Search engine optimization in 2019 will be a considerable leap from the way it has worked in the years leading up to it. With the popularity of voice search, readily available AI tools and technologies, as well as stricter standards for websites- you need to know what to look out for to stay on top or rise while things are being shaken up.
Voice Search
Since 2016, voice search from mobile devices has made up about a quarter of all searches. Since then, more types of devices that utilize voice search have become mainstream, and that percentage has increased. An even more significant jump is projected to happen in 2019. With even 1 in 4 searches being a voice search, you can’t ignore the impact that has on SEO plans.
Mobile Web and Stricter Standards
People are getting better at telling, at a glance, if a webpage will deliver what they want or not. Consciously or not, they pick up on patterns that differentiate great content from poor content. Worse, sometimes the best content will display incorrectly on a mobile device. This is no longer acceptable.
To prevent that very problem and create a more unified web experience overall, adaptive websites are preferable. You want your content to load quickly and display at its best on all devices and screen sizes – no exceptions. That’s becoming a more significant part of SEO as time goes on. However, it’s one that many businesses and individuals are getting a handle on.
Quality (and Variety) Over Keywords
This evolution is two-fold. Not only is quality more important than ever before, but it also ties in with the aforementioned Voice Search focus. You need content that sounds natural flows well and is easy to navigate. This leads to people spending more time with it. More time spent is often read as higher quality.
Then, once you know what makes a quality piece, you may want to break it up or add in some other sort of media. Image and video searches may be in for a dramatic overhaul to provide better content to searchers. Each day, people spend about 2.6x as much time on a page if it has video and video makes up around 74% of all online traffic and time spent.
AI, Machine Learning, and Automatic Processes
AI, overall, and Machine Learning, in specific, are going to change the way professionals manage the processes behind SEO. With the implementation of these technologies becoming easier by the day, any website or business can improve their SEO campaign management and make their entire marketing process run smoother and with greater efficiency.
A Changing Search Engine Focus
While ranking highly on Google is great, other options are out there. Both Social Media and Amazon Search are popular places for consumers to start searches. Amazon is currently leading product-based searches while social platforms like Pinterest and Instagram are making the most of image-based searches. This may not be the most pressing issue of 2019, but it’s an area to watch in the future.
