Search engine optimization (SEO) professionals say on-page elements had the biggest impact on search rankings over the past 12 months, according to recent research from Search Engine Journal.

The report was based on data from a survey conducted in May 2021 among 2,830 SEO professionals, 1,223 of whom focus primarily on B2B SEO.

Some 33% of respondents say on-page elements, such as metadata, were one of the most important factors impacting rankings over the past 12 months, and 31% say organic user behavior was one of the most important factors.

SEO experts say that Google's zero-click pages pose the biggest threat to search engine optimization strategies in the next two years.

SEO experts say that Google's Core Web Vitals will be the most important emergent search engine optimization factor in the next two years.

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey conducted in May 2021 among 2,830 SEO professionals, 1,223 of whom focus primarily on B2B SEO.