Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO for short, has grown in leaps and bounds since it was first introduced in the early 2000s. It has become a vital aspect of internet marketing that continues to evolve to this day in keeping with the latest innovations in the Google algorithm.
The Internet is where we do our shopping and it’s the first place we go when looking for reliable service providers. That’s why it’s so crucial for businesses to have an online presence if they want to stay relevant.
Building a website and making sure to update your blog is a step in the right direction, but you have to do much more than that if you want to survive. That’s where SEO comes in.
For the past decade or so, a business’ success in implementing internet marketing campaigns has been predicated on the strength of their Search Engine Optimisation strategy. Without proper SEO, your website will most likely end up fading into obscurity due to a lack of visibility in the search engines.
Read on to find out which SEO trends you should look out for if you want to make it in 2019.
Top 4 SEO Trends in 2019
Voice Search
Virtual Assistants are popping up everywhere with the leading ones being Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and Google Assistant. You can count on these apps to answer questions like where to find the best restaurants in town or where to find the best product or service in a particular category.
The best way for brands to get in front of customers who are giving their attention to these Virtual Assistants is to create optimised content that answers the consumer’s questions about their particular industry. Pair that with smooth user experience on the platform and an engaging voice and you’ll be able to increase your authority and reach.
User Experience
As any successful internet marketer will tell you, the secret to their success with Google, in some ways, has much to do with UX signals and behavioural metrics. Google actually looks at the quality of your content now when ranking your website.
This means that your content has to be engaging, relevant and of the right length. However, no-one will see your fabulous content if they find it hard to navigate your website in the first place, so the design of your site has to be geared toward attracting and retaining visitors. At the end of the day, you want people to enjoy their time on your website and that’s what Google looks for.
If website users feel comfortable using your website because the graphics, design and all other aspects are just right, then you’re most likely to build a successful platform. For the best results, do your research on the latest user experience practices and do your best to follow them to improve your website’s user experience.
Blockchain
A lot of people still find it difficult to understand what this whole Blockchain thing is all about, but if you’re a business owner, it’s essential that you get acquainted with it as soon as possible.
Generally speaking, Blockchain technology is the foundation of decentralised cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. What makes Blockchain technology so appealing is the fact that it eliminates the middle-man in the sales and information arena, giving more power to the consumer.
SEO will be affected by the decentralisation of the internet caused by the rise of Blockchain. For one, consumers and companies will have the opportunity to connect directly with one another, which will remove the need for brands to run AdSense campaigns. It will also promote more transparency between the seller and the consumer while saving businesses a ton of money in digital advertising costs.
Artificial Intelligence
Thanks to the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into search engine technology, the way keyword use affects search engine rankings is set to change dramatically.
In the near future, AI is expected to become pervasive and essential to how internet marketing technology works. As such, businesses and SEO specialists will be forced to learn and master machine learning and automation to survive.
For example, an increasing number of users is using voice search when looking for something online. This will change everything regarding how queries are processed because voice requests are vastly different from texts and will thus require a different approach when it comes to how keywords are used for marketing purposes.
Of course, AI won’t be integrated into SEO marketing overnight. The process is going to take some time and experts believe that it will take about ten years before AR and VR really impact how SEO works. However, it won’t hurt for businesses to start preparing themselves in the meantime by integrating some aspects of AI into their internet marketing strategy so that they grow with the technology and keep up with the times.
Conclusion
As Google’s SEO algorithms become more and more tailored toward offering better SERPs for customers, businesses will have to build websites that meet customers’ needs.
Hyperlocal searches are another significant SEO trend to emerge in 2019 that businesses need to get used to. This involves optimising your website so that it’s easy for customers to find when they search for local businesses. Optimising your site in this way has the potential to attract walk-ins or customers that wouldn’t ordinarily walk into your store but will do so because they found you at the top of the search results when they were looking for the service or product that you offer.
Whatever you do, don’t sleep on the digital revolution that’s taking place. Do what you need to to get your business at the forefront of your customer’s attention, which might mean hiring a reputable digital marketing company to ensure that your website is correctly optimised according to the latest trends.
