7 seo trends 2019 and what you should do
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2024 10:02 am
Looking ahead, in this article I compile some SEO trends for 2019. And the actions you should consider to “ride” the wave.
SEO trends 2019 that you shouldn't underestimate (and actions to follow)
1.- Structure, structured data and relevance.
Google is getting better at processing structured data and capturing content on websites. Even data that is not marked up can now be processed perfectly by Google. Featured snippets or Google Answer Boxes are examples: in these cases, website content is graphically rendered so that users can receive the best possible answer to a search query.
In 2019, Google will further push the processing of website data. The search engine will increasingly use structured data. In 2018, Google frequently experimented with content for featured snippets. These tests show that Google actually presents the most relevant content that users have selected as featured snippets.
What you can do:
There is no guarantee that Google will show your content as a featured snippet in the SERPs . But you can make your content more relevant with a clear text structure, paragraphs, and unique content. It is also advisable, for example, to answer specific questions in your topic paragraphs. Google uses this approach: “When we recognize that a query asks a question, we programmatically detect pages that answer the user’s question, and display a top result as a featured snippet in the search results.” ( Source )
Structured data that provides rating stars in snippets is already standard in many online stores. If you want to make your website structured data-friendly in 2019, you can use this XXL Guide to JSON-LD here.
2.- Mobile
Google launched its Mobile First Index in 2018. In 2019, the search engine will focus even more on mobile devices. In recent years, from “Mobilegeddon” to Mobile-First-Index, Google has worked to raise awareness about mobile devices among SEOs and webmasters . The data also proves that the search experts from Mountain View are right. After all, more search queries are now made via mobile devices than via desktop. The trend is on the rise.
What you can do:
Mobile should always be your focus in website optimizations. You should optimize your webshop or website primarily for mobile devices. The most important are high page speed, good user-friendliness, and easy-to-consume content. But what exactly does user-friendly content mean? Your texts should be as short and structured as possible. The contrast should also be high enough to make your content readable on smaller screens. Always remember that mobile users spend little time on a website and only give the mobile page three seconds to load until they leave.
3.- Voice searches
With the increasing use of digital assistants, such as Alexa, Amazon Home or Apple's Siri, the need for web users to search the Internet using voice commands will also increase. This will also lead to a lasting change in users' search behavior . According to a Google survey, young people in particular are using voice search and, for example, 55 percent of young people between the ages of 13 and 18 speak to their smartphones every day.
ComScore predicts that by 2020, around 50 percent of all search queries will be made by voice . Of course, this development goes hand in hand with the increasing use of the Internet on mobile devices and the constant distribution of digital helpers. Nobody wants to type long questions on smartphones. Voice search offers the optimal solution here. Digital helpers such as Alexa, Google Home or Siri do not require a keyboard.
Google Trends’ annual reviews also show that users are now asking Google specific questions. Since 2016, Google has also included “W questions” in its reviews. This is not surprising in relation to voice search. For example, no one searches for “New York Manhattan restaurant” using their smartphone’s voice search, but will ask you “Ok Google. Where is the best restaurant in Manhattan?”
Voice Search will increasingly present webmasters in 2019 with the challenge of answering specific questions for users. The importance of Google's concrete answers to user questions is demonstrated in a Google Webmaster Central Blog article from December 3, 2018. Since then, rich snippets have also been displayed for question and answer pages in the SERPs.
What you can do:
In order for Google to quickly provide an appropriate answer to a search query via voice search, data must be available in a structured form. It is also important that you try to provide concrete answers to specific questions with your content. Using the “W questions” tool or using Google Suggest to check what questions users are asking about your products or content can help you optimize it. It is more important than ever that your content offers real added value and offers a concrete solution to a user’s needs.
4.- Content
2019 will finally see the end of texts written exclusively for search engines. Content optimization, in particular, is increasingly based on the “Retainable Experience.” The user should take something from your site that they will remember for a long time.
