According to statistics, 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine.

If you want people to experience and connect with your brand online, it's essential to optimize for search.

As technology evolves and algorithms refine, what worked back in 2015 in SEO doesn't necessarily apply anymore. While some SEO best practices remain unchanged, others grow, and new ones arise.

If you want to position yourself in online search and grow your brand online, you need to keep up with the changing SEO trends. Otherwise, you'll be left in the dust in the SERPs, with your content growing stale on page 2 of Google.

As you likely know, this is not where you want to be, as click-through rates drop to 1% in the no man's land that is the second page of Google.

Determined not to be left behind in the SEO game? If so, keep reading to discover the top SEO trends in 2021 that will make your content pop and rank.

E-A-T Rules Supreme

As a search engine, Google's job is to supply users with search results that answer their queries. The better they can get at this, the more chance they'll remain the sultan of search engines and retain their current market share.

As Google's algorithm becomes stronger, it is able to understand content almost to the point humans can.

No longer is Google merely recognizing keywords. It can now determine how authoritative and valuable your content is.

Creating high-quality content has always been the way to go, but it is now more important than ever.

This is where E-A-T comes in. E-A-T stands for expertise, authority, and trust and is a set of Google search guidelines. If you publish content that ticks these boxes, Google will likely rank it higher than surface-level content that is not authoritative or in-depth.

Page Experience Is Becoming More Vital Than Ever

Page and user experience is another long-standing ranking factor, and its importance is only but increasing in 2021with Google's introduction of Core Web Vitals.

Core web vitals consists of three metrics. These are loading, interactivity, and visual stability.

Core web vitals will come into play in May 2021.

Here are some of the things you can do to optimize for page experience:

• Test and increase page speed
• Test how smoothly pages load
• Check how long it takes for pages to become responsive
• Test out navigation and ease-of-page-use
• Optimize deeply for mobile

When carrying out these tests and optimizations, make sure that you aim for the best results possible. Don't settle for passing scores. Exceed these as much as far as you can.

Also, take note that mobile optimization is no longer a nice-to-have. As mobile searches surpassed desktop some years ago, if your SEO strategy ignores mobile—then it's no longer true SEO.

Voice Is on the Rise

According to Google, 20% of all searches are now conducted with voice. This number is only likely to increase as voice assistants become widespread and people get increasingly tired of typing out searches.

What's more, this number also represents a large chunk of traffic that many sites and brands aren't catering to.

Voice optimization ties into many other SEO best practices, such as creating in-depth, valuable content and optimizing for local search.

However, there are also some things you can do to target voice searches specifically. One area you can cater to is that voice searches are typically longer and more conversational.

For instance, a voice search around SEO trends might be something like "What are the upcoming SEO trends for this year" as opposed to something quick to type, such as "SEO trends 2021."

Because of this, long-tail keywords are prime targets for voice-centric search engine optimization. The importance of SEO for voice is undeniable, so make sure you cater to it in your SEO strategy.

Bigger (Content) Is Better

Bigger isn't always better, but longer-form content is still king. As Google aims to provide users with informative, quality content, long-form content writing has (literally) risen to the top.

Analysis from serpIQ revealed that the average length of the top ten search results was over 2,000 words. And the average length of the #1 result was 2,416.

User Intent Is Playing a Key Role

As mentioned earlier, Google's number one job is to supply users with content relevant to their searches. To achieve this, Google is focusing increasingly on user intent.

This means that your content has to answer the search query's intent, not just the keyword.

For instance, say someone searches "SEO trends." They probably want to learn about current SEO best practices. Google is going to display content that matches this as closely as possible. It will not display content that has the keyword "SEO trends" scattered around, but which talks about something else.

To ensure that content aligns with search intent, you mustn't dilute it or miss-target it.

Here are some ways to optimize content to user intent:

• Balance promotion with information
• Search potential keywords to see what Google displays for them

Other SEO best practices to implement are limiting popups and other elements that distract from the user's experience and don't align with their search intent.

Google can now analyze how annoying sites are, so this is beneficial to all areas of search engine optimization, not just user intent.

Zero-Click Searches

Data has shown that zero-click searches now make up over 50% of searches. This is thanks to Google's featured snippets.

Although featured snippets don't always win you traffic, they do secure you a spot at the top of page 1. This earns brand awareness and trust. What's more, if a user is going to click to find out more, they'll likely click on your result.

One way you can cater to zero-click searches is by crafting quality content that answers questions with self-explanatory headers that Google can easily grab for a snippet.

Cater to These SEO Trends With Top-Notch Content Writing

There is no denying the importance of SEO. If you want to keep up with the competition it's essential that you stay on top of the current SEO trends.

One way to do this is through good web design. The other is through professionally crafted content that establishes your brand as an authority and ranks you in search.

Not sure where to get great content? Here at iWriter, we connect experienced content writers with brands and sites. For affordable rates, you can order content on any topic, and even build up a team of your own talented writers working exclusively for you.

Sign up for free today and get the ball rolling on creating consistent, quality content that search engines and customers love.

2021 is bound to be the breakout year for your brand's content efforts.

To get things started strong, this article shares several content ideas that are sure to engage. So, follow along, take notes, and leverage these ideas to have fun, build a stronger online presence, and find success!

