The Local SEO landscape has evolved dramatically over the years and as a business owner, it’s your job to keep up with the latest trends if you want to remain competitive on the serps. Failing to stay ahead of the curve can result in lost business and opportunities you don’t want to miss out on. 

Having said that, maintaining a strong online presence is essential for success, and search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical part of achieving that.

In 2023, several trends are set to shape the world of online search, and local businesses must adapt to stay relevant. From voice search to video search, these trends offer exciting opportunities for businesses to improve their online visibility and connect with their target audience in new and innovative ways. By optimizing your website for these trends, you'll be able to attract more visitors, increase your visibility, and ultimately, drive growth.

In this article, we'll explore the top five trends in online search for 2023 and provide actionable tips to help you take advantage of them. Whether you're a small business owner or a marketer, these tips will help you stay ahead of the game and succeed in the competitive world of online search. So, let's dive in and discover how you can optimize your website for success in 2023.

• Voice Search

Voice search is rapidly gaining popularity, with more and more people using digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant to find information online. According to a recent study, by 2024, 55% of households are expected to have a smart speaker, up from 13% in 2018. To optimize your website for voice search, you'll need to focus on using natural language and long-tail keywords that reflect the way people speak and search for information. This means using conversational phrases that sound like something you'd say to a friend. You'll also need to ensure that your website is optimized for local search, as many voice searches are local in nature. By optimizing for voice search, you'll be able to tap into a growing audience of users who prefer to search by voice.

Pro Tip: To optimize for voice search, consider using schema markup to mark up your content. Schema markup is a form of structured data that helps search engines understand the content on your website better. By using schema markup, you can provide additional context to search engines about your content, which can help you rank better in voice search results. For example, you can use schema markup to mark up your FAQ pages, which can help you rank for voice search queries that start with "how," "what," and "why." By using schema markup, you can increase the chances of your content being selected as the featured snippet in voice search results.

• Mobile-First Indexing

Mobile-first indexing is a critical trend in online search, as more people use their mobile devices to access the internet. In 2023, it's estimated that there will be 7.33 billion mobile users worldwide. To optimize your website for mobile-first indexing, you'll need to focus on using responsive design and fast-loading pages that are designed specifically for mobile devices. This means designing your website to fit different screen sizes and using images and videos that are optimized for mobile. You'll also need to ensure that your website is optimized for speed, as mobile users are notoriously impatient and will quickly abandon a website that takes too long to load. By optimizing for mobile-first indexing, you'll ensure that your website is accessible to the growing number of users who access the internet via their mobile devices.

Pro Tip: Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to check if your website is optimized for mobile. If it's not, use Google's Mobile Usability Report to identify and fix any issues.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the way that search engines process and deliver search results, making them more personalized and relevant to users. In 2023, AI is expected to become more sophisticated, making it even more important to optimize your website for this trend. To optimize your website for AI, you'll need to focus on creating high-quality content that matches user intent. This means understanding the questions that your target audience is asking and creating content that provides clear, concise, and informative answers. You'll also need to use structured data markup to provide search engines with the information they need to understand your content and deliver it to users in a personalized way.

Pro Tip: Consider implementing natural language processing (NLP) techniques into your content creation and optimization process. By using NLP, you can create content that matches user intent more effectively, identify gaps in your competitors' coverage, and create content that provides clear and concise answers to common questions. Incorporating NLP into your content strategy can help you better optimize your content for AI-powered search engines. By incorporating NLP into your content strategy, you can improve your website's visibility and drive more traffic from AI-powered search engines.

• Featured Snippets

Featured snippets are a powerful way to increase your website's visibility and drive more traffic. These are concise, direct answers to searches that appear at the top of SERPs. According to a study by Ahrefs, 12.29% of search queries have featured snippets. To optimize your website for featured snippets, you'll need to focus on creating content that is concise, informative, and well-structured. This means using clear headings, bullet points, and other formatting techniques to make your content easy to read and understand. You'll also need to use natural language and provide clear, direct answers to common search queries.

Pro Tip: Create content that provides direct answers to common questions related to your business. Use bullet points, numbered lists, and tables to make your content easy understand. Consider using schema markup to provide additional context to search engines about your content, which can help you rank better in featured snippets. Also, optimize your content for specific long-tail keywords that are likely to be used in voice search queries to increase your chances of appearing in a featured snippet.

 You can also use Google's "People Also Ask" feature to identify common questions related to your target keywords. Answer those questions in your content to increase your chances of appearing in featured snippets.

• Video Search

Video search is an increasingly important trend in online search, as more and more users turn to video-sharing platforms like YouTube to find information. In 2023, it's estimated that video will account for 82% of all internet traffic. To optimize your website for video search, you'll need to focus on creating high-quality video content that is informative, engaging, and relevant to your target audience. This means understanding the questions that your audience is asking and creating videos that provide clear and concise answers. You'll also need to use descriptive titles and descriptions, provide transcripts and closed captions, and use video schema markup to ensure that your videos are easily discoverable by search engines.

Pro Tip: Consider using interactive videos to engage your audience and improve search engine rankings. Interactive elements like quizzes, polls, and calls-to-action can encourage viewers to stay engaged for longer periods and provide valuable data about your audience. By using interactive videos, you can differentiate your content from competitors and provide a unique and engaging experience for your viewers. 

In conclusion, staying on top of the latest trends in online search can help you attract more visitors to your website and grow your business. By optimizing your website for voice search, mobile-first indexing, AI, featured snippets, and video search, you'll ensure that your website is visible and accessible to potential customers. Keep in mind that these trends are constantly evolving, so it's important to stay up-to-date with the latest developments and adjust your strategies accordingly. By doing so, you'll be well-positioned to succeed in the competitive world of online search.