Follow These SEO Trends In 2020 To Increase Organic Traffic On Your Website

By on March 19th, 2020

5min Read

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Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) today isn’t what it was a couple of years ago. Google and other search engines continue to serve us updates regularly. Here’s the sad part: If you fail to adapt, your next stop will be a spot further from the first search engine result page. 

Honestly, no wants to see their website (and business/brand) suffer like that. And this article makes sure you never find yourself in that position. We rounded up top and effective SEO trends in 2020 that will increase organic traffic on your website. Check them out. 

Optimise Voice Search

All signs show that voice search will dominate the search engine space. Think about the rising number of smartphone users then consider the recent statistics that 60% of them have interacted with this feature at least once in the last 12 months. Over 50% of teenagers actually use it daily. 

As mobile device users grow, so does the popularity and use of voice search. Searches that take the form of questions dominate the voice-based search on Google. Those that begin with or feature keywords like “what”, “how”, and “best” take the lead.  

With that in mind, you will want to note that Google usually answers specific types of questions:

  • Direct answer questions (DAQ) – These questions start with who, what, where, which, etc. e.g. who is the best footballer?
  • Short Answer Questions (SAQ) – They mostly start with can and why e.g. why is global warming a threat?
  • Long Answer Questions (LAQ) – LAQs need detailed answers that are often longer e.g. how do I drive a manual car? 

To make the most out of this feature, make your website mobile-friendly.  Improve the page load speed as well. Also, adjust your content to match the kind of questions and content Google loves to prioritise. Don’t hesitate to explore the SEO services in Sydney if you need extra help going about this. 

Mobile Optimisation

Not too long ago, Google introduced the mobile-first index. This meant that the mobile version of your website would now to be used for ranking and indexing. If it doesn’t look great or fails to meet the content standards set by Google, that automatically translates to a drop in your ranking, not just in mobile but also desktop results. 

That aside, you don’t want to lose out on all the good traffic coming from smartphone users. Over 50% of all traffic in 2019 come from mobile devices. And currently, 58% of all Google searches are via mobile devices. Going by the previous trends in the number of mobile phone users, there’s no doubt that the figure will be higher in the coming years. 

These, and many other reasons, speak to why mobile optimisation is no longer an option; it’s a necessity. “How does one do it?”  You may ask. Here’s a quick overview of the areas to focus on:

  • Page speed
  • Responsive web design
  • Optimised titles and descriptions
  • Dynamic serving ( if you are not an expert in doing this, we would recommend you seek the help of a digital marketing agency in Sydney)
  • Separate domain 

You can use Google’s mobile usability test to get a report on how your site is fairing on this front.

E-A-T

E-A-T might not be a new trend, but it’s just as relevant as it was when it first made the news. In fact, a special update was made to this feature in 2019 turning it into one of the key factors that determine page quality.  For those who may not know it in full, E-A-T means expertise, authority and trustworthiness.

Even now, Google wants to be completely sure that they are delivering results that fulfil the E.A.T standard. Initially, websites that fell in the health, safety and financial industries were the most affected but that’s no longer the case.

Your website and content must show a high level of trustworthiness, expertise, and authority in order to rank higher. Google continues to come up with ways that help them to only deliver results that are accurate, true, and helpful to the searchers. 

You can be on the safer side by doing the following:

  • Creating engaging content that meets the specific needs of your audience (expert)
  • Work towards making your brand synonymous with certain topics or niche. Look for those links and mentions from authoritative and relevant websites, figure out ways to make your content highly shareable, and have a presence on all the relevant online platforms (authority)
  • Include your business physical address, make your website secure, have a presence on Google maps (if possible) and be proactive, create