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Amol Ghemud Published: February 6, 2019
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2019 has arrived and it’s time to take a look at what’s ahead in front of SEO professionals this year. There are over 200 factors in Google’s algorithm which makes it a complex science.
Since search engines are trying to enhance the quality of search results, some ranking factors are becoming less relevant while new ones are arising out of nowhere.
To keep you ahead of the competition in 2019, here’s a list of top SEO trends and techniques. In this article, we will take a look at the top 10 SEO trends in 2019 and how they affect your business.
1. Understanding the audience and user objective
Image: Understanding the User Objective
It is very important to know what is the preferred format for the audience – be it text, image, audio or video. According to the experts, knowing this will be the most crucial information and would prove to be one of the best SEO trends in 2019.
One must understand what a user is expecting when he searches for a particular query and then provide them with a relevant answer in a simple and understandable form.
The preferences, tastes, and interests of the audience are ever changing and it is really important to adapt to these changes quickly. No matter how well the content is written on your website but if it is targeted towards a wrong audience, it will not be able to bring business for the company.
Thus it becomes extremely crucial for the companies to identify the right audience and create the content accordingly.
2. Structured Data
Structured data comprises formatting HTML using a specific vocabulary, which helps search engines to interpret the content on your website and display it in a particular way on SERPs. It is one of the important SEO trends to watch for in 2019.ดูหนังออนไลน์
Google does not consider structured data as a ranking factor but it’s still important to focus on structured data as rich snippets help to increase the CTR (click-through rate) by 30 percent as compared to Knowledge Graph panels.
It also gives you an opportunity to stand out from the competitors, thus helping to increase the traffic on your website.ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
There are various structured data formats available on the web but most SEOs prefer Schema.org. After implementing structured data on your website, you can check if rich snippets show up on SERPs with the help of Rank Tracker tool.ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
It is advised to use JSON LD format because it enables developers to organize and connect data easily. It helps to create high-quality structured data without creating a misleading experience for users. It also helps search engines to understand your web pages more effectively.สล็อตเว็บตรง
3. Enhancing Website Speed
Speed is one of the best SEO trends in 2019. It’s not just a ranking factor, but it also happens to be one of the major UX factors. But what should be the ideal website load time? Google expects the pages on the website to load in less than 3 seconds.
There is a tool Google PageSpeed Insights which you can use to scan your website. It finds out the factors that are causing your website to load slowly and it gives necessary advice to improve it.
What to do about it?
The first step requires you to take Google’s page speed test. You must check the speed for both the devices – desktop and mobile. If the speed is less on either or both, then you must report it to the developer and ask him to make necessary changes in order to increase the speed.
Image: Page Speed Test
4. Voice Search
According to a Google report, 40 percent of adults and a whopping 55 percent of teenagers are using voice search on a daily basis. The voice search ratio is increasing faster than type search. This is one of the SEO trends that is likely to gain momentum in 2019.
Voice searches consist of conducting new keyword research altogether as voice searches consist of normal, conversational sentences as compared to the odd sounding queries in type search.
You can make use of tools such as Keyword Shitter and Answer the Public to find keywords for voice searches. These tools are very helpful in suggesting voice-based queries.ทดลองเล่นสล็อตยักษ์888
Also, websites that are not secured won’t show easily in voice search results. Hence it is advisable to make your website secure.
Google is also planning to give voice search in Google Search Console.
How to approach keyword research in voice searches?
Use Rank Tracker tool to find out what questions users are likely to ask while performing voice searches. Here are the steps –
Open Rank Tracker, go to Keyword Research and click on Suggest Keywords.
Go to the list and select Common Questions method and type your keywords.
The tool will suggest hundreds of questions in a minute, which you can target.
Want to multiply conversions and drive more traffic to your website?
There has been a huge increase in voice searches and more than half the searches on Google are coming from mobile devices. So it becomes imperative for companies to focus on mobile friendliness.
Mobile friendliness is also one of the important ranking factors and you can’t afford to overlook this factor in 2019. This SEO trend is likely to stay for a very long time.
Image: Mobile First Indexing
How to go about it?
Check if your website pages are mobile friendly. To conduct this use Google’s mobile-friendly test. The test will return problematic factors if any and will give the advice to fix them. Convey this to the developer and repeat the test once necessary improvements are made.
6. Linkless Mentions
For many years, search engines have been trusting businesses on the basis of backlinks, hence SEO managers are spending a lot of time optimizing backlinks. But things have changed and linkless mentions are becoming one of the most important off page SEO trends.ราคาบอลพรุ่งนี้
Search engines are capable of recognizing brand mentions through which they can determine the authority of a site. Bing has already confirmed that they are using unlinked brand mentions for ranking. SEO experts believe that Google would be doing this too. Thus focusing on this SEO trend becomes crucial.
