2023 was arguably the most volatile year in SEO that I can remember in my 12 years working in this industry. AI is disrupting so many industries right now, and SEO is certainly one of them.
So, what can we expect in 2024? Change. And a lot of it.
Here are our predictions for the coming year…
AI will become even more prominent (stating the obvious at this point).
- SGE will evolve and expand, creating a new challenge in the SEO industry.
- New tools will come to the market that leverage AI in better ways
- ‘AI content’ will become a bigger problem for Google in the first half of the year, but a series of further algorithm updates with largely curtail it by 2025.
EEAT will be the key to SEO going forward.
- This is what Google will lean into when dealing with AI spam content at scale. Particularly ‘Experience’. Companies that effectively demonstrate first hand experience online will win, and the ones that do it across a broad range of platforms will win big.
- For ‘simple’ content such as ‘how to boil an egg’, SGE will cover it.
- Companies will scramble to find consultation on how to improve their EEAT, as their traditional SEO strategies no longer work.
The skills gap in SEO will increase.
- SEO is changing at a pace that knowledge, skills and talent cannot keep up with. This will create a survival of the fittest scenario where, companies that relentlessly learn and train will be in demand.
- This will increase cost for SEO talent, specifically with knowledge in leveraging AI for SEO.
Paid media CAC/ CPA will continue to increase, pushing more companies into serious SEO strategy.
- In recent years we have seen the cost rise for paid search and paid media significantly as companies chase clear reported ROI. This naturally creates a race to the bottom as competition squeezes margins until it isn’t viable. Now, I think it will always be viable, but not for new market entrants in most industries.
