Understanding Google’s SERP updates in 2021

Google’s entire business model is based on providing the best user experience for search queries. It makes sense. As of lately, Google’s SERP has evolved quite a bit, and as each year passes, bigger and bigger updates and changes are changing the landscape of Google. 

For B2B and B2C companies, understanding Google’s SEO and SERP changes and adapting to new changes are critical. 

These are some of the biggest trends and changes in SERP during 2021 and moving forward. 

Zero position (PO) 

Who wants to be in the zero position? In this sense, we are not speaking about having any ranking, but ranking in a very different way. Zero position ranking refers to a search query that is answered without ever clicking on a website. 

Let’s check out a couple of great examples of this in search engines. 

The thing with position zero is that the concept itself is nothing new to SEOs because of the Knowledge Graph concept; however, you want to rank in this position as much as possible. Google chooses the websites and information that are in this position based on their relevancy, answering the question directly, and over time how many clicked on the page. 

Position zero takes up a large portion of the search results, boosts click-through rates (CTR), and is an essential part of voice search strategies. From how-tos, statistics, videos, and other results that answer the five W’s of marketing can see themselves in the zero position ranking.

Focus on user intention 

User intention is the focus on writing content, optimizing pages, on-page and off-page SEO techniques to answer the goals and intents of the searcher when typing in their search query. 

There are three types of search intentions -  transactional, informational, and navigational. Depending on the intentions of the searcher, the results will vastly change, and keywords and content should match those changes. 

SEO and SERP go hand-in-hand, and understanding the intentions of each audience is really the backbone of SEO. It is 2021, it is time to really hone in on the intentions of the content and keywords used to focus on providing the best user experience and search results. 

The better the content and search phrases provided the exact answer, transaction, or branded result, the better the page will do in SERP. And when the page does better and it is seen as trustworthy, Google starts to love it more and more! 

As user intention continues to drive SEO and SERP answers, let’s not forget about one of the largest changes coming to Google in 2021. 

Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are part of a larger update known as the Google Page Experience Update that is rolling out in mid-June but won’t fully be done until August. The Core Web Vitals include three main components such as loading speeds, interactivity, and visual stability. 

The better your website ranks in Google for this update, the better the website will do, while Google has stated that it will not completely ruin rankings, this could change. It is better to be ahead of the change than panicking at the last minute. 

This means to speak with your website developer regarding streamlining the code, reducing JavaScript execution times, and remove anything that isn’t necessary. Now is the perfect start to the process.

If you are searching for a way to test your website’s Core Web Vitals, go to Google Search Console for more information. 

All SEO is mobile SEO 

How many consumers are navigating to your website on a daily basis from a mobile device? This is critical to understand, and one of the biggest assets to have in 2021. The average percentage of mobile searches has reached 62 percent with some industries at 72 percent. In layman’s terms, that is a high percentage of mobile searches. 

The Core Web Vitals changes will affect mobile searches and desktop searches. The thing you do can is to think about the user first and SEO second. It almost seems a bit backward, but with search intentions really being honed in, make sure mobile UX is a priority. 

As SEO and SERP continue to advance, Google’s SERP layout changes, consumers’ needs change, and as the marketing landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, it is time to understand these SERP 2021 updates and adapt accordingly. 

To get started on SEO strategies or any of our other services, contact our team today!