Let's get to it!

FAQs and 'Ask the Experts'

There are many instances where a topic (or keyword) doesn't warrant a whole article.

Pushing 500+ words for a one-line answer is overkill and bland because it's mostly filler. But, it would still be nice to cover that item for readers and get indexed for SEO. That's where FAQs and 'Ask the Expert' style responses come in.

Here's how the FAQ could work:

1. Collect queries from site analytics, customer responses, and social feedback
2. Add a FAQ section to pages/posts, delivering answers to those gathered queries

Here's how the 'Ask the Experts' could work:

1. Either collect queries or add a query submission form to the site
2. Create a page that condenses the responses from your team and 3rd party experts

By exploring these two concepts, you'll easily add content in chunks without committing to full blog writing. It's a great way to capture long-tail keywords and offer valuable content to the community.

Behind-the-Scenes and Updates

Take a page from Kickstarter and explore releasing behind-the-scenes updates on new product development. Or, use this opportunity to share a peek at what goes on at the business, day-to-day.

These features and updates add a wholesome layer of personality to the operations.

Those passionate about your brand get to connect with it on a deeper level. In some ways, it feels like they're contributing to its success by way of support, engagement, and feedback. By the time a new product does come out, these individuals will have already told themselves to get one (or two!) at launch.

Live Streaming

Live streaming builds off the previous behind-the-scenes concepts. This time, content is twice as engaging because it's live and there are interactive elements (ie. chat, emotes, and more).

All that's needed is a quality phone and account on a service with live streaming:

• Twitch
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Periscope

What you decide to do when streaming is up to you. But, here are a few ideas to get started:

• A behind-the-scenes look so viewers can see what's going on
• Vlogging-style content so viewers get to tag along on the fun adventures
• AMA (ask me anything) style spotlights so viewers get to know you more
• Product demonstrations so viewers see how things work or get answers to questions

Live streaming also lets you record VODs for later playback. Smart marketers will take these, chop them up, and republish the best bits on the YouTube channel. Or, they'll use parts to craft new blog content for their site!

Holidays and Celebrations

Holidays are the perfect time to hop on board with promotions.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two "shopping holidays" that can spark a flurry of sales. The easiest leverage of these two days is with a strong social media push. Combine content, social updates, coupons, and deep discounts to draw attention and sales.

As for the major holidays:

• Use holiday templates to share wholesome messages
• Give back to the community with freebies or a donation
• Encourage users to submit their holiday experiences
• Theme content around the holiday's meaning and activities

These concepts work for smaller celebrations, too, such as birthdays and life events. Basically, you're using any fun event as an opportunity to connect with audiences. So, use a holiday calendar to influence your content calendar.

Music Playlists

Many brands have taken to publishing their in-house music playlists. While this doesn't have anything to do with promotions it does add something fun to community engagement. After all, who doesn't enjoy listening to music?

Spotify has already begun exploring features like Group Session which lets several individuals control a playlist. The music platform also offers collaborative, community playlists via user submissions. Other music services have followed suit, providing users with unique features that add a social layer to music listening and sharing.

Why create a community playlist?

1. It's fun
2. It's good for brand visibility
3. It gets users discussing the picks

Think of the playlist the same as product promotional items like a branded mouse pad or t-shirt. The individual is exposed to the brand, generally creating better long-term engagement.

Give it a try by having each team member select a song or two for the initial playlist. Then, open it up to your community. Share and embed this playlist on the site, and kick up discussions around it!

Teardown Videos

Embrace the inner geek in yourself and the community through a teardown video.

A "teardown video" is like the name implies. You (or someone on the team) walks people through the components of a product. This shows off the inner workings while also letting the presenter share details of how it all works.

The recent teardown of the Playstation 5 has almost 10 million views. That's sure to provoke your interest.

Obviously, you'll want to use discretion so company secrets aren't exposed. But otherwise, it's a fun and engaging way to highlight the neat product features. Combined with a Q&A live stream, this is a fantastic way to make products stand out. You can also screen cap and craft these teardowns into engaging blog posts!

User Highlight

There's a psychological spark when we hear our own names. Scale that up and it's much of the same reason why we all like to humblebrag about our achievements and experiences. We love being the center of attention.

Why not use that for content?

Putting community members front and center is a great way to engage the rest. It lets you build a strong connection with the individual while also conveying subtle elements of your business. This person is proud to be part of the community, and this creates an emotional connection with others like them.

Here's how to do user highlights:

1. Put out a call for community interviews
2. Vet and connect with a few people
3. Do a Q&A or let them speak their mind
4. Publish and share the piece

That person is bound to share it. They're proud and enamored that they were chosen. Their words are glowing for your brand, and this gets others interested in being part of it all.

Never Run Out of Fresh Content Ideas

There are countless ways to express creativity on the Web. With a few of the content ideas from this post, your organization is primed to create a great impact in 2021 and beyond. Now, all you need is a little push to turn ideas into reality.

If you'd like to amplify your message, then explore what's possible by hiring a content professional (or two!).

iWriter makes it easy to create, publish, and share great content with your community. Each deliverable adds to your brand's reach and success. Whether it's a compliment to your own production or the whole thing, don't miss out on opportunities!

Connect with our experts. Sign up for a free account and order custom content today!