This approach can be extended to include the idea of Robert Seeger, a branding expert. He also spoke about the 3H concept at SEOKomm 2018. It means that content, even for difficult topics, should always include brain, heart and attitude. In this sense, the “Conservable Experience” consists of texts that address both the intellect and emotions of the user. At the same time, the perfect content expresses an attitude of the company. This can be shared or not shared. In any case, a target group will find exactly the content they were looking for.
What you can do:
Try to create the best content on the web for your topic. This content should give your target audience exactly the added value they are looking for. The goal is to perfectly respond to user intent. Are your users looking for information, do they want to buy something?
5.- Artificial Intelligence
Since the introduction of RankBrain in 2015, Google has been officially expanding its remit in the field of artificial intelligence. It has long been known that Google works with AI. But it was only with the decisive article on October 26, 2015 on bloomberg.com that Google publicly confirmed that the RankBrain algorithm gambling data singapore exists and that the search engine uses AI to generate search results. Since then, Google has used this artificial intelligence and machine learning to answer some of its daily search queries. About 15 percent of daily entries in the Google search bar have never been entered in this way. RankBrain takes on the task of answering these queries in a meaningful way.
But RankBrain is just one part of the AI that Google uses. Google has now created its own website that outlines the principles that Google follows to develop AI. The company sums up in one sentence what Google intends to do with AI:
"Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." ( Source )
So it makes sense that Google is going to get even better at providing users with the best content for their search queries in 2019. If Google’s AI can now communicate with strangers, RankBrain will allow it to analyze your content very accurately. A simple sequence of identified keywords, including filler words, has no further potential to achieve top rankings.
What you can do:
You should focus on excellent content and a technically perfect website for an optimal user experience. Invest the time you spent looking for Google errors in the quality of content and technology. Your users will not like your site because it has reached the top positions with dubious short-term methods, but because it offers real added value on a fast page. In 2017, Gary Illyes said in the Search Engine Journal that it is easy to optimize for RankBrain. The content should be natural. A summary tip: Let others read your web texts. If they think they sound natural, it is also good for RankBrain.
6.- Backlinks
Backlinks are always a hot topic of discussion among SEOs. Originally, they were an important link between websites on the Internet. They still are today, but search engines have viewed backlinks more and more critically. Because they were abused and artificially established by SEOs.
In 2019, backlinks will still be important, but one thing is of utmost importance: each link must offer high-quality traffic. Therefore, a link from a website that is far behind in the SERPs should not be considered as a valuable backlink.
In short: For your website, relevant backlinks are the links that bring traffic. To get such links you don't have to be a magician. If your content is of the highest quality and your website is technically perfect, backlinks with traffic should come automatically.
What you can do:
Make sure your backlinks comply with the EAT guidelines. According to these guidelines , Google Quality Evaluators also evaluate a website (Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, Section 3.2). The linking site should have the necessary expertise on the topic it links to. In addition, the linking site should be an “authority” on the topic. This can mean that the link URL itself has frequently been linked to by relevant sites that comply with the EAT guidelines. A linking page provides trust if, for example, it has good reviews or the author has a serious profile. Therefore, links to your website should only come from websites that comply with these guidelines.
7.- Progressive Web Apps
Progressive web apps ( PWAs) have not often been on the SEO agenda until now. But 2019 would be a good opportunity to check if your website can be realized as a PWA. The advantages of PWAs are multiple. They offer the best of both worlds for websites and apps. Progressive web apps work offline. They can send push notifications and can be installed as a native app on the smartphone home screen. They can use the entire screen. PWAs can be indexed by search engines and work on all devices. Ease of use is supported by the fact that PWAs do not have to be downloaded and do not require any updates.
So, Progressive Web Apps tick all the boxes for a website that is important in 2019: they are fast, mobile-focused, and offer the opportunity for your website to become a true “Conservable Experience” on the smartphone screen like an app bookmarklet.
What you can do:
Analyze your website and see if it would be worth implementing it as a PWA. Make sure you are familiar with the topic. Aleyda Solis has written a very extensive and inspiring article about Progressive Web Apps, which I recommend here .
Conclusion
In my opinion, the big trends that will continue to dominate the SEO world in 2019 are mobile, voice search (although voice will be slower) and artificial intelligence. This is challenging enough to make this year an exciting year for SEO. Do you need help with your SEO strategy? I am always here to help you.
