What's New with Google in 2022

Every year things change, in the world and marketing, at a faster pace than we can often handle. This has always been true, but we have noticed these huge upheavals more after 2020 and the year the whole world turned on its head. Now it seems we are hyper-aware that there are countless factors beyond our control, and this is particularly the case in the online world.

Last year Google announced some upcoming changes, and took the unusual stance of giving no definite date for the changes, instead gently breaking us into the idea of how the online world would shift in regards to Search Engine Optimization. These announcements generally happen with changes imminent, so having time to prepare was a luxury in this case. Now the changes are here, so it’s important to take stock of where you and your business are as they take effect.

I pulled from Google’s own announcement and this detailed article from Moz to break down the new Google trends in 2022. They include:

1) Visuals are more important than ever.
A fascinating new aspect to SEO is Google Lens, which interprets images to give users relevant context for what products are in certain pictures. The important thing for you to know - especially if you sell products online - is that what you display on your website needs to be visually clear, not only for the user, but for Google as well. While I would encourage you to hire a professional photographer to take product photos, even an iPhone or high-end Android will suffice if you keep the background clutter-free and make the subject of your picture the main focus. ‘Artsy’ pictures are great for marketing in some cases, but they will not help your rankings on Google in the future.

2) Security is a huge factor for your website.
Unless you are responsible for the back-end coding of your website, you likely cannot directly incorporate this yourself. Whether you use Squarespace or Weebly as a ready-built platform or hire a web designer, it’s crucial that you check on the security factors. This includes ‘https://’ inn your website URL, among other things. Here is a great article that will give you more details.

3) Always keep the end user experience as the most important factor.
Remember: it’s ALL about the user. Everyone, including Google AND you as a business owner, wants your website to be clear, easy-to-navigate, enjoyable to view, and helpful. Have a friend review your website. Ask someone in a completely different business than yours to look around. Make sure the user experience is top-notch, information is easy to find, and services or products are listed in a very clear way.

The one thing I can guarantee is that more changes will be coming soon in the online world, so start with this list and continue learning, whether by reading resources like Moz or subscribing to my newsletter. As always, contact me if you have any questions or need specific help!