With the new year coming in and new websites being launched, it is time to invest in search engine optimization (SEO). SEO helps websites rank high in search engine result pages (SERPs). While some things in SEO stay the same, like including relevant keywords in titles, other things are changing that’s known as “SEO trend”. Websites need to meet certain standards set by search engines and that is when an SEO strategy becomes significant. Below are eight SEO trends to keep in mind for 2020.
Featured snippets
Featured snippets are brief excerpts on Google found above organic search results and below the AdWords block. They typically appear above the number one organic search result. Featured snippets appear on 23% of search result pages. There are five types of featured snippets: paragraph, list, video, table and accordion. The most common types of featured snippets are paragraphs and lists. For taking advantage of featured snippets and getting more website traffic, you have to give clear answers to questions that are normally asked on your website. In terms of which sites are getting the coveted snippet spaces, sites that provide educational information and financial information are the ones getting the most featured snippets. This is more likely an old but a refresh SEO trend with some important changes.
A secure site
User safety does not seem relevant to search engine optimization, but it is crucial for a website user’s experience. If a user notices that your website has a “Not Secure” warning then they might decide not to proceed to your website and might actually abandon your website instead. That’s why it’s essential to have HTTPS protocol for your website. If a user does not feel like your website is a safe place to be, they will most likely leave your website. HTTPS ensures that users have a secure, authenticated and encrypted connection. Google states that HTTPS aids in preventing intruders from tampering with the communications between users’ browsers and your website. Google wants its users to have a safe and secure browsing experience, so those who do end up implementing HTTPS may experience a small SEO boost.
Voice search
Google Voice Search is a function where users can search the web with Google using voice commands instead of through typing. Google Voice Search can be used for both mobile and desktop searches. Searches can also be done by voice assistants like Samsung Smart TV and Amazon Echo. It is estimated that voice searches will be accounted for more than 50% of all internet searches by 2020 and this SEO trend is so handly in reaching clients quickly that expected percentage of searches in 2022 could be around 65-70%. If you learn how to optimize your website for voice search and incorporate voice search into your SEO strategy, then you can get more organic traffic. So, how do you optimize? With voice searches, terms are more targeted and conversational. You can adjust by coming up with results based on long-tail keyword queries. You need to speak the language of your target audience to come up with matching voice search queries.
Videos
According to studies, 6 out of 10 people would prefer to watch online videos than watch TV. Many internet users, especially millennials and those that are younger, gather information from online videos for entertainment or for academic reasons. Since this is the case, many businesses should think about using online videos to promote their products or services, or to share information. A good video can bring in many customers if it is interesting and doesn’t make people fall asleep. You need to remember that a video should complement your whole SEO strategy and produce a return on investment (ROI). When you use videos correctly, it can actually boost your SEO campaign.
Click-through rates and dwell time
Click-through rate (CTR) measures the amount of people who clicked a link against the total amount of people who saw the link. For example, if your website is listed on a search engine results page (SERP) and 30% of people who see that SERP click the link, then your CTR is 30%. Ranking at the top of a SERP is more advantageous than ranking number ten because click-through rates get progressively lower as rank lowers. Dwell time, on the other hand, is the amount of time a user spends on a page from the time they click on the link from the SERP to the time they return to the SERP. Both metrics give insight into the satisfaction of the user. The amount of people who choose to click your link and the amount of time people spend on your website can tell you how much they like your content and if they are finding the information they are looking for.
High-quality content
This evergreen SEO trend is always a key to get great SERPs boosts. Users are looking for high-quality content that is helpful, relevant and timely. Google typically rewards websites with content that has those qualities with higher search engine rankings. People go to search engines with their questions and your website should be able to provide answers. You should do a lot of research for your content. Your content should follow a good structure, make sense, be easy to follow and be easy to read. Articles that are high-quality and informative are the only content that will increase a website’s popularity in 2020 and afterwards. On the other hand, people can be put-off by content that is too keen on sales. People want to view content that is brought to them in forms that are easy to digest like infographics, blog posts, videos and podcasts.
Artificial intelligence
In the past, artificial intelligence (AI) was associated with robots and machinery. Currently, artificial intelligence is used in digital marketing to decide how relevant content is, to get data on ad targeting, to streamline ad campaigns, to divide customers into categories to meet their respective needs and to figure out which emotional values have the most effect on the targeted market. Artificial intelligence is able to get insights from data. For example, Alexa can use machine learning algorithms to learn enough from data to solve problems, then get faster at properly answering questions. Artificial intelligence can figure out the traits of what makes published articles valuable or not. AI can also classify web pages and determine their rankings with accuracy.
Social listening
Social listening is when a social media listening or monitoring tool looks through the internet – including blogs, forums, news and social media platforms – for chatter about your brand or any other valuable keyword. It collects the mentions in a dashboard so that you are able to engage with, reply to or follow the mentioner. You may see feedback on your social media channels because people will contact you and speak about you there. But if you are not actively doing social listening, then people could be talking about your business in areas that you’re not looking. Social listening for SEO requires adequate knowledge and skill. Social listening can increase brand awareness, improve customer service, build a brand’s online reputation, prevent social media crises and help businesses better understand customers.
