4 Key SEO Strategy Considerations for 2024

After a year of seemingly constant Google core updates and the increasingly widespread usage of AI, the SEO landscape is changing more quickly than ever. With this rapid pace of change set to continue into 2024, we look at 4 SEO Strategy considerations you should focus on if you want to stay ahead of the game this year.

Don’t forget to E-E-A-T

Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) remain at the core of a good content strategy. With the increase in the use of AI-generated content and the introduction of Generative Search from Google, it is more important than ever that the content on your site is written for humans.  

That’s not to say that there isn’t a place for AI within content generation but rather that it shouldn’t be relied on as an unpaid creator. Instead, think of it as an intern, helping with research, idea mapping and even first drafts with a human specialist checking everything at each stage and producing the finished product. This ensures you end up with unique, helpful and informative expert content.

Prepare for Generative Search

Google’s new Generative Search, often referred to as SGE (Search Generative Experience) is currently only available in the US and is expected to roll out in other markets over the coming year. But what exactly is SGE and how will it affect SEO?  

SGE is a new type of search experience that uses AI to collate information from multiple sources into a (hopefully) useful response to your query. You’ll be able to see the sources used and click through to find more information. This could be a very helpful innovation and one that will certainly change the way we use search engines. However, it will undoubtedly affect both paid and organic SEO. 

We can expect paid SEO to take a hit as we’ll see the generative answer box take the place of sponsored results at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). This will undoubtedly have an impact on the Click-Through Rate (CTR) coming from paid ads. As a result, we will probably see a rise in CPC (Cost Per Click) in line with the sharp increase in competition. 

However, in place of those sponsored results, we will see product descriptions much higher up the SERP and not just in the Shopping channel. This means, that if you’re taking care of SEO for an eCommerce site, you’ll need to spend a lot more time focusing on PDP (Product Detail Page) optimisation this year!

Create Platform-Specific Content

The search landscape has changed rapidly in recent years, with people now using social media to look for answers alongside more traditional search engines. So, if you want your brand to succeed in 2024 merely having a presence on these apps isn’t going to cut it. The content you create has to be specifically designed for these platforms and their unique algorithms.  

This means you can’t simply create one piece of content that’s shared across multiple platforms. To have a real impact you will need to use the most popular format for each platform, jump on any viral trends and make sure you’re using the right language to engage with the audience you’re targeting in that app.

A Cookieless Future

If you’ve spent any time in the world of SEO and digital marketing over the last couple of years you will have undoubtedly heard about the phasing out of third-party cookies by Google. What does this mean for us? Well, in short, it means tracking and analytics will look very different and as a consequence, we will have to adapt our tried and tested marketing strategies. 

This move towards the eradication of third-party cookies has come from a desire to enhance user privacy. Instead of advertisers targeting individuals they will be targeting their ads at “cohorts”. These “cohorts” or audiences will be grouped by interests and browsing habits via web browsers like Chrome but will be unidentifiable as individuals.  

Many social platforms we already use in our marketing strategies include built-in first-party activity tracking tools. For example, apps like Instagram, Facebook, X (formally Twitter) and TikTok already allow you to gain insight into your customer base and the outcomes of your marketing efforts. These insights can also be applied to other areas of outreach like email.

Round Up

In conclusion, 2024 is set to be another year of significant change in the SEO landscape. To stay ahead of the curve, we must prioritise human-focused content, prepare for the rise of Generative Search and adapt our content strategies to platform-specific algorithms and trends. In addition, the phasing out of third-party cookies calls for us to embrace first-party data and explore alternative targeting methods. By adopting these changes and staying informed about the latest trends, we can ensure our SEO strategies remain effective and our brands continue to thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape. 

Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint, you’re in this for the long haul and need to adapt your approach as necessary. With the help of a dedicated team, you can ensure your website continues to attract organic traffic and achieve your digital marketing goals in 2024 and beyond. Get in touch with the last agency you’ll ever need today.