They say that SEO traffic will cease to exist every year. However, it is still possible to promote websites to the top of Google search results using this tool.
In this article, we will discuss what websites should be like in 2024, what to pay attention to in order to get maximum SEO traffic, and what is better to avoid when developing a website in the early stages.
What happened to SEO traffic in 2024
If you’re hoping that this or any other article of its kind will provide an answer to the question of where that elusive button is to make things happen, we must disappoint you. All modern search engines equally utilize various algorithms, and each one requires diligent and meticulous work.
Some search engines use no more than 10% of all the ranking algorithms developed over the years, periodically increasing or decreasing the significance of one parameter or another, or completely abandoning something. Even if you manage to “crack” the current formula, everything could change tomorrow.
But one thing can be noted for sure – SEO traffic is becoming increasingly integrated into the field of marketing. The emphasis in the last couple of years is on the user experience. Everything is written and created specifically for people’s convenience and is meant to be useful. What’s happening in 2024:
- E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). It’s a classic concept that Google relied on. But now, it has been complemented with a new component – “Experience.” Search engines now pay attention not only to the quality of content on the website but also to the personal brand of the company or individual. To achieve this, you need to confirm credentials on the website and more. It’s advisable to develop social media presence and demonstrate that the person from the website is an expert in the field;
- Combatting artificial lntelligence. Search engines increasingly prefer older websites with high-quality content. Thanks to AI, creating a page and filling it with simple content has become much easier. That’s why Google and other search engines suppress such new websites;
- Manipulation of behavioral factors. Manipulation is a gray-hat method of promotion that still seems to work, although search engines are trying to combat it. However, it’s almost impossible to detect modern bots with an accumulated history;
- In 2024, backlinks still play an important role in ranking.
- The website must be lightning-fast, performing well in any weather, on any device, and with any internet connection. You need to monitor broken pages and errors. If a page doesn’t link to other sections, it’s better to delete it or incorporate it into the main site structure;
- Regarding content, it’s a similar story as before.
Essentially, many parameters remain largely the same.
What kind of websites you should create
If everything has remained almost the same, what types of websites are currently a priority for search engines? First and foremost, it’s important to determine the purpose of creating a website:
- For businesses: service websites, online stores, websites designed for selling products and services;
- For monetization: websites for rent, aggregators, for contextual advertising, or for affiliate marketing.
Based on this, you can choose the development option for the website.
For businesses, it’s better to use CMS-based websites. It’s important to consider that each CMS has its pros and cons, and you may need to pay a webdesigner for site modifications. However, such a website can be optimized for SEO from the start and can rank higher in SERP compared to a site built with a website builder (like Tilda).
However, there are niche industries where a website created with a website builder can work well for traffic generation. This typically applies to franchises, art schools, children’s event organizers, and quests.
If you’ve decided to create a website for your business, it’s better to consult with an SEO specialist right away. Advertising is much more expensive now than it was a couple of years ago, so you should focus on SEO. Moreover, attracting traffic during the website design and when setting requirements for the webdesigner will allow you to invest money in something that will help with future traffic growth.
To monetize your website, you need to understand that doing everything hastily won’t work. You’ll have to plan ahead for SEO, conduct a niche and competitor analysis, and make the website user-friendly.
From a profitability standpoint, aggregators are currently considered the most popular direction. They rank nationwide, with no specific regional ties, so your website will receive much more traffic compared to a service-specific site. This is because they can offer the widest selection and fully address the visitor’s needs.
For everything else, general recommendations for promoting your website to the top will apply:
- When starting a new project, carefully consider the name and domain. You can use a general query when coming up with the project’s name;
- Prioritize a .COM domain over all others. Before registering it, check its history to avoid potential issues related to spam;
- Create a simple and flat website structure. Avoid trying to cover all keywords on a single page;
- The Title tag is crucial make sure to work on it for all website pages;
- Avoid AI generation and block duplication, as search engines are sensitive to such content and rank it more strictly;
- Plan your internal linking. Linking structure remains important when creating a website; it helps search engines analyze pages;
- Don’t forget about external links; it’s important to know who is linking to your site;
- Prioritize working on behavioral factors. Invest time in creating clear and engaging content on your site, track time spent on the site, CTR, and how interested users are in the page. Include information about experts to optimize the page for search engines.
Overall, there is a general trend towards providing valuable content while simultaneously improving algorithms for determining reliability, quality, and competence.
What websites you definitely shouldn’t create
After we’ve figured out which websites should take priority, it’s time to talk about what you should definitely avoid. Which websites will perform poorly in terms of SEO:
- Websites without SEO. This will lead to slow indexing and potentially poor rankings for your site. Later, you’ll need to invest more money in promoting the site compared to if SEO work had been done during the site’s creation;
- Websites without marketing. If you want your traffic to generate leads and sales, it’s essential to involve a marketer who can provide recommendations. It’s advisable to start with CustDev during the site design phase;
- Websites that don’t match your product or service. For example, it’s not a good idea to create an online store using a website builder if you have more than 10 products. You need to choose the right website template; for instance, an e-commerce template might not be suitable if you provide services related to the products you’re selling.
Before creating a website, it’s crucial to carefully plan its concept, define your target audience, and select a relevant theme. Only then can your website become successful and profitable.
Conclusion
It can be said that in 2024, for the successful development of a website and the attraction of a large number of visitors, it is advisable to continually create, update, and improve your website, work on the quality of content, and optimize the code.
It is also important to take into account current trends and changes in search engine algorithms. Overall, while the general trends over the past years are understood, steps can be taken in this direction.
