When it comes to Search Engine Optimization, if you’re not up to date on the trends, you’ll find your website slipping toward internet obscurity.
To make Google, Bing, and other search engines love your site, you have to give them the optimization they want. And in 2019, the SEO trends are different than in the past.
If you want your SEO experience to matter in the upcoming year, then make sure you pay attention to these three trends.
Keyword Relevancy Will Drop
For now, keywords are the bread-and-butter of SEO. If you want search engines to give results for your website to users, the keywords you choose play a major role in determining where you land in the results.
In 2019, that may start to change. Search engines will start to look for users’ “search intent” rather than basic keywords. Search intent is what it sounds like: what are the intentions behind a user’s search?
For example, if a user types in “best books of 1987,” you can be certain they are looking for either 1) a book to read from that year or 2) for a ranking. In 2019, understanding that intent will be more important than placing keywords in your posts.
The challenge will be to know what a user will be searching for and beat them to the punch. Websites that can figure that out will have a huge advantage in search results.
Video Optimization Will be Crucial
According to one major forecast, video content is going to trend past all other types of content. That means you need to start thinking about video optimization as soon as possible.
Video will be a key component of making the front page of search engines. Focus on optimizing your vanity URL so search engines will find your ads and original content.
Also, make sure to optimize your website video for mobile users. As tablets and smartphone become ever more prevalent, the percentage of mobile searches will rise.
Long-Form Content Will be King
Until today, the focus on driving search results was original SEO content, with the length of posts being an afterthought. From 2019 on, you’ll need to start producing longer posts.
Long-form content is tough to define, but you can consider anything over 1,000 words long. Gone are the days where you can crank out hundreds of 500-word posts to get search engine recognition. While there’s no penalty for short posts, longer posts will receive more weight.
Long-form content will rise in the ranking because it offers more chances for backlinks, which are the lifeblood of your ranking.
The New SEO Experience
You can be sure that more SEO experience trends will arise. Proper SEO requires ongoing research to stay ahead of your competitors. By understanding the trends of each year — and of those that may be dominant in the future — will help your website stay on top of the search engine rankings.
If you need help optimizing your website, or to learn more about SEO, please contact us at any time.