Smashing SEO In 2024: The Questions SEOs & Webmasters Need To Be Asking

 

“So this is Christmas. And what have you done? Another year over. And a new one just begun.”

 

Ahhhh…reflection! The late great John Lennon couldn’t have put it better!

 

Christmas time as we know it today is the season of deep breaths and embracing the commercialized chaos; engaging in battle with those mile-long lengths of festive lights that come to life in storage and tangle themselves beyond comprehension every f*cking year; and preparing the cookies and milk (or beer!) before the big man in the red suit slides down the chimney!

 

But in the midst of all the annual merry madness, we’re with Lennon when it comes to reflecting on (and more importantly, learning from) each year as it flies by us like Santa’s reindeers on Christmas Eve – in preparation for another new one beginning.

 

And getting ready to smash another year in the SEO game is no exception whatsoever.

 

Take it from us when we say SEO is headed for 2024 faster than a turkey running from a farmer who plans on transforming it into a moist, meaty centerpiece on someone’s dinner table.

 

Based on what we’ve heard most from our valued clients and seen with our own eyes on the front line this year – we’ve put together a number of sink or swim questions we feel every SEO and Webmaster out there who wants to smash SEO in 2024 should be asking themselves this side of New Year’s Eve…and into the new year.

 

Stop consuming all the generic festive fluff and good old ‘2023 feel sorry for me, 2024 just wait and see’ meme diarrhea that Google and your socials spit onto your screens.

 

And listen (read) up…

 

E-A-T?   E-E-A-T?   WTAF?!

 

When it comes to beautiful, strategic SEO, we’ve looked recently before at how Google is using automated ranking systems to help rank shit quality content from high-quality content and present users with “the most relevant, useful results, in a fraction of a second”.

 

Etched into Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines since 2014, Google’s E-A-T (Expertise; Authoritativeness; and Trustworthiness) guidelines have helped serve users with helpful, relevant information – i.e. shit-hot content that creators worldwide are creating with Google’s strict quality guidelines to hand as something of a holy grail point of reference.

 

But as the digital landscape out there continues to change…Google has outgrown E-A-T.

No longer are they ranking content as helpful and reliable based only on the expertise of a content creator – and the authoritativeness and trustworthiness of said creator, their content and their website – alone.

 

Introducing (since 2022) E-E-A-T – E-A-T but with an added E for Experience.

 

To better assess their results, Google is now looking at content based on experience – and not just expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness – by checking whether or not a creator’s final output demonstrates, “that it was produced with some degree of experience, such as with actual use of a product, having actually visited a place or communicating what a person experienced”. Because, and to quote again Google, “there are some situations where really what you value most is content produced by someone who has first-hand, life experience on the topic at hand”.

Forming part of their updated search rater guidelines, Google’s E-E-A-T or “Double E-A-T” is now instrumental for creators when it comes to putting out consistently high-quality content. And it is becoming increasingly evident that Google’s eyes and algorithms are on creators to demonstrate E-E-A-T through genuine experience, value and credibility.

 

Learn How To Walk With E-E-A-T Before You Run With It

Anyone in SEO should be aware by now that content (be it created by man, machine or Mrs Claus herself) is now subject to rigorous testing and evaluation from Google ranking systems that, “aim to reward original, high-quality content that demonstrates the qualities of what we call E-E-A-T: Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness”.

 

Before we dive all balls deep into injecting genuine experience, value and credibility into your content through the (proper) use of honest customer testimonials, case studies, verifiable reviews, linking to reputable sources and all the trimmings in-between to demonstrate E-E-A-T (and specifically Experience) to Google – you’ve got some homework to do.

 

Start reading up on E-E-A-T and Google’s automated ranking systems and quality rater guidelines that, “are designed to present helpful, reliable information that’s primarily created to benefit people”. For creators who are serious about self-assessing their content and smashing Google Search, check out Google’s official publications on creating helpful, people-first content.