What can be done about it?
Along with a backlink checker, use tools to find brand mentions and product mentions of your company. Awario is one such app which can help you determine the most authoritative mentions of your brand or products.
On-page optimization will continue to dominate in 2019 as well and will be one of the most vital SEO trends. Even today, we are witnessing phenomenal results for websites that are only focusing on on-page tactics. On-page optimization is going to stay a dominant factor when it comes to ranking your website.
On-page optimization is not a ‘set it and forget it’ tactic, but it’s a continuous process. Following are some of the on-page website optimizations:
Write content in such a way that it answers most common user questions.
Ensure the internal searches on the website are providing relevant results.
Shorten the conversion process.
Ensure that the restocking process is easy for repeat customers.
Provide good customer support and respond quickly to all the queries by customers.
Use chatbots to answer basic and most common questions by customers.
8. Creating Exceptional Content
It is said that content is the king. In 2019 too content will continue to rule. Google is focusing more on evaluating the content quality in order to rank the websites. In 2018, it was observed that sites which provided quality content soared in rankings while the ones with poor quality content suffered.
This means if you are creating content with the sole purpose of keeping your blog alive, then it won’t help to improve ranking. You need to create content which helps in solving problems and connect with people.
Conduct research and find out the most common problems that people face. Create content that will help to resolve these problems. This would help to draw a huge amount of traffic on your website. Focusing on this SEO trend would really help to improve your ranking.
9. AMP- Page Speed Boost
Mobile optimization is one of the major standards for the creation of new websites. With Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), you can make your mobile pages load faster than ever before. This is one of the most ignored SEO trends in the past but companies should really focus on this.
AMPs are a fundamental part of Google SERPs. It is expected that AMP will gain a large momentum in 2019. Even though AMPs are very useful, not all websites should use it due to its limitations.
AMPs do not consist of images and structure but contain only pure text, that’s the reason why AMP pages load so quickly. But new websites should make use of AMP as it will help them to rank their pages at the top of Google SERP in mobile devices.
10. Intense Competition
2019 will witness the most intense online marketing competition than ever!
Many businesses are turning towards online marketing. This will create competition amongst businesses not just in the real world but also in the digital world.
Not only that, companies will need to compete with huge MNCs who have a dedicated marketing team for their business. This is one of the major reasons why small businesses are hiring professional marketers.
The companies which are new to digital marketing can be assisted by digital marketing firms. They can help them with various fields like social media platforms, keyword optimization, research and new strategies for the growth of the business. This will prove to be one of the most used SEO trends in 2019.สล็อต pg
Image: Intense Competition
With increasing competition, it becomes difficult for a company to manage the products and services on one side, and digital marketing operations on the other side. Hence it is advised that a business should hire a digital marketing firm for online marketing.
Conclusion
These are the top 10 SEO trends on which you need to focus a lot because it will not just help you to increase your rankings but also help you to grow your business.
SEO is a continuous process and if done properly, you’ll surely reap benefits out of it.สล็อตเว็บตรง
Watch: 10 Dominating SEO Trends You Need to Know
For Curious Minds
Grasping the user's objective means understanding the 'why' behind their search query, not just the 'what'. This deeper insight allows you to create content that provides a direct, satisfying solution, which is a major signal that search engines value. Rather than just targeting a keyword, you are targeting a need, leading to higher engagement and better rankings.
To effectively align with user objectives, you should focus on several key areas:
Search Intent Analysis: Determine if the user is looking to buy (transactional), learn (informational), or find a specific site (navigational).
Content Format Alignment: As the article notes, you must identify whether your audience prefers text, images, video, or audio for a given query and deliver that format.
SERP Feature Optimization: Analyze the search results page for features like featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and video carousels to see what type of content Google believes best answers the query.
This shift from keywords to intent is fundamental for creating content that resonates with both users and algorithms. For a more detailed breakdown of how to analyze SERPs for user intent, explore the complete analysis.
Structured data, or schema markup, enriches your search listings and makes them more appealing, directly impacting user engagement. For content-heavy sites, the priority should be on implementing schema that generates the most visible and relevant rich snippets, such as those for articles, FAQs, and reviews, to gain a competitive edge in the SERPs.
