There’s nothing permanent in the world of search engine optimisation (SEO), except for change. Many of the effective techniques marketers have been using in the past couple of years have been deemed and proven obsolete — that’s how fast-paced the industry is.
To succeed in 2019, your brand must be one step ahead of its competitors; keep on reading to understand the SEO trends that could unfold in the coming months.
The Rise of Word Embedding
Google is known for having the can’t-stop-won’t-stop attitude. Google is always pursuing better products and services, and its search engine is no exemption. Since 2013, Google has been investing in complex algorithm updates to make its engine more intelligent and human-like. Although it started five years ago, Google’s Word Vector or Word Embedding framework is still in its infancy stage, meaning that it’s bound to grow a lot more complex, smarter, and more functional.
In essence, Word Embedding or Word Vector is an algorithm that aims to help Google unlock the relationships between words. Basically, it uses data to understand the “distance” between words. For example, the word “food” can be analysed by the algorithm to determine which other words are closest to it, such as “restaurant,” “recipes,” “near me” and so on.
2019 is pegged by some SEO specialists and influencers to be the year for huge breakthroughs with this technology. We can expect Google to be more like a “psychic” when it comes to giving us results in the future. For now, it pays to be on the lookout for any sudden changes in the way the search engine reads queries.
The Battle for the Answer Box Spot
Back in 2014, Google introduced featured snippet or the result that appears above the first ranked website in the SERP. Marketers and SEO specialists contend that 2019 is going to be the biggest year for featured snippets yet. Since more and more SEO companies are deciphering the secrets on how to get their content in the answer box, it is natural for them to invest more time in getting into the featured snippet spot.
Being in the answer box position has its benefits, such as getting more clicks than the #1 ranked website, improving your site’s authoritativeness in its niche, and securing more traffic via voice search. To get your content in the rank zero, you must first know what your audience is asking and produce content that directly answers those queries. It is also a must to add high-quality image or video in your content.
The Voice Search Game Is On
According to recent studies, 40% of adults who use smartphone take advantage of their phone’s voice search technology. Since almost all of the smartphones today have voice-interpretive software, we can only expect growing popularity of voice searches in the coming months. So for your brand not to be out of the loop, make sure to produce materials that are voice search-friendly.
The first step is to publish content that answers questions. Focus on exact search terms and long-tail keywords since most voice searches are whole sentences. Another thing you should prioritise is your site’s speed since Google is favouring sites that have quicker load speed. Of course, your site should be 100% mobile-friendly as voice searches are sent through mobile devices.
Mobile-First World
It was announced by Google last year that its systems are going to be more focused on mobile-first experience. Hence, for websites to rank higher than its competitors, they need to pay extra attention to their mobile versions. There are at least three important factors to a good mobile-friendly site, and these are content, speed, and user experience. Every mobile site needs to have top notch content, have the fastest load speed possible, and seamless user experience.
Mobile-first indexing has been around for a couple of years now but it is in 2019 that most experienced SEO specialists argue that it’s going to be in full effect. Any Australian website that relies on marketing needs to up its mobile indexing efforts as Google’s algorithm will heavily focus on mobile sites moving forward.
Keep Up with the Changes
As we mentioned earlier, there’s nothing constant in the SEO world but change. Your site needs to be a step ahead in every aspect of marketing otherwise you’ll see yourself in the dark before you know it. It makes a lot of sense to work with a forward-thinking agency.
Search Insights has been in the game for several years now and has mastered all things SEO. If you are looking to up your brand’s SEO game this 2019, it pays to work with an agency that’s proactive and has its tabs on all the trends that could and would affect the industry. Give us a call or send us an email so our specialists can give more insights on how to make your brand stand out this year.