 

We’ll be back early 2024 with more ‘how to do E-A-A-T friendly content’-esque….content.

 

Is There A Place In 2024 For Link Building In SEO?

The short answer before we go any further… Abso-f*cking-lutey!

 

Sauntering into 2024 dreaming of smashing SEO armed with not as much as an effective link building strategy in place is as foolish as putting on a chocolate condom. Because take it from us – effective link building strategy statistics are abso-f*cking-lutey essential when it comes to smashing your authority, visibility and search rankings on Google.

 

With some 94% of marketers anticipating that in five years time, “links will still be a ranking feature in Google engines”, there’s never been a better (or more crucial) time to grab the effective link building in SEO bull by the balls.

 

If you didn’t already know, effective link building is much more than sticking a few ‘click here now’ bait links into a blog and hoping for the best. It is the strategic process of acquiring concrete links i.e. backlinks from external sites which point back to pages on your site. These incoming links serve as crucial votes of confidence in your content from other sites – telling signal search engines like Google that they should trust and rank your content higher than a T.Rex’s titties on their results pages.

 

Beyond simply analyzing chunk after chunk of content online, backlinks to this day continue to be the go-to ranking signal Google uses to determine the quality of a specific webpage. But how do they do this you ask? By using sophisticated, ever-changing technologies such as their now-famous PageRank Algoritm that looks at how many people linked to that page – and updates like Google Penguin that focus on link quality and not just quantity.

 

Shit Quality Links = Shit Quality Content

As Google algorithms and spam updates continue to ever-evolve, your link building strategies must also be fine-tuned and tinkered in order to stay effective. Think…chocolate condom.

 

On our quest to smash quality content creation and link building over the years, we’ve learned that effective link building strategies are all about strategically, digitally sewing quality links into your content development processes. Because shit quality links equals shit quality content.

 

As a starting point, when it comes to attracting more high-quality referral traffic in 2024, start thinking about natural ways you can build quality, authoritative backlinks. Are you creating shit-hot, ‘say it how it is’ content that people love and sites want to link to? Drafted in any industry experts for guest blogs recently? Building community engagement by participating in online communities and forums? Made a point to involve yourself in public relations? Tended to any broken internal links on your website? Or considered doing any email marketing and outreach?

 

If you’re serious about smashing SEO in 2024, start asking yourself the important questions – and stick with us next year when it comes to flexing link building strategies that are tighter than Arnold Schwarzenegger gym shorts.

 

Stay tuned for more on creating effective, 2024 friendly SEO strategies very soon!

 

What’s The Story With AI Content?

Ah yes! That big, bad, automated, content creating bear in the room keeping many a creator, SEO specialist and webmaster awake into the wee hours of late!

“Are fancy AI systems like ChatGBT going to take my job?”

The hot topic of the future of AI content and beautiful, strategic SEO isn’t one we’ve ever (or will ever) shy away from. And as we reflect on our year gone by, one finding on AI content that we cannot shake are those expert estimates that, “as much as 90 percent of online content may be synthetically generated by 2026”. Enough to keep anyone in the game awake at night!

We’ve mentioned in previous publications that Google’s official stance on AI-generated content is one of, “appropriate use of AI or automation” is not against the guidelines – so long as said automated practices are, “not used to generate content primarily to manipulate search rankings”.

That being said, can ‘machine’ really generate shit-hot, quality content that Google ranks up there alongside ‘man-made’, shit-hot, quality content?

Can it f*ck!

AI Content Alone Just Won’t Cut

Sure, Google is awash with flashy links to powerful AI ‘machines’ that can generate content quicker than Santa’s elves on the final day of toy production. But relying solely on all-singing, all-dancing AI technologies to pump out content will simply not cut the mustard in 2024.

And we quote, “If brands want to connect, generate quality leads, and tell their story, AI can assist with 45 to 50% of the job, but human-written content will be essential for impact, connection, and conversion”.

