Business and consumer trends come and go, as do marketing trends. What worked in the past does not always work moving forward and marketers that do not adjust risk falling behind. This is nothing new and it should come as no surprise that, as our world and daily lives have been upended in so many ways in the past year, consumer behavior has also shifted and new technologies have either emerged or risen to the top.
As a digital marketing agency, we are keenly aware of this constant evolution in trends and best practices. Here are the top digital marketing trends we are seeing for 2021.
1. Zero-Click Searches & Featured Snippets
Zero-Click Searches refers to search engine results that satisfy the search at the top of the first results page. While this is not necessarily a new trend (50% of searches in 2019 ended without a click to other content), the incidence of zero-click searches is rising (65% in 2020) as Google continues to refine search engine results to provide the best possible answer to any given query.
Google will also frequently display featured snippets in a box at the top of search results delivering additional relevant information to satisfy the search query without the need to click away. Unlike paid ads, which can place your website at the top of search results, you cannot mark your page as a featured snippet. Google’s automation determines what content and pages are most relevant to be featured with a snippet. There are things you can do to increase the chances of having your page featured and Google offers a number of tips.
2. Visual Searches: Image and Video SEO
Rather than keywords or phrases, a visual search uses images to generate search results. Driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, visual search capabilities have improved greatly in the past few years. Consumer use has also risen and more than 36% of online shoppers report using visual search. To capitalize on the trend, image and video SEO need to consider image optimization and cover these basics:
Include SEO friendly alt text in your image descriptions
Add images to your site map or create a dedicated image sitemap
Use keywords in the file name of your image
Use top-quality images and videos, including HD
3. Voice Search Optimization (VSEO)
In simple terms, search engine optimization impacts how high your site ranks in searches and is largely driven by the content—specific phrases and keywords—throughout your site, including page titles, image titles, alt tags, etc. Voice search SEO (VSEO) focuses on the natural language of users who are relying on their smart devices and smart speakers to conduct searches. As smart speaker technology continues to improve and more people embrace it in their daily lives (55% of households in the US are expected to own a smart speaker in 2022), voice search and VSEO will become increasingly important.
4. Mobile-First Websites
Given that websites came along well before mobile devices, sites have generally been built for desktop viewing with mobile optimization. As mobile devices have grown in popularity for internet browsing and online shopping, the growing trend is to design sites with mobile visitors in mind first and desktop/laptop second. While a mobile-first site will work fine on desktops and laptops, the user experience is tailored specifically for the mobile interface with functions like collapsible menus, simplified touch-screen friendly navigation, and less text-heavy content.
5. Cross-Device Conversions
Cross-device conversions occur when someone clicks an ad on their mobile device and then completes the transaction via their desktop at a later time. This mobile-first shopping model was already a growing trend prior to 2020, but smartphone usage and remote spending (as opposed to in-store) during the pandemic increased as people remained at home. This is a trend that is not likely to go away any time soon, even as stores and businesses open their doors more fully for customers. Google offers a number of tips for their advertisers on how to optimize cross-device conversions.
This is part one of a two-part series on digital marketing trends. We will continue our review of the top trends of 2021 next month! In the meantime, if you need help with your digital marketing and want to maximize your efforts, contact Fuze7 today.
