Speculations, Ideations, Predictions and more, that’s how new year begins most often. Why would 2019 be any different! While market analyst, industry experts have already shared their thoughts, a few of us, including me have waited till the end to add our own findings to the growing list.
SEO has been shifting pace for the past few years, and in 2018 it established its firm hold in almost every website or page on the internet. With its wide spread inclusion, new trends too have now started to influence it to a great extent. So,
Here are the 11 most important SEO trends in 2019, in no particular order.
- Mobile Indexing
Going mobile is a trend that has already impacted a major share of industries. And for websites the need for a mobile version has increased with the launch of Google’s Mobile-first Indexing. This in turns calls for mastering the mobile SEO.
- Video Optimization
Video searches are popular and so is content consumption in video format. From an SEO perspective it is a treasure waiting to be utilized. The ranking of videos on YouTube depends as much on the keyword optimization as on the content.
- Voice Search
Hi Alexa, OK Google! Common Right? A large number of people have started using voice-enabled devices, to complete searches without using a screen. And in most cases the keywords tend to be longer than the searches done using a keyboard. SEO should focus on finding and using keywords that are long and conversation like, often a question even.
- Geo-Targeting
Local businesses have been increasing each year, and with digitization local searches are becoming more relevant for businesses focusing on local audience. Geo-targeting hence is a growing requirement. Targeted search campaigns, near me searches etc. have already increased and SEO needs to support it more and more.
- Microformats
Microformats are bits of code that label information on your website, and tell search engines what kind of data it is. It can improve the appeal of your organic listings, and increase the number of clicks. In SEO terms, Google can use information from microformats to present the SERP listing with what’s called a “rich snippet.”
- User Intent Optimization
Users are the key in the marketing world. SEO is not just about using popular keywords, but incorporating the user search styles, integrating keywords so that the site delivers its promise to the searcher. Mold the website for the consumers who intend to seek out products and services you offer.
- Content Rules
Content quality remains the core. In spite of the design and SEO optimization, a website with low content value cannot survive for long. So, creating content that is relevant and SEO that suits will always be a trend.
- Data Security
Invasion of privacy, lack of personal data security has been a huge issue in the past year.
The coming year will see more data protection initiatives, hence investing more on making the online experience more secure should be the way ahead.
- Seamless User Experience
That means an easy-to-understand, intuitive design, a low page load time, and no technical issues are the key to viewership, low bounce rates and all things that a website and online business could ask for. A trend today and a trend for ever more.
- Artificial intelligence
AI has already found its way into the SEO activities and with 2019 being a more advanced it shows no signs of slowing down. RankBrain, Google’s algorithm learning artificial intelligence system, has already been in use since 2015 and is just evolving.
- Answer Box
The presence of answer box in Google searches has increased in prominence over the past year. This indicates the need for a how, when, why, approach in content development. Increased visibility hence would require answering specific questions through the content.
In addition, there is Blockchain for SEO, Influencer marketing, Content length etc. too that too impacts the website visibility, and digital marketing too. Moreover, the increasing competition in the market means more innovation, creativity and inclusion of technology in doing so.
This is just a comprehensive list and there are various other trends that can be easily added to this. Do share the ones that you feel should be added to the list.