Search Engine Optimization or SEO changes constantly. So, businesses which want to remain head and shoulders above others should be aware of these and likewise stay updated. Keeping an eye on such changes should a vital priority of a business owner to rank high in the leading search engines. Below are the top 5 trends that will matter this year to aid businesses in planning their strategies.
Top 5 SEO Trends
1. Mobile-First Indexing- In the year 2018, about 52.2% of global online traffic had been generated by mobile phones alone. Google started mobile-first indexing in March 2018. It indicates that Google ranks sites for mobile devices resting on the experience of the user. If a site has both desktop and mobile version, it is the mobile version that will be indexed.
Any website that is not mobile-friendly will miss out on a vast amount of traffic. The foremost step that people can adopt is using the mobile test site of Google to check whether their webpage is mobile-friendly. In case the site is not optimized for mobile; this means you must take steps to ensure that you do not miss out.
2. Voice Search- A significant part of the populace is using smart assistants and smart devices such as Siri and Alexa. What was earlier considered science fiction has currently turned into a reality through computers; it can understand human speech. Voice search SEO this year has gained ample significance for most brands. About 25% of queries on Google’s mobile application and Android devices are through voice search. It is high time that businesses should employ the voice search SEO should they aim to come out with flying colours in the search world that is voice-driven.
For all those businesses that are using the best practices of SEO plan already, their site definitely will be in good shape with regards to voice search. There are some pointers that you should take into consideration. The truth is, voice searches use higher conversational words compared to typed searches and possess longer-tail keywords. For instance, people do voice searches for “which is the nearest ice-cream parlour” as opposed to “ice-cream parlour near me.”
A voice search is more of a question phrase. Learning how one’s audience speaks regarding their services and products is crucial. Answer the Public is a tool that one can use for researching the way people ask questions through the medium of voice search resting on their keyword. Long-Tail keywords are cheaper as well as possess better click-through rates compared to shorter ones among potential customers. One can use paid or free keyword research tools for getting an idea regarding popular search terms, along with getting higher qualified traffic. For increasing good quality traffic, one can make a FAQ page as well as dedicate blog posts for answering readers queries. To know more, contact Kick Media SEO Brisbane.
3. Page Speed- Search engine giant Google always desires to deliver the best user experience and delivering the same fast. Mobile page speed ever since July 2018 has turned into a ranking factor, especially for mobiles. Making the most of the updated page speed report is highly recommended for making improvements. At the same time, it has also emphasized that search engine query’s intent remains a strong signal. Thus, a slow page will rank high provided it contains relevant content which answers a question at its best. AMPs or accelerated mobile pages provide the finest user experience, with 30 times faster loading speed. Twitter, Google and other companies launched such an open-source project that has been designed especially for superfast mobile pages.
3. User Intent and Content Relevance- URLs having maximum content relevance generally rank on the top pages of Google. If the content of a page does not meet the user intent, ranking in such positions is highly unlikely. Google can evaluate online content’s relevance in real-time. Sites ranking on the first page of Google generally possesses long-form content. Here the length is not the secret yet the depth and quality of the content. In-depth, engaging content will continue dominating the SEO world this year.
4. Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain for SEO- In 2019, blockchain has turned into a buzzword. This technology is popular within the cryptocurrency space. But the truth is it has proved beneficial in several other industries too such as making the site more secure, medical testing, tracking supply chains, and more. Blockchain fundamentally amends how data gets tracked online as it utilizes a distributed ledger which is a secure and transparent record of transactions which cannot be changed. It is this shift that provides more control to people over their data along with offering companies new ways of using data. Various webmasters are exploring means of using blockchain into sites and profiting from the same.
Moreover, you can also use blockchain for validating backlinks. The exact impact of blockchain on SEO is still unclear. With the experiments presently taking place; however, some results are expected to be seen this year. Prospective use of blockchain in search engine optimization is utilizing it for ensuring high-quality traffic for boosting their SEO. Marketers can set up on the blockchain some advertising campaigns for driving back traffic on their landing pages yet with the capability of guaranteeing the SEO traffic’s authenticity. When the ranking algorithm has integrated with blockchain, it is likely to deal with black-hat SEO effectively.
Today, businesses are looking for ways of using artificial intelligence as well. The use of artificial intelligence by Google may bring about exciting changes. Artificial intelligence is the pillar of all that Google does. They execute machine learning in Gmail, making human-sounding robotic voices, gathering new headlines, and other things.
While there is a boost in mobile search, videos are also dominating. User experience is vital than ever; thus, it is essential in continuing to use relevant content for meeting user intent. This year blockchain and artificial intelligence are the two factors that you should consider.
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