SEO trends 2019 that you shouldn't underestimate (and actions to follow)
1.- Structure, structured data and relevance.
Google is getting better at processing structured data and capturing content on websites. Even data that is not marked up can now be processed perfectly by Google. Featured snippets or Google Answer Boxes are examples: in these cases, website content is graphically rendered so that users can receive the best possible answer to a search query.
In 2019, Google will further push the processing of website data. The search engine will increasingly use structured data. In 2018, Google frequently experimented with content for featured snippets. These tests show that Google actually presents the most relevant content that users have selected as featured snippets.
What you can do:
There is no guarantee that Google will show your content as a featured snippet in the SERPs . But you can make your content more relevant with a clear text structure, paragraphs, and unique content. It is also advisable, for example, to answer specific questions in your topic paragraphs. Google uses this approach: “When we recognize that a query asks a question, we programmatically detect pages that answer the user’s question, and display a top result as a featured snippet in the search results.” ( Source )
Structured data that provides rating stars in snippets is already standard in many online stores. If you want to make your website structured data-friendly in 2019, you can use this XXL Guide to JSON-LD here.
2.- Mobile
Google launched its Mobile First Index in 2018. In 2019, the search engine will focus even more on mobile devices. In recent years, from “Mobilegeddon” to Mobile-First-Index, Google has worked to raise awareness about mobile devices among SEOs and webmasters . The data also proves that the search experts from Mountain View are right. After all, more search queries are now made via mobile devices than via desktop. The trend is on the rise.
What you can do:
Mobile should always be your focus in website optimizations. You should optimize your webshop or website primarily for mobile devices. The most important are high page speed, good user-friendliness, and easy-to-consume content. But what exactly does user-friendly content mean? Your texts should be as short and structured as possible. The contrast should also be high enough to make your content readable on smaller screens. Always remember that mobile users spend little time on a website and only give the mobile page three seconds to load until they leave.
3.- Voice searches
With the increasing use of digital assistants, such as Alexa, Amazon Home or Apple's Siri, the need for web users to search the Internet using voice commands will also increase. This will also lead to a lasting change in users' search behavior . According to a Google survey, young people in particular are using voice search and, for example, 55 percent of young people between the ages of 13 and 18 speak to their smartphones every day.
ComScore predicts that by 2020, around 50 percent of all search queries will be made by voice . Of course, this development goes hand in hand with the increasing use of the Internet on mobile devices and the constant distribution of digital helpers. Nobody wants to type long questions on smartphones. Voice search offers the optimal solution here. Digital helpers such as Alexa, Google Home or Siri do not require a keyboard.
Google Trends’ annual reviews also show that users are now asking Google specific questions. Since 2016, Google has also included “W questions” in its reviews. This is not surprising in relation to voice search. For example, no one searches for “New York Manhattan restaurant” using their smartphone’s voice search, but will ask you “Ok Google. Where is the best restaurant in Manhattan?”
Voice Search will increasingly present webmasters in 2019 with the challenge of answering specific questions for users. The importance of Google's concrete answers to user questions is demonstrated in a Google Webmaster Central Blog article from December 3, 2018. Since then, rich snippets have also been displayed for question and answer pages in the SERPs.
What you can do:
In order for Google to quickly provide an appropriate answer to a search query via voice search, data must be available in a structured form. It is also important that you try to provide concrete answers to specific questions with your content. Using the “W questions” tool or using Google Suggest to check what questions users are asking about your products or content can help you optimize it. It is more important than ever that your content offers real added value and offers a concrete solution to a user’s needs.
4.- Content
2019 will finally see the end of texts written exclusively for search engines. Content optimization, in particular, is increasingly based on the “Retainable Experience.” The user should take something from your site that they will remember for a long time.
This approach can be extended to include the idea of Robert Seeger, a branding expert. He also spoke about the 3H concept at SEOKomm 2018. It means that content, even for difficult topics, should always include brain, heart and attitude. In this sense, the “Conservable Experience” consists of texts that address both the intellect and emotions of the user. At the same time, the perfect content expresses an attitude of the company. This can be shared or not shared. In any case, a target group will find exactly the content they were looking for.
