about the identity of the content creators and the ownership of the website. This promotes trust and strengthens credibility in the eyes of users and search algorithms. The year 2024 marks a significant turning point in the world of search engine optimization (SEO). The constant evolution of search algorithms and the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) have profoundly changed many things. Companies and content creators face the challenge of adapting their SEO strategies to ensure continued visibility and relevance in search results.
The current change in SEO
Recently, many have found that traditional SEO practices have lost their effectiveness. This is mainly due to the fact that search engines such as Google are constantly adapting their algorithms to provide users with more relevant and higher quality content. These adjustments have led to a shift away from formulaic optimization tactics towards a stronger focus on user experience. Since its inception, a major problem for Google has been web spam. Google’s business model depends on delivering quality results to users, and that can easily be jeopardized by useless content and spam. Google’s existing index consists of 400 billion documents and is still growing. The problem we need to focus on is that we have moved from an essentially “static web” made up of mostly human-curated pages to a new kind of web made up of “generative AI” and synthetic media.
Fight against black-hat SEO and adaptation to AI
With the ongoing development of search algorithms that increasingly mimic human perceptual abilities, the scope for black hat SEO techniques is diminishing. Search engines like Google strive to capture the nuances of content and intent as a human would. This leads to a natural selection of content that is really valuable and useful for users.
AI integration and the future of organic search results
The integration of AI into search algorithms is leading to a shift in SEO strategies, particularly with regard to informative search queries. The ability to be present in SERPs with AI overviews and generative content requires a new approach to content creation and optimization. SEO professionals need to understand search intentions and tailor their content specifically to these new requirements.
AI as a driver of change
Google Search is suffering from a rise in web spam, driven in particular by generative AI, and it is this very advance in technology that is threatening to rob publishers of traffic. Until May of this year, Google experimented with an AI-powered search feature known as SGE (Search Generative Experience). SGE would use generative AI to provide direct answers when activated by a search query, similar to how certain search queries trigger rich results. Google changed the name to AI Overviews (AIO) in May. These results appear when a user uses the Chrome browser (download here) and is also logged into their Google account. Based on the search query, an AI-driven summary is usually displayed, followed by further explanatory links. These links, which should actually improve the search results and also serve your own research work, are not always effective. But that will certainly regulate itself again.
The future of SEO: E-E-A-T and the intricacies of algorithms
The SEO industry is characterized by constant changes and adjustments. With the introduction of new evaluation models such as E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, trustworthiness), the focus is increasingly shifting to a deeper analysis and understanding of these elements. As SEOers, we need to learn to deconstruct these concepts and understand their impact on search algorithms.
At some point in the not-too-distant future, APIs will provide conversational answers and make search engines more like chatbots, connecting users with AI experts on specific topics. Branding is important in this new era, but optimizing the user experience and AI techniques are also crucial.
We will have to rethink in many respects. Ask ourselves various questions such as:
- Is my content not only good, but also relevant for my target group? If we stopped providing content tomorrow, would my target group miss this content?
- Not only on the website, but also on social media channels, we should consider in advance whether the content is thought-provoking.
- What does my target group hear about my website or my offer when they search for me on Google, Tiktok, YouTube or wherever?
- Do people want to talk about my offer when they are elsewhere in the niche?
Think about what deserves people’s attention, commitment and loyalty.
But what can you do effectively to achieve the best possible SEO ranking loss?
- Understand your readers, your prospective customers, and write valuable content for them, your target group. Offer added value because ultimately a reader comes to your website first to inform himself and then to buy. It is important to understand that quality is more important than quantity.
- Page authority. Check the website to rule out technical and thematic authority problems.
- Valuable linking, which refers to both internal and external links. Internal links provide important data and information on how your website is structured and how the entities it contains are connected and organized. SEO-friendly links have not lost any of their importance either.
- Take care not only of new content, but also of older content. Information often becomes outdated very quickly. Older pages or blog posts are also available in the index and are read. Then just imagine if the reader finds content that no longer applies because it is out of date. Categorize your content into current events and recurring events that require frequent updates. Also, if you have more or more up-to-date information on a particular topic, then update your content. It doesn’t always have to be new content.
- Develop the best of the best answers to specific questions.
- Find keywords that trigger AIO results and then test the impact on your website
- Often, but certainly not always, it can also make sense to streamline the website in order to improve its quality.
- A facelift can also often be helpful. Old sites that are more “square, practically good” often perform worse in the ranking than those that have a modern, clear design. Not that we have to meet the taste of a search engine now, but a new, fresh design simply sends out better user signals.
- AI-generated content, a topic that is currently being discussed everywhere. You simply have to be careful here. Automatically generated or inferior content can of course be indexed because a search engine does not immediately recognize whether the generated content is good or bad. But be sure, bad content does not stay in the index for long. It is simply removed again.
Concluding thoughts
SEO is in a phase of transformation, characterized by technological advances and changes in user behaviour. To be successful, SEO strategies need to be flexible, adaptable and, above all, focused on creating real user value. The future of SEO is not only determined by algorithms, but also by the ability to deliver authentic and engaging content that convinces both search engines and users.