The recommendation for JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is based on its implementation efficiency and clarity. Unlike other formats, it can be inserted as a single block of code in the `` or `` of your HTML, separate from the visible user content. This decouples the semantic markup from the page's structure, making it easier for developers to manage and for search engines to parse without errors. Using a tool like the **Rank Tracker** can help you monitor which of your pages are successfully displaying rich snippets after implementation. To see examples of how to apply specific schema types using JSON-LD, review the full guide.
Both website speed and structured data are critical, but they serve different primary functions in SEO. Website speed is a direct ranking factor for Google and a foundational element of user experience (UX), affecting bounce rates and conversions. In contrast, structured data primarily improves your visibility and click-through rate (CTR) from the search results page. Given these roles, improving page speed should be the first priority. A fast-loading site ensures that the increased traffic you might gain from rich snippets does not immediately leave due to frustration. A slow website negates the benefit of a higher CTR because users will not wait for the page to load. Once your site meets Google’s performance expectations, you should then focus on implementing structured data to make your search listings more attractive and informative. Discover our guide on how to balance technical SEO priorities for maximum impact.
Failing to meet Google's three-second loading time benchmark is a widespread issue that often stems from a few common technical culprits. High-performing websites systematically diagnose and fix these problems by treating page speed as an ongoing process, not a one-time task. They begin by using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to get a baseline report and specific recommendations.
Common obstacles and their solutions include:
Unoptimized Images: Large image files are a primary cause of slow load times. The solution is to compress images without sacrificing quality and use modern formats like WebP.
Bloated Code: Unnecessary characters, comments, and formatting in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files increase page weight. Minifying these files removes the bloat.
Slow Server Response Time: This can be caused by poor hosting, inefficient database queries, or a lack of server-side caching. Upgrading the hosting plan or optimizing the server configuration is key.
By regularly auditing these areas, leading companies ensure their sites remain fast and user-friendly. Find out how to create a comprehensive site speed optimization plan in the full article.
The rise of voice search fundamentally shifts keyword research from short, fragmented phrases to long-tail, conversational questions. Users speak to their devices naturally, using full sentences to ask for information, which requires a more nuanced approach to content creation. To succeed, you must optimize for how people talk, not just how they type.
Proven strategies for capturing voice search traffic involve directly answering your audience's questions. This can be achieved through several methods:
Focus on Question-Based Keywords: Use tools to find long-tail questions related to your niche (e.g., "how do I improve website speed for mobile?").
Create FAQ Pages: Develop dedicated pages that concisely answer the most common questions your customers ask.
Target Featured Snippets: Structure your content with clear headings and provide direct, authoritative answers right below them, as voice assistants often pull responses from these "position zero" results.
Adapting your content to be the best answer for a spoken query is now essential for future SEO success. Learn more about developing a voice search-ready content strategy within the main article.
A B2B company must ensure its content directly addresses the specific pain points and queries of its target audience to generate qualified leads. Improving alignment with user objectives requires a systematic content audit and enhancement process. This moves your content from simply existing to actively performing as a lead generation asset.
The implementation plan involves a few key stages:
Step 1: Map Content to the Buyer's Journey: Categorize your existing blog posts, white papers, and case studies by awareness, consideration, and decision stages to identify gaps.
Step 2: Re-Optimize for Search Intent: For each piece of content, analyze the top-ranking results for its target keyword to understand the expected format and depth. Revise your content to better match that intent.
Step 3: Integrate Conversational Keywords: Research and incorporate long-tail, question-based keywords that reflect how a business professional would use voice search to find solutions.
Step 4: Implement Relevant Schema: Add structured data like Article or FAQPage schema to make your listings stand out in SERPs.
This structured approach ensures your expertise is visible and valuable to potential clients at every stage. Explore our complete guide to building a B2B content strategy that drives results.
As voice search continues its rapid growth, marketing strategies must evolve from a screen-first to a voice-first or voice-inclusive mindset. This requires creating content that is not only readable but also 'listenable' and provides direct, conversational answers. The long-term goal is to become the default source of information for voice assistants in your niche.
To adapt your strategy for the future, focus on these forward-looking adjustments:
Prioritize 'Answer-ability': Structure content to provide immediate, clear, and concise answers to common questions. Think in terms of question-and-answer pairs.
Develop Audio Content: Invest in podcasts or audio versions of your articles to cater to users who consume information while multitasking.
Focus on Local SEO: Many voice searches are local in nature (e.g., "find a marketing consultant near me"). Ensure your local business listings are accurate and optimized.
This strategic pivot will be essential for maintaining relevance as the interface between users and the internet becomes increasingly verbal. For a deeper look into future-proofing your content, read the full analysis.
A common and costly mistake is an over-reliance on exact-match keyword density, an outdated technique that leads to unnatural and low-quality content. In the past, repeating a keyword frequently was effective, but modern algorithms now prioritize content that satisfies a user's underlying need, or intent. Continuing to focus on keyword stuffing results in poor user experience and can even trigger penalties.
The pivot to a more impactful, intent-focused strategy involves a shift in perspective from a technical to a user-centric approach. Stronger companies avoid this mistake by:
Creating Topic Clusters: They build comprehensive pillar pages around a core topic and support them with cluster content that addresses specific sub-topics and related questions.
Analyzing SERP Intent: Before creating content, they analyze the search results to understand what format and angle Google already rewards for that query.
Using Semantic Keywords: They incorporate related terms and synonyms naturally to demonstrate topical authority and depth.
By focusing on providing the best possible answer to a user's problem, you naturally align with modern SEO best practices. Learn how to transition your team away from old tactics in the full article.
For a large publisher, implementing structured data is a strategic investment in visibility and audience acquisition, not just a technical task. A 30% potential increase in CTR is a compelling metric that translates directly to higher traffic, increased ad revenue, and stronger brand authority in a crowded digital space. This data helps justify the initial development cost by framing it as a direct driver of core business goals.
The business case can be built on these key points:
Competitive Differentiation: In a SERP filled with standard blue links, rich snippets make your content stand out, capturing user attention immediately.
Improved User Trust: Snippets that display ratings, publication dates, or author information can increase a user's confidence in your content before they even click.
Future-Proofing for New Search Features: Properly structured content is more likely to be featured in new Google formats like carousels and knowledge panels, securing future traffic streams.
By positioning schema as a critical tool for market leadership, you can effectively secure the necessary resources. Discover more data-backed arguments for technical SEO investments in our complete report.
For a small team, prioritization is everything, and the key is to focus on foundational elements that deliver the most significant return. While all trends are important, enhancing website speed offers the most immediate and widespread impact for a typical business. A faster website directly improves user experience, reduces bounce rates, and is a confirmed ranking factor, affecting every single visitor and page on your site.
After addressing speed, your prioritization should be as follows:
Understanding User Objective: This is a strategic shift that should inform all new content creation. It costs little to implement but has a massive impact on relevance.
Voice Search Optimization: Focus on creating FAQ content that targets long-tail, question-based keywords. This is often an extension of understanding user objectives.
Structured Data: Begin with the most impactful schema types, like LocalBusiness or Product, before moving to more complex implementations.
By starting with foundational performance and user-centric content, a small team can make tangible progress. Explore the full guide for a detailed prioritization framework for your business.
The emphasis on audience understanding is poised to become even more granular and influential as a ranking signal. Search engines are moving beyond simple intent categories toward predicting and satisfying highly specific, context-aware user needs. In the future, rankings will likely be determined by a site’s ability to dynamically provide the most relevant experience for an individual user at a specific moment.
To prepare for this hyper-personalized future, businesses should take these steps now:
Invest in Analytics and User Data: Go beyond surface-level metrics to understand user paths, engagement with different content formats, and conversion drivers.
Create Persona-Driven Content: Develop detailed audience personas and create content that speaks directly to their unique challenges and goals.
Embrace A/B Testing: Continuously test different headlines, content formats, and calls-to-action to learn what resonates most deeply with your audience.
Building a deep, data-backed understanding of your audience today is the best way to stay ahead of algorithm changes. For more on future-proofing your SEO, dive into the complete analysis.
Validating your audience's preferred content format is essential for maximizing engagement and ROI on your content marketing efforts. Simply producing content in a format you assume is best can lead to wasted resources. A multi-pronged research approach is necessary to make data-driven decisions.
To effectively determine format preferences, you should:
Analyze Competitor SERPs: Search for your primary target keywords and observe the type of content that dominates the first page. If Google is ranking videos and images highly, that is a strong signal of user preference.
Survey Your Existing Audience: Use email surveys, social media polls, or on-site feedback tools to directly ask your customers how they prefer to learn about your products or industry.
Review Your Own Analytics: Examine your website and social media data. Compare the engagement rates (e.g., time on page, shares, comments) for your blog posts, videos, and infographics to see what already performs best.
By combining competitive analysis with direct feedback and performance data, you can confidently invest in the content formats your audience truly values. Uncover more methods for audience research in the full article.
Amol has helped catalyse business growth with his strategic & data-driven methodologies. With a decade of experience in the field of marketing, he has donned multiple hats, from channel optimization, data analytics and creative brand positioning to growth engineering and sales.
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