When you are in dire need of staying ahead of the curve, you cannot do so by avoiding the learning curve. 2022 was a year full of learning, of making mistakes and brushing off the disappointments. 2023 is where you put all those learnings to in pursuit of higher rankings and traffic. Because whatever Google threw our way in terms of algorithm updates and more doesn’t seem likely to slow down. On the contrary, things are about to get wild and spread like wildfire. And you need to prepare before it all happens. Here are what we think are top predictions for SEO in general and Google algorithms in 2023.

Google will push algorithm updates at an intensified pace

2022 saw a whirlwind of Google algorithm updates unleashed upon the world. As many as 10 official algorithm updates were released by Google, and probably hundreds of unofficial. This trend is not only expected to continue but also intensify in 2023. So brace up, at the very least, the same number of algorithm updates, but possibly more. Also, be prepared for updates overlapping on top of one another, creating a perfect nightmare people will take some time to recover from. And last but not the least, expect some of the updates to be rolled out at a faster rate and in tighter succession. 

Google’s Helpful Content Update will drive the way forward

Google’s Helpful Content Update, a part of its Helpful Content System, is touted to be the next gamechanger. Even though 2022 saw two Helpful Content Updates, one of them still active and about to finish completion anytime soon, they were relatively meek, and didn’t cause much upheaval as it was expected at the time of its announcement. But that doesn’t mean they will spare us in 2023. By introducing Helpful Content System, Google has reinstated that content that is not written by people, for people, and is unhelpful has no place in the search results. And that means you need to start upping your content game right about now.

Technical SEO will become one of the top priorities

Google wants to give its users a good experience, so by extension, it means that website owners need to do the same, if not better. If your website loads up awfully slow, has too many irritating ads or pop-ups placed unsystematically, lacks proper internal linking structure, lacks systematic structure, and features content that is just a placeholder for other devious activities then you  might as well mark your website as finished in the coming year. Do the opposite of all those things and you will, sooner or later, find favour with Google, and therefore, your target audience. 

Visual search will take a front seat

A lot of users, more so from the current generation, the GenZ, are aggressively bypassing Google search altogether and consuming content from the likes of TikTok and Instagram. What does this tell you? It tells you that more and more people are inclining towards visual search and are being hooked to it instantaneously. It means that stepping into 2023, Google search is going to get more visual to cater to the likes of GenZ people. And it means that as website owners, you need to incorporate those visual elements—engaging images, exciting videos, infographics, and more—into your content if you are to even compete with TikTok and Instagram.

Universal Analytics will become a museum piece

Consider this more than a gentle reminder: Universal Analytics is retiring on 1 July 2023 and GA4 is going to take its place. If you haven’t already set up your GA4, do it as soon as you can because once Universal Analytics becomes a museum piece, the learning curve of GA4 might put you miles behind others. Believe us, it is not a place you’d like to be stuck in. Because updates will come and go and you won’t be able to track whatever there is to keep track of in between.