search engine marketing 2022 in overview: E-E-A-T, ChatGPT, Search Essentials and extra

As 2022 proved as soon as once more, search engine marketing isn’t boring. 

Was 2022 the yr of AI – or maybe the official dawning of the age of AI? For the final month, it’s been exhausting to not examine or keep away from the temptation to spend hours taking part in with ChatGPT. 

We additionally had our traditional share of algorithm updates, new instruments and options, acquisitions, and lots extra modifications. 

One fixed by all of it? For 16 years, Search Engine Land has lined all the most important tales, simply as we did once more in 2022. 

Right here’s our look again on the greatest search engine marketing information of 2022 – from Google and different search engines like google and yahoo, software suppliers and the neighborhood. 

Google information

Google Search Essentials and extra documentation modifications

Google did a serious refresh of its 20-year-old Webmaster Pointers and likewise renamed it to Google Search Essentials. The up to date tips had been streamlined, simplified, and up to date “to ensure people have clear guidance for how to build sites that serve people well.”

Whereas Search Essentials was the most important of Google’s documentation updates in 2022, there have been loads extra.

Google up to date a number of Characteristic Guides assist paperwork:

Google additionally:

Additionally, not lengthy after a examine by search engine marketing software firm Ahrefs confirmed half of GSC clicks going to hidden phrases, Google removed language in its Performance report (Search) help doc, calling hidden Search Console question knowledge “very rare.”

In different documentation modifications, Google:

E-E-A-T and the QRG

Google’s high quality rater tips (QRG) for search had been up to date twice this yr – as soon as in July after which once more in December.

Lily Ray offered her traditional glorious breakdowns of what modified in each updates to the QRG.

For the July replace (Google search quality rater guidelines update: What has changed), Google reframed its definition of YMYL, revamped its definition of low-quality pages and extra

And as Ray lined within the December replace (E-E-A-T and major updates to Google’s quality rater guidelines):

“The addition of ‘experience’ signifies that content material high quality can be evaluated by the lens of understanding the extent to which the content material creator has first-hand expertise within the matter.

With this reframing of E-E-A-T, Google additionally states that “trust” is on the middle of this idea and is the “most important member of the E-E-A-T family.” 

Earlier than E-A-T grew to become E-E-A-T – we discovered from Google that E-A-T is synonymous with “good content quality.”

“E-A-T is a template for how we rate an individual site. We do it to every single query and every single result. It’s pervasive throughout every single thing we do,” based on Hyung-Jin Kim, VP of Search, Google, who spoke at SMX Subsequent in November. Dig deeper: in 7 takeaways from the SMX Next keynote with Hyung-Jin Kim, VP Search at Google.

Whereas that is decidedly not new, it’s all the time good for search engine marketing professionals to grasp why Google does the issues it does.

Steady scroll, multisearch, featured snippets and extra search function modifications

Google is consistently testing its SERPs, all within the title of constructing certain customers have an important expertise and discover the knowledge or reply they’re on the lookout for.

One of many greatest modifications was Google bringing continuous scroll (don’t cal it infinite!) to desktop earlier this month. Sure, it’s formally time to retire the time period “Page 2 of Google” – and deal with place when speaking about rankings. 

One other important change was multisearch – looking by picture after which including textual content to that particular picture search.

Google performed round with featured snippets this yr, testing ‘From the web’ and ‘Other sites say’ in featured snippets, in addition to displaying two or more featured snippets.

For function snippets, Google now uses MUM to find out whether or not there’s basic consensus for data. Google additionally reported that MUM helped cut back false premise outcomes by 40%

Additionally of notice: a SERP evaluation discovered that People Also Ask appears 10x more than featured snippets. PAA additionally was within the information as a result of People also ask was showing up half as often in Google Search nevertheless it later returned to normal. 

FAQ wealthy outcomes additionally gained some significant Google SERP visibility.

