2020 is just around the corner. With a brand new year coming up, it’s likely time to start planning out your business’ SEO strategy and what kind of growth you’d like to see for 2020. Defining your goals and having a plan now can help you to succeed later on. Let’s take a look at some of the most important elements of your SEO as we move into 2020.
On-Page Optimization Is Still Big
On-page SEO isn’t going anywhere. Make sure your webpage has relevant keywords and loads quickly, but most of all,continue to write content that your users are interested in and are likely to share. As it was with previous years, your website’s content will still reign in 2020. This is the backbone of good on-page SEO.
Of course, this also means having a content plan. That starts with determining what your visitors are actually looking for already. Do your homework and determine what keywords are the most relevant to you. Find long-tail variations. Indexing your site for as many relevant keywords as possible is a great method for driving traffic to your site.
As mentioned, quality content will still be king. Well-written website copy and blog articles will attract more users. Having a user-friendly site that attracts users should always be your first priority. With that handled, you can drive track more effectively.
Also Read: An Essential SEO Checklist for Local Businesses
Snippets Will Become More Relevant
So-called “Position 0” — the snippet spot — is quickly becoming one of the most desirable positions to attain. As click-through rates continue to drop, content that is indexed for Position 0 is going to become increasingly significant.
But how to ensure that your website’s content is in Position 0? Simple: Provide the clearest, most helpful answer to your customers’ questions and use structured data to optimize your content for Google's Featured Snippet box. One strategy to do that is to have an FAQ page that answers common questions. This can include questions concerning your business hours and services you offer. This should definitely include common questions search engine users may have about your industry. Users might be likely to search for your business hours, but they are far more likely to ask questions about your products and services and how much they cost on average. If you can speak to those needs, you’re far more likely to find yourself in the coveted Position 0.
Google is continuously changing its results pages to give users the information they might need without even having to click through to a website. This means organic traffic is going to steadily decrease as time goes on. In order to prepare for the impact this will have on your business, it’s important to have a plan for how you’re going to get to Position 0.
Voice Search in 2020
Certainly, voice search is a growing element of SEO. Generally speaking, this is due to mobile users using voice commands to search for information on Google. It’s a wise move to prepare for the growth of these sorts of searches now. As more and more searches are done via voice, those who have taken the time to prepare will be the most likely to benefit.
The good news is that you’re probably in great shape for the growth of voice search if you’ve been adhering to a solid SEO plan. As we mentioned in our recent article on SEO for voice search, there are a few things to do to prepare for voice SEO. This includes:
- Optimizing for local searches
- Answering common user questions
- Ensuring your site loads quickly
Given that site load speed is already a well-documented ranking factor, it’s likely you’re already preparing your website for voice search. If you aren’t certain, simply speak to an experienced SEO team who can offer some insight!
Optimize for Other Search Engines
Are you offering your products on Amazon? If not, you might be missing out. Listing your products on Amazon can be a time-consuming process, but taking the time to optimize and advertise your products on the world’s largest online retailer can reap major rewards for your company. According to this NPR article, nearly ⅔ of America’s online shoppers primarily use Amazon. Imagine being able to tap into this market to increase your sales!
Amazon is no longer limited to e-commerce businesses, either. It’s now possible to create listings for services you offer locally. If you’re a contractor or handyman, for instance, you may be able to generate business by advertising on Amazon.
Also Read: How to Optimize Your Amazon Listings and Manage Customer Reviews
If you’ve considered creating Amazon listings, now might be the time to partner with an experienced -ceommerce team. Integritive can help grow your brand and ensure that your listings are sufficiently optimized. We’ll even help you set up Sponsored Ads to make sure your products and services are getting the visibility they need.
Machine Learning
According to a new Search Engine Journal article, machine learning will be on the rise 2020. Google’s search algorithms will only become more complex as time goes on and with the advent of RankBrain (Google’s machine learning search engine algorithm) it’s becoming obvious machine learning and SEO is going to be the next big thing.
What does this mean for you? The most pressing of these is the impact RankBrain is going to have on search engine rankings as these algorithms consistently improve. If your site isn’t conforming to best practices now, it’s probably going to have more negative impact on your rankings than you’d like.
The good news is, this also means Google is going to get much better at identifying spam. Websites that generate below-average content or existing only to serve more malicious ends will find themselves devalued by Google’s increasingly more advanced machine learning algorithms.
This means two things for your website. The first is making sure you offer up only high quality and relevant content to your users. The second is making sure that if you’re creating inbound links to your website that you’re only creating this content with trustworthy websites. After all, what’s the use of a spammy backlink if it’s going to be immediately devalued?
Let’s Work Together To Create A Roadmap To Success
SEO can be confusing. It’s a constantly evolving field that's filled with seemingly contradictory information and pitfalls. With all of the noise, it’s easy to get sidetracked and become lost or ignore it altogether. Fortunately, our experienced SEO team can help guide you on your journey to the front page. Let’s work together to create something amazing!