We’ve all heard about Search Engine Optimization, or SEO as many of us call it.
Simply put, it’s a digital marketing technique that is in constant flux. But with all the endless updates, keep in mind that SEO is still and always will be important for digital marketers, website owners, and brands.
It lets your site appear in search results when someone a Google search or voice search for which you have an answer. This boosts a website’s online visibility that drives more organic traffic to your website.
Whether you're a business owner or an SEO expert looking to improve your skills, this 2020 SEO refresher is what you need. What are the key SEO trends in 2020? How is SEO changing the landscape?
#1 The Consolidation of SERPs
The search engine results pages (SERPs) are not the same as they used to be even a few years ago. You see more ads today than ever. It, literally, has taken the top spaces where we’d usually see the search results.
If you’ve also noticed, SERPs already offer what is called a zero-click search. Essentially, the answers to your questions are already on the results page that you don’t need to click a website anymore to find what you’re looking for. This could end up lowering the traffic to your website. We suggest using long-tail keywords to maintain a consistent flow to your website. Long-tail keywords are phrases with low search volume and help your website rank higher because its keywords are tailored to your industry.
#2 Keyword Research Still Very Important
Google, as we know it, is now more than what it used to be. The search engine giant is pretty much every person’s third leg that keeps us all standing. Whatever we need in life, if Google can search, Google can answer it. So, while its relevance may have changed, keyword search is still relevant to SEO strategy.
As a tip, use multiple keyword generator. Think Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush. Also, when creating a strategy, it’s important to remember to think of topics instead of keywords.
#3 Influencers are Key to Engagement Metrics
Partnering with influencers is a great way to boost your engagement metrics. For one, it creates a sense of trustworthiness, which Google looks at, and also, the influencers’ followers will see your brand. this leads to higher ranking, better traffic, and more conversion.
Here are some important engagement metrics that you need to know:
- Bounce Rate is the percentage of visitors who visit your website and leave without visiting a new section on your site.
- Dwell Time is the time between when a person clicks on a search result and when they leave your website.
- Time on Page is the amount of time a visitor spends on a single page on your website.
- Return Visits is the number of visitors who land on your site again after having visited it before.
- Comments are the number of comments that people leave about your business or your content.
- Social Shares is the number of social shares your content receives.
#4 Voice Search Optimization is On-the-Rise
It’s Alexa. It’s Siri. Or it’s Google. From asking them, “What’s the weather like today” or “Can You name this song” 99% of the time you know they’ll answer your question. With the growing hands-free movement, voice search capabilities have grown exponentially. Here are some key stats to consider:
- $40 billion in 2022 is the estimated revenue from voice-based shopping.
- The smart speaker market has the potential to be worth $30 billion industry by 2024.
- 60% of smartphone users tried voice search at least once in the last year.
- 55% of teenagers use voice search on a daily basis.
#5 Your Entity Engagement is Crucial in Local SEO
Everything local is cool once again, and 46% of local searches on Google show that. Tired of corporate pizza? Search for pizza in Los Angeles and Google search will provide you with a list of local establishments.
The more your business is engaged, the higher the chances of your name ranking higher on Google search results. Here are some questions for you to answer to make sure you’re providing the right signals on the web.
- Do people love your business?
- Does your business have positive reviews on Google My Business or Yelp? How many?
- Are consumers recommending your business on other review sites?
- How many people ask for the location of your business using Google Maps?
#6 Video is Important for Your SEO Strategy
Video marketing is and always will be an important advertising tool, even for your SEO strategy.
The average online video consumption is expected to continually rise to 100 minutes per day by 2021.
Here are some tips to boost your SEO with video:
- Make sure your thumbnail images are interesting and engaging.
- Add tags to allow search engines to better understand your video content.
- Upload your video to multiple platforms – YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
- Add captions and incorporate a transcript to the videos you create.
- Optimize the video’s title and description.
#7 E.A.T.! It’s Good for Business
Google is slowly getting better when it comes to understanding the context between words.
With the help of BERT, Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, which is an update to the core search algorithm. This update aids Google’s algorithms to understand the user’s intent behind a search query. So, when creating content think of the E.A.T. principle.
- Expertise: The content should be of good quality written by industry experts.
- Authority: The website should present itself as an authority of its industry or subject matter.
- Trustworthiness: Content, like blogs, must include links coming from trusted sources.
Here are some tips for you when it comes to preparing E.A.T. worthy content.
- Detail-oriented. The original content must provide detailed information, no matter how long or short it is.
- Value-driven. Every written article should add value to consumers, whether it’s informative, entertaining, or educational.
- Well-written. Content should be engaging and show knowledge and expertise on topics. With this in mind, content should also be well-edited.
#8 The Future of SEO Relies on Data
Digital marketing is all about metrics and analytics. Understand all the crucial data is important to developing an SEO strategy that works. Businesses need to track user behavior to have a better understanding of their consumers. This allows them to search for the right keywords to strengthen their SEO strategy.
#9 Mobile-Friendly Sites Rank Higher
It’s good to keep in mind that we need to develop websites and apps to be responsive, meaning they should work on multiple devices including our phones. As a testament to the growing demand for mobile-friendly sites, Google, since July 2019, has been ranking websites and its contents based on its mobile version.
Ready to take charge of your SEO strategy and get that competitive edge over your competitors? Drop us a message and let’s talk about how our team can help your company with voice search, video marketing, zero-click search, and other SEO strategies that boost your online presence.
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