Oh and in the event you ever have bother preserving monitor of all of the components that make up Google’s consumer interface, Google launched a visual gallery documenting 22 elements.

Right here’s a glance again at much more options that had been added or examined in Google’s search leads to 2022:

Algorithm updates

In 2022, there have been 10 confirmed Google algorithm updates:

At SMX Subsequent, we discovered from Google’s Kim that Google’s Panda algorithm developed right into a new algorithm called Coati. Though this was new details about one thing pretty previous within the Google algorithm world, it was nonetheless an fascinating discovery.

Additionally, Google’s John Mueller confirmed that Google not used the 2010 and 2018 web page pace alerts. They had been replaced by Core Web Vitals. 

We additionally discovered, by way of a doc Google launched to the U.S. Copyright Workplace, that Google’s Pirate Update can cause 89% drop in search traffic for offending sites.

In November, Google published a document on its notable ranking systems, which included algorithms which can be not used for rating or have been integrated into new techniques. 

Google additionally launched a brand new “algorithmic improvement” for the way it selects titles for the search result snippets for multi-language or transliterated titles or the place the title aspect is written in a unique language or script from its content material. 

Learn Barry Schwartz’s recap to dig deeper into the yr in algorithm updates. And ensure to take a look at our history of Google algorithm updates page for all our newest information and steering across the newest algorithm updates.

AI & machine studying

ChatGPT was all of the speak within the search engine marketing world within the ultimate weeks of 2022. And you’ll guess we’ll be listening to extra in regards to the (and different) thrilling AI applied sciences in 2023, particularly with GTP-4 not distant. 

Indubitably, many websites will try to mass produce content material utilizing AI instruments. Simply watch out – earlier this yr, Google warned that Google doesn’t want your AI-generated SEO spam content.

Which was a bit ironic, contemplating you would, theoretically, use Google Docs to write your meta descriptions. And surprisingly, they weren’t all that unhealthy.

Google additionally detailed the way it uses artificial intelligence In Google Search. One different means Google was contemplating utilizing AI was to update business hours in local listings. Google additionally formally launched SpamBrain, its AI-based spam prevention system, which launched in 2018.

And regardless of the numerous optimistic and thrilling methods to make use of AI, there’s all the time a darkish facet, as we reported in Beware of fake DMCA link requests by AI-generated lawyers.

Native search

Numerous native search information in 2022 – new attributes, overview points, Google Enterprise Profile modifications, and scams had been among the many principal headlines:

New attributes:

Google Enterprise Profile, Maps and opinions:

Scams:

Extra Google information

Microsoft Bing 

IndexNow

Microsoft Bing continued to push its IndexNow initiative, including co-sharing of URLs with Yandex, asserting in August that greater than 16 million web sites had been utilizing it (publishing greater than 1.2 billion URLs per day to the IndexNow API), in addition to including a number of new integrations:

Extra Microsoft Bing information

In case you missed all of the 1000’s of reminders to undertake Google Analytics 4 till now, now could be the time to undertake GA4. As a result of Common Analytics ceases to exist July 1, 2023. Hope you might be prepared. 

In an odd little bit of rebranding, Google Data Studio was renamed Looker Studio. Google mentioned it was “unifying” the Google enterprise intelligence merchandise – together with the favored Google Information Studio product – “under the Looker umbrella.” 

Google Search Console 

Google Search Console had loads of new additions – instruments, options and reporting enhancements. Listed below are hyperlinks to our protection:

In December, we reported on an experimental feature called Content ideas. Days later, we discovered Question Hub is closing down. Coincidence? Possibly we’ll discover out in 2023. 

GSC additionally had a justifiable share of reporting bugs and different points in 2022:

We additionally mentioned a ultimate farewell to the URL Parameters tool, which Google mentioned had “low value,” the old message panel and the International targeting report.

And did you get a kind of intrusive interstitials notices from GSC?