What you can do:
Try to create the best content on the web for your topic. This content should give your target audience exactly the added value they are looking for. The goal is to perfectly respond to user intent. Are your users looking for information, do they want to buy something?
5.- Artificial Intelligence
Since the introduction of RankBrain in 2015, Google has been officially expanding its remit in the field of artificial intelligence. It has long been known that Google works with AI. But it was only with the decisive article on October 26, 2015 on bloomberg.com that Google publicly confirmed that the RankBrain algorithm gambling data singapore exists and that the search engine uses AI to generate search results. Since then, Google has used this artificial intelligence and machine learning to answer some of its daily search queries. About 15 percent of daily entries in the Google search bar have never been entered in this way. RankBrain takes on the task of answering these queries in a meaningful way.
But RankBrain is just one part of the AI that Google uses. Google has now created its own website that outlines the principles that Google follows to develop AI. The company sums up in one sentence what Google intends to do with AI:
"Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." ( Source )
So it makes sense that Google is going to get even better at providing users with the best content for their search queries in 2019. If Google’s AI can now communicate with strangers, RankBrain will allow it to analyze your content very accurately. A simple sequence of identified keywords, including filler words, has no further potential to achieve top rankings.
What you can do:
You should focus on excellent content and a technically perfect website for an optimal user experience. Invest the time you spent looking for Google errors in the quality of content and technology. Your users will not like your site because it has reached the top positions with dubious short-term methods, but because it offers real added value on a fast page. In 2017, Gary Illyes said in the Search Engine Journal that it is easy to optimize for RankBrain. The content should be natural. A summary tip: Let others read your web texts. If they think they sound natural, it is also good for RankBrain.
6.- Backlinks
Backlinks are always a hot topic of discussion among SEOs. Originally, they were an important link between websites on the Internet. They still are today, but search engines have viewed backlinks more and more critically. Because they were abused and artificially established by SEOs.
In 2019, backlinks will still be important, but one thing is of utmost importance: each link must offer high-quality traffic. Therefore, a link from a website that is far behind in the SERPs should not be considered as a valuable backlink.
In short: For your website, relevant backlinks are the links that bring traffic. To get such links you don't have to be a magician. If your content is of the highest quality and your website is technically perfect, backlinks with traffic should come automatically.
What you can do:
Make sure your backlinks comply with the EAT guidelines. According to these guidelines , Google Quality Evaluators also evaluate a website (Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, Section 3.2). The linking site should have the necessary expertise on the topic it links to. In addition, the linking site should be an “authority” on the topic. This can mean that the link URL itself has frequently been linked to by relevant sites that comply with the EAT guidelines. A linking page provides trust if, for example, it has good reviews or the author has a serious profile. Therefore, links to your website should only come from websites that comply with these guidelines.
7.- Progressive Web Apps
Progressive web apps ( PWAs) have not often been on the SEO agenda until now. But 2019 would be a good opportunity to check if your website can be realized as a PWA. The advantages of PWAs are multiple. They offer the best of both worlds for websites and apps. Progressive web apps work offline. They can send push notifications and can be installed as a native app on the smartphone home screen. They can use the entire screen. PWAs can be indexed by search engines and work on all devices. Ease of use is supported by the fact that PWAs do not have to be downloaded and do not require any updates.
So, Progressive Web Apps tick all the boxes for a website that is important in 2019: they are fast, mobile-focused, and offer the opportunity for your website to become a true “Conservable Experience” on the smartphone screen like an app bookmarklet.
What you can do:
Analyze your website and see if it would be worth implementing it as a PWA. Make sure you are familiar with the topic. Aleyda Solis has written a very extensive and inspiring article about Progressive Web Apps, which I recommend here .
Conclusion
In my opinion, the big trends that will continue to dominate the SEO world in 2019 are mobile, voice search (although voice will be slower) and artificial intelligence. This is challenging enough to make this year an exciting year for SEO. Do you need help with your SEO strategy? I am always here to help you.