SEO is always changing that is for sure but fortunately Google is now transparent in the best practices they are looking for when ranking.  Here’s a snapshot of what is important for 2022.

Domain Trust

Google and specialist SEO tools such as MOZ use a variety of metrics to determine domain trust scores. Website age, quality of content, external links and the “stickiness” of a website all contribute to the trust score.  Here’s the best tactics to ensure your trust score is its best for better rankings:

• Review and test your customer journey to ensure you are providing the best user experience for conversion. Always get independent analysis, simple changes can make a huge difference.

• New website visitors will be looking to trust your site so help them and Google by providing transparent information in an about page and a contact page with complete details. Always review copy (or get a professional copywriter) to ensure an easy, error free read.
• Give signposts rather than site adverts/pop-ups for a smoother user journey. Direct the user to other pages easily with highlighted links.
• Show expertise and authority in your product/service to promote trustworthiness.

• Monitor your domain authority so if it changes you can find out why.

Website Visibility

• Monitor your website for visibility quality, Google Search Console can provide some indicators for accessibility, but specialist SEO tools can do a full more in-depth analysis.
• Ensure Google can read and interpret the focus of your website by ensuring Page Titles and Meta Descriptions and proper H2 and H2 tags and Alt Txt are added.

• Ensure your sitemap is submitted and robots.txt file is updated with any pages not relevant for search excluded,

• Check website speed on mobile, tablet and desktop. If your website is slow you need to review hosting providers, review image sizing and general website architecture.

Google Algorithms and Search Queries

• Google Algorithm changes are tracked by SEO tools and happen regularly. One of the latest is Multitask Unified Model (MUM) a machine learning algorithm to help searchers find the answers to complex questions in one search. Hence giving answers to similar questions.
• To perform best on search engines don’t try and beat the system or cut corners, simply focus on creating content that has a natural flow and readability with as much in-depth detail as possible.
• Raise questions and answer them in your content to increase your visibility as well as opportunities to appear in a Snippet (short snippets of text that appear at the top of Google’s search results).
• Content is still King so provide a variety of quality content from text, video, audio and infographics. Don’t forget voice search is taking over so consider that in your keyword targeting too.

Customer Reviews

• Google factors in your reviews when trust scoring and over 90% of customers are more likely to engage if they have read a positive honest review. Ensure you monitor and manage all feedback everywhere from review sites, google, forums as well as social channels.

I compare SEO to housekeeping, there is always so much to do and it takes discipline and time.  Then once you think you’ve finished you find something else that needs doing.  So don’t try and take short-cuts as Google will see the dust under the bed.