5 SEO Trends 2020 Can Make You Invincible
The nature of SEO is extremely dynamic. Sure, certain things remain the same like adding important keywords in your titles; make optimizing for mobile users a priority, etc. But in a never-ending loop, other things continue to change. Together with other major networks, Google is constantly seeking to be the end destination of the journeys of its users this year.
That, more than anything else, describes big developments in SEOs for 2020, as we now need to find the best approaches to be successful within Google’s system.
1. Zero click searches
Due to apps such as embedded SERP samples, Google’s Community Packs, Knowledge Graphs, and so on, more than half of all requests are now “zero-click searches,” meaning the user’s question is answered on the SERP page, without having to click anywhere.
What are we going to do?
Don’t fret. Remember what kind of searches these are: people searching for your website and telephone number. And people who are looking for a quick and easy answer to a question. Perhaps those individual clicks wouldn’t move anyway, so don’t think about it.
Identify the keywords you should get clicks on. Use any SEO audit tool in combination with your Google Search Console account; you can evaluate which keywords you customize to actually bring clicks to you. Therefore, you’re spending a lot of time and effort to automate keyword queries like “what,” “how many,” “what year,” and so on.
For material, of course, these are important, but should not be the subject of your SEO efforts.
2. Optimise for Rich and featured Snippets
The details shown on the SERP itself is now more important than ever in the situation where zero-click searches are so prevalent. Rich or featured snippets are two great ways to stand out.
Rich snippets— those that show images, ratings stars, product prices, etc. in addition to title and definition — are easier to obtain, but will also offer smaller CTR increases relative to a featured snippet.- Nonetheless, the result will be more apparent, even if your place in a SERP stays the same.
Included fragments — a full block of information displayed at the top of a SERP — bring large improvements in CTR. But it’s a bit trickier to get one.
What are we going to do?
Having these two types of samples involves, above all, structuring the results. Switch to Website Auditor and search for already structured data on your site.
Using this tool to check for featured snippets opportunities. Don’t just check for the keywords for which you list. Look specifically for keywords that have already included a snippet for your rivals.
Also bear in mind that nothing truly guarantees you to get Rich or Featured snippets, like ranking first. At the same time, they need to optimize them for potential gains.
3. Local SEO is evolving
A huge number of the above-mentioned zero-click searches are local searches in so-called Local Packs for which the results are shown on the SERP itself. A single Local Pack will take up as much space as a whole SERP shown to a consumer for mobile devices.
What are we going to do?
Through building a Google My Business page for your business, you will cover a large number of searches, mostly those with keywords such as “near me” or “email” and “phone number” in one full swoop.
But that should be just the start of your efforts. There will be no limit to a huge number of searches on local sets. People looking for more detailed information, etc., who want to compare goods. The standard SEO strategies are still going to be important on your website.
It is therefore important to have a good backlink profile. Look up what kind of backlinks your rivals are receiving, and try to get them on your own.
A particular feature of local SEO is that you need not just any backlinks, but those that Google finds to be globally authoritative.
And remember to chart your success in the local rankings, of course. Keep in mind that the least change of place will affect the user’s sort of performance. You should use a keyword research tool like Serpstat to look up keyword ranks down to a street and a building.
4. The Machines are here
Google has been using and learning algorithms for years now to enhance the browsing experience of its customers and help prevent keyword-stuffed web pages. By 2020, with Google’s new algorithm called BERT, this will be more relevant than ever.
Today, as far as we learn, Google is using three mechanisms: first, Neural Matching, which determines the query’s meaning. Second is RankBrain, which determines the dependence of the SERP on the user experience data collected. The third, the newly implemented BERT, is the algorithm used to evaluate a search’s composition and help understand the context of using keywords.
What are we going to do?
As far as neural matching or BERT is concerned, there’s not much we can do about those algorithms— neural matching is really the inner kitchen of Google, so BERT just needs you to write good quality content.
Yet RankBrain should be very properly accounted for. The goal here is not just to list for any keyword. Intentional alignment is now, and potentially in the future, key in producing good material.
And right now, you will be cut off from a huge number of SERPs by merely ranking without meeting aim.
You need to keep your hand on the pulse of what’s ranked right now to realize the correct search intention. Using arefs.com keywords opportunities tool, track the findings to see just what information Google finds important to the searches on which you want to rank.
Upon correctly identifying the intention behind the search queries on which you want to rank, build the content to suit the intention of your search users.
5. Building your brand is a top priority!
For any marketer who works today, one notable phenomenon is that organic media is almost gone. While paid ads also works brilliantly for social purposes, the fact that it is being conducted by more and more corporations creates a real pattern in which ROI for paid advertising is going to fall.
At this point, it is clear that paid ads will become more common and costly for anyone who wants to grow through that avenue. In these conditions, brand awareness and brand building are at the core of initiatives by digital marketers. On the other hand, linkless mentions are becoming increasingly important, with Google and Bing stating that they are being used as cues for rating.
What are we going to do?
We need to go and create important mentions first and foremost. And we need to pay as much attention to building quality link profiles for 2020 as we are thinking about treating so maintaining linkless products.
For example, using what is known as listening to social media would help you to track any reference of not just your brand, but even the type of service / product you have.
First of all, this helps you to engage directly with your clientele. Additionally, by providing public customer care, it gives you the opportunity to create brand awareness.
It will inform the people who are really involved in your company about any ads, discounts, etc. You can also look up where the biggest rivals are listed and launch a campaign to get named.
Marketers are able to build brand awareness by using social networking techniques through direct interaction with their customer base, meaning that they should not be tossed out of the agenda of any digital marketer.
Conclusion
The laws begin to shift and change every time advertisers think we’ve got this SEO thing down. A great example is the shift in local SEO. Now, for some local businesses, making Google My Business is becoming more important than having a website, and this is only a symptom of a larger phenomenon.
We always have to keep our hands on the pump and then adapt our practice to the new challenges we face in order to deliver the best possible results for our customers.