We’ve gone as far in the past to liken shit-hot, quality content to making sweet love with a sexy robot (stay with us). For very good reason. Automated, remote-controlled loving – much like AI-generated content – lacks one huge unreplicatable quality. That quality, human touch.

That said, the future of content and beautiful, strategic SEO as we know it looks to be one where AI efficiency and human creativity can in fact walk somewhat hand-in-hand within the workplace.

To quote one of our previous publications, “If you’re looking for consistently quality content that’s injected from beginning to end with a natural, genuine human tone. Content that brings a page to life, paints the real pictures and tells the true tales of a particular hot topic(s) or theme – without all the bullsh*t. Content that’s been baked beautifully using just the right balance of carefully measured spoonfuls of fact spitting wit, honesty, genuine empathy and emotion, up-to-date statistics, informative but humorous hooks and thought-provoking prompts…

Think quality over content.”, and stop waiting for AI to bounce into your office and take your job.

And perhaps by this time next year, some expert claims that, “human creators will be even more valuable than ever as a backlash against bad content begins”, may ring true in our ‘Smashing SEO in 2025’ blog.

We watch like hawks with bated anticipation.

 

Is Audience Fragmentation A Fragment Of The Imagination Or?

It comes as no shock or surprise to anyone in the SEO game out there that we are living in times where people access any number of media platforms, channels and content options in seconds.

Basing what now seems like everything we do professionally around a constantly evolving media landscape and algorithms, digital noise, echo chambers, diverse customer preferences and low attention spans – it is as clear as crystal that there is no longer a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to connecting with increasingly diverse and specialized audience segments effectively.

The time for tailored strategies that help you reach and engage with your audiences is now.

And audience fragmentation – defined beautifully as, “the separation of audience groups from the mass audience phenomenon due to specialized, personalized content created as a result of new media applications” – is coming to 2024 with us for the ride.

2024 Is The Year Of Audience Fragmentation

As unthinkable worldwide conflicts continue to unfold daily before our very eyes, the prospect of another US presidential election looms and more Internet privacy laws come into effect – we put money on it that people globally will be hiding out on their favored algorithm-powered Internet chamber of choice in 2024. So much so that cutting through the white noise out there and ranking high on Google will become increasingly more challenging.

 

But sh*t yourself in a state of panic not – and remember that pressure is for tyres.

Helping online marketers and SEO specialists target and connect with their said increasingly diverse and specialized audience segments effectively is high on our list of 2024 to-dos.

Whether you’re an audience fragmentation virgin or an SEO sl*t – being present and consistent on every digital orifice your audience flock to really does start with how you create your content.

If you can churn out consistently quality content that screams genuine, E-E-A-T friendly, natural,  no bullsh*t talk from beginning to end – you can absolutely be further open, transparent and sincere when it comes to preparing for audience fragmentation in 2024.

Preparing to smash audience fragmentation is all about learning to create content that is as transparent as glass and as honest and sincere as possible. Sincerity will always win the hearts (and custom) of your audience no matter where they spend their time online – over artifices and very obvious waffling w*nkery. But sincere content will only get you so far.

Gaining ownership of your audience and finding what works for your organization and brand is essential. Many may say email is dead and buried – but we know that it is still the most effective way of communicating with people out there who are interested in your brand. Or perhaps Newsletters and blogs that deliver value consistently into those inboxes works better for you.

Take note. Value and sincerity prevail above all the tea and algorithms in China…all day long.

 

Forget The Gold, Frankincense And Myrrh – We’ve Got Your Back!

Listening to John Lennon Christmas classics, consuming generic festive fluff and good old ‘2023

feel sorry for me, 2024 just wait and see’ meme diarrhea may get you into the Christmas spirit  – but it won’t help you smash SEO in 2024…or in 2026…or 2026…or 2027….or….you get the point..

 

When it comes to shining brighter online than the star that led the three wise men to the baby Jesus – forget the gold, frankincense and myrrh. Join the SerpLogic family today.

 

We would like to thank everyone out there who worked with and supported us throughout 2023…and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

See you in 2024!