SEO Trends of 2020

Image via Flickr by MACVILLANO

The New Year is here and now is a great time to look at the SEO trends that we can expect over the next couple of months. In contrast with the early days of SEO, it is now more advanced and will continue to evolve. There was a time when all you had to do was stuff keywords and make use of spammy backlinking and you could reach page one results. Google search has gotten smarter and more innovative, requiring a more in-depth SEO strategy. With an improvement in Google’s algorithm, the nature of search engines has changed.

Google is committed to innovation to ensure that its users get the best search experiences. The goal is to provide the most relevant results for all keyword queries, which is the reason that constant algorithm optimization is implemented by Google. Coming up with an effective strategy is ever important for brands and web sites that want to stay relevant and competitive.

We can expect these four SEO trends to become more relevant over the next year:

Voice Search

In 2016, Google revealed that voice searches made up more than 20% of Android and mobile app queries. More users are aligning with voice search due to the quick and convenient features it provides. To optimize for voice search, brands have to take into consideration conversational language, as well as mobile-friendliness.

Mobile-First Indexing 

A lot of and innovations have taken place with mobile in recent times. Now, a huge part of the global search traffic comes from mobile devices. With mobile-first indexing initiated by google, mobile devices matter now more than ever before. Google stipulates that this will be the default for websites.

This means that if your website is not optimized for mobile screens, Google will not display it in a good position. Some key indicators of a responsive website are fast loading time and intuitive navigation for smaller screens. Make it a priority to have a fast-loading mobile version for your website. This will help you to rank higher in search engines in the future.

UX

To ensure that only relevant results are displayed on search engine pages, Google has improved the sophistication of its algorithm. This will help to weed out poor content originally ranked due to outdated SEO practices. Google will also take into consideration user engagement and experience when computing the metrics for search engine optimization rankings. The reason is simple, user experience tells Google the level of quality a piece of content or site offers. 

Quality Content

You’ve heard the popular saying that content is king. This is true and will become even more relevant in 2020. It will no longer be enough to stuff keywords when creating content. Websites must ensure that the content they provide can offer value. Content must be engaging and should link to other relevant site sections to enhance page views. If readers are happy with your content, Google will continue to rank it to provide value to more readers. Developing a good content strategy can also help when drafting content.

SEO- the Future is Here With 313 Marketing!

These are just a few of the changes we can expect over 2020. What steps are you taking to align with the expected changes? Websites and brand owners must improve their SEO practices now to remain relevant and competitive in the near future.

The SEO experts at 313 Marketing are not only up-to-date on the latest SEO changes, but are also certified in the best practices. Reach out to us today to begin your SEO strategy.