Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), like always, is rapidly evolving for 2024 with new trends and technologies emerging that will have a significant impact on car buyers.
In this article, we'll explore the most important SEO trends that will shape the automotive industry over the coming year, including the rise of conversational search, the growing importance of answer engines, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in SEO.
These trends will not only influence how car buyers find and interact with Retailers and Manufacturers online but also how they make purchasing decisions.
By staying ahead of these trends, you can optimise your online presence, improve your search rankings, and ultimately drive more sales and revenue.
AI-generated content is having its moment, but Google wants 2024 to be all about authentic, high-value content created by humans for humans.
Focus on understanding user intent. Answering their questions and offering genuine value by ensuring you prioritise the quality of your content over the quantity. A great way to do this is by investing in proprietary insights and compelling storytelling.
Google has already launched the Perspective Filter on mobile search as a way of surfacing more user-generated content into the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). There is also the ability to mark up forum content and profiles with structured data. Expect Google to offer more ways to promote user-generated content in 2024.
The main factor behind this approach is to differentiate Google's search results from those generated by AI-powered platforms such as ChatGPT. This decision highlights the growing importance of content that is rooted in
How can you distinguish yourself in a Google search that prioritises human-centric results? Just 15 days after the launch of ChatGPT, Google added an E for experience to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) as part of Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines. The timing is no coincidence.
In 2024, Google aims to showcase the most reliable sources on its search results pages, and the user experience is anticipated to play a significant role in determining ranking signals.
Your lived experience and expertise are the best ways to separate yourself from competitors, and it’s one thing that AI can’t do. When turning to AI to improve your operational efficiency, be sure to implement a quality review process as well as human expert insights that provide distinctive and insightful perspectives.
While AI-written content might fade, AI itself is here to stay. AI can be a very powerful tool in your processes, particularly when it comes to the automation of manual tasks. We recommend leveraging AI tools for keyword research, optimising content, and competitor analysis.
Use it to personalise user experiences and to help you optimise voice and image search. AI tools can be a powerful part of your business in 2024. The internet is full of creative uses for AI in your SEO work and processes.
AI can be utilised to personalise the user experience by analysing user behaviour and giving you recommendations for adapting the interface and content accordingly.
For example, AI-powered recommendations can suggest content, products, or features that are tailored to a user's interests, improving their overall experience.
Additionally, AI-driven chatbots can provide personalised support and answer questions in a way that is unique to each user, creating a more personalised and human-like interaction
But remember human judgment and creativity are crucial to increasing the quality of your content.
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is a practice of optimising content to directly answer users' search queries, aiming to have your content featured in answer boxes or snippets at the top of the SERPS.
Google wants to go beyond keywords and create a more conversational search experience. Voice search is becoming more commonplace and Answer Engines are powering voice assistants.
While the main aim of a search engine is to provide information, it also needs to provide that information in the way the user wants it. In 2024 many of us no longer want to wade through reams of text to get to our answer. This content is still important for your website, but Google is finding new ways to show snippets of that content.
Optimising your content for answers is not only important to keep up with Google it's also important to your customers. If they have questions, your brand needs to be the one answering them.
Google is taking Answer Engines even further with the anticipated launch of Google Search Generative Experience (SGE).
SGE represents a new approach to online searching. It leverages the power of AI to enhance the way users interact with and understand digital content. By providing AI-powered overviews, follow-up questions, and enhanced browsing capabilities.
SGE's AI analyses relevant web pages and presents key points about a search topic in a clear and concise manner, saving users time and effort by providing a quick summary of the most important information. This allows users to quickly gauge the relevance of search results and refine their queries with greater precision.
This is Google really pushing forward with a more conversational approach to its search results. SGE will allow you to ask follow-up questions to help you find more specific information.
A zero-click search is a search result where the user can access the desired information or answer without having to click on any links or navigate through a search results page. Zero-click searches are not anything new but the impending release of SGE will further increase the likelihood of zero-click searches.
Featured snippets and other answer-focused features are now keeping users on the search page. To adapt your strategy and capitalise on these opportunities, focus on providing the most relevant and concise information possible. By doing so, you can increase the chances of your content being selected as a featured snippet or answer.
By ‘owning’ rich snippets you manage to jump the queue and now rank above all other organic results, into what's being called position zero. In search results that return rich snippets, you have a way to rank higher than competitors, even if you can’t reach position one.
Local search will remain incredibly important in 2024. Increased reliance on mobile devices and on-the-go searches means more people than ever are searching for information and services using their mobile devices, especially while on the go.
This makes local search essential for businesses wanting to reach potential customers at the exact moment they need their services. Positive online reviews can enhance a business's local search performance and draw in more customers. Local businesses must prioritise gathering and responding to reviews, both good and bad, to maintain a robust online reputation and attract more customers.
Optimise for local searches by incorporating relevant keywords, consistent NAP listings (Name, Address, and Phone number), and positive reviews. With mobile-first indexing becoming the norm, a strong mobile presence is now more important than ever.
After years of domination, Google has a, perhaps, unlikely threat on its hands. While Google has been focusing on AI, its move to a more human style of search is also in reply to a shift in more people using social media as a search engine.
In 2024 crowd-sourced information such as reviews and personal experiences will play a vital role in shaping effective content and SEO strategies. The fundamental principle of trusting people will continue to be a driving force behind search behaviour, making it crucial for businesses to prioritise user-generated content and social proof in their SEO efforts.
Understanding your audience’s behaviour and where they are searching in 2024 is going to be of paramount importance. Brands need to understand the right mix of search marketing platforms and how they now align with their specific business goals.
To keep up to date with the latest SEO trends and insights, be sure to follow our company page on LinkedIn. If you’re an Automotive Transformation Group customer, you also have access to our Client Services Help Centre where we can assist you with SEO best practices and other helpful tips.
Similarly, if you’d like to learn more about Automotive Transformation Group’s digital marketing or AI solutions, contact a member of the team today.