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SEO, Search Engine Optimization, has been an ever-changing game. It is necessary for SEO companies and experts to stay aware of the latest trends that can shape their SEO strategy. Read on to know about the top SEO trends that will influence SEO strategy and industry in 2020.
Google is working proactively to change the landscape of SEO and this keeps SEO experts and best SEO companies on their toes. They have to keep investing their time in researching new algorithms and fine-tune or redefine their SEO strategies. To achieve the top benefits (not only rankings, but also CTR, visits, and inquiries/leads), SEO experts have to be aware of the latest trends and updates. This article shares the top 5 trends that will dominate the SEO industry in 2020 along with the required tips that you can follow to gain the best results and returns from your investment in the SEO marketing.
Old is Gold
Before discussing what is new, let’s first talk about the top 4 things that are still working and will work in 2020 as well.
1. Keywords are still important
You must have heard about a statement, “Keywords are gone”. I even lost one prospective client project because I refused to agree on this rumor (statement) shared by the client’s manager. Keywords are still there and will be there. If they are gone, when you run a PPC marketing campaign in Google Adwords, why does it ask you to add keywords and recommend relevant keywords? Well, even Google knows keywords are the key to find and index webpages and show it to the users. However, the way of targeting keywords is different and exact match keywords do not dominate the industry any further.
Tip: invest your time in keyword research. Keep BERT and Hummingbird updates in mind while defining keywords to be targeted.
2. On-page optimization aka web optimization is here to stay
Using keywords in the title and meta description, optimizing sitemap and performing similar website optimization activities is still important. Google still looks for the on-page signals and gives emphasis to the same. However, with the introduction of AI-based algorithms, the way it crawls and indexes webpages is changed.
Tip: optimize your website for clients and not for bots. The on-page optimization weighs 70-80% of the SEO game. Thus, invest in hiring an SEO expert or a trustworthy SEO company to optimize your website.
3. Content is King
Content is very important. Keep Google Panda update and its best practices in mind while writing webpages. In fact, content marketing has become more important after the introduction of BERT and September Core Update 2019.
Tip: keep content in the center of your SEO strategy. Invest in the best SEO content writing as your content quality can help you win the game.
4. Mobile First
More than 50% of queries come from mobile devices to Google and that is why Google had introduced the mobile-first index algorithm. The number of Smartphone users and surfers has increased and that is why Google gives more emphasis on sites to be optimized for mobile users.
Tip: optimize your website to get loads faster on mobile devices. Also, optimize webpages and content for mobile users.
New will make you think and work again!
Along with the traditional SEO tricks, there are some new trends that will not only make you think again about your SEO strategy, but it will also make you redefine it. Let’s explore these never seen before changes.
1. Customer first
All algorithms of Google are customer-centric. From Neural Matching to RankBrain to BERT; all these Google algorithms are designed and implemented to understand user queries and help them find the most relevant results.
Tip: Focus on delighting customers instead of impressing bots. Hire an SEO expert or agency that knows how to improve customer experience because even if you achieve the top 10 rankings if your customer/visitor related KPIs are not up to the mark, you will lose you’re the top 10 rankings immediately. Your navigation, content, call to action, etc. have to be customer-centric.
2. Zero clicks
Google has introduced many new types of search results such as Rank #0, knowledge graph, etc., which are focused to answer user’s queries within the same page. It means without clicking on any link, the user can get the answer to his/her queries.
Tip: If you are thinking, you will lose these visitors, do not worry as anyways, they were not going to raise any inquiries. These visitors are looking for answers to their queries such as the full form of something, foundation year of your company, etc. Getting answers within the search engine will help you reduce the bounce rate and improve customer KPIs. You must optimize your content to let Google answer these questions.
3. Snippet is important
As mentioned numerous times in my blog posts and articles, Google wants to deliver the best customer experience. To meet this goal, it does everything and anything. One of the things done to meet this agenda is Google shows rich snippet and featured snippet in results. As per the statistics, Google rich snippet and featured snippet increase CTR (Click through Ratio).
Tip: optimize your website for featured snippet and rich snippet.
4. Focus on Local SEO
Google’s latest algorithms are giving more emphasis on local SEO. The results to be shown will be optimized for local users. For example, the Zero click feature of Google will show the results of local companies, agencies, and organizations. Thus, it is necessary to focus on local SEO.
Tip: If you are catering to customers in other countries than your own, it is necessary to focus on local SEO of those countries. If your target is global, try to capture the local market first with local SEO services or marketing.
5. Build a brand
People and machines, both, love brands. They get better rankings, visits, leads, and customer loyalty. Thus, it is important to build your brand.
Tip: Start small. You cannot be Apple or Facebook or Reliance overnight. You need to work consistently for the same. Start working at a smaller level. You may start building a brand locally with a local SEO marketing strategy and moving ahead with making a global brand. Use all different forms of advertising and omnichannel digital marketing to speed up brand building.
Conclusion
SEO field is full of adventure and Google wants to make jobs of SEO experts and companies even more interesting. This era is of strategic and smart SEO so follow the same. If you need any help to plan and execute SEO marketing for your business, get in touch with me.
About Author: Ash Vyas
Ash Vyas has 10+ years of practical experience in digital marketing & international business development. She has written 100s of articles on various topics to live her passion for helping people with her knowledge & expertise. In addition to directing Digital Marketers India, Ash also delivers keynote sessions and holds key positions in some international companies as a consultant, director of operations and mentor.