Acquisitions within the search engine marketing area

Early in 2022, it regarded like we had been in for a busy yr of acquisitions. Issues slowed down round mid-year, however try the main modifications we noticed this yr with among the largest search engine marketing expertise corporations:

Moz deindexed

A DMCA request removed SEO tool Moz from Google search for slightly below 12 hours. To be faraway from Google seek for your branded time period is the stuff of search engine marketing nightmares, irrespective of how lengthy it lasts.

Zero-Clicks: another view

Semrush put out an fascinating examine on zero-click searches. It discovered that 25.6% of desktop searches and 17.3% of mobile searches were zero-click, a lot decrease than prior – let’s name it “suspect” – zero-click analysis.

Different search engines like google and yahoo

Ahrefs made large information when it revealed particulars about its personal general-purpose search engine, Yep. Whereas it’s no Google killer, extra various search engines like google and yahoo is an effective factor.

In the meantime, DuckDuckGo, probably the most well-known privateness search engine, gave the impression to be persevering with its regular progress, lastly passing 100 billion searches in January. Till April. That’s when DuckDuckGo fell below 100 million daily average searches per day. And within the months since, DuckDuckGo has been unable to get again to that stage. 

In memoriam

In 2022, we misplaced influential search engine marketing pioneer and knowledgeable Bill Slawski on Could 17. He was finest recognized for serving to the neighborhood make sense of search patents, totally on search engine marketing By The Sea. Fortunately, that treasure trove of knowledge lives on, after it briefly went offline. Within the wake of his passing, we additionally found some upsetting Google search results for [bill slawski obituary].

One other extremely unhappy loss was that of Tatiana Perebeinis, the chief accountant of SE Rating, who was certainly one of 4 individuals killed in a Russian assault in Irpin, Ukraine.

SMX Superior & Subsequent

We ran two digital occasions this yr – SMX Superior in June and SMX Subsequent in November. Each reveals had been packed stuffed with actionable search engine marketing ideas and insights. 

Under are hyperlinks to our protection of the search engine marketing monitor from Superior. 

And you’ll anticipate to learn numerous protection of the search engine marketing monitor from SMX Subsequent over the approaching weeks on Search Engine Land.

search engine marketing in 2023

As we glance forward, right here’s what we all know:

Until you intend to desert Google Analytics, you’ll want to settle for and absolutely undertake GA4 – as a result of the present GA goes away in July. And in the event you haven’t migrated but? You’re going to have an additional exhausting time evaluating year-on-year knowledge. Additionally: ensure you save no matter historic GA knowledge you want, as a result of Google will delete all of it. And as soon as it’s gone, it’s gone.

Needs to be excited or terrified by ChatGPT? Sure. I imply, it relies upon. Simply keep in mind, ChatGPT it’s solely helpful for issues up till 2021. However GPT-4 is coming quickly.

With the rise of AI instruments, it will likely be fascinating to see how Google responds to what may doubtlessly be a flood of duplicative AI-generated content material. If that does occur, spoiler: it received’t go properly for these websites. As a result of there are many instruments which can be good at detecting AI content material – and Google is properly conscious of what’s occurring.

We additionally know there shall be Google algorithm updates. Google has confirmed 10 main updates in 2021 and 2022. We all know there shall be core updates and doubtless extra coming with the useful content material replace. And when it occurs, Search Engine Land shall be first to report on it.

Concerning the writer

Danny Goodwin is Managing Editor of Search Engine Land & SMX. Along with writing each day about search engine marketing, PPC, and extra for Search Engine Land, Goodwin additionally manages Search Engine Land’s roster of subject-matter specialists. He additionally helps program our convention collection, SMX – Search Advertising and marketing Expo.

Previous to becoming a member of Search Engine Land, Goodwin was Govt Editor at Search Engine Journal, the place he led editorial initiatives for the model. He additionally was an editor at Search Engine Watch. He has spoken at many main search conferences and digital occasions, and has been sourced for his experience by a variety of publications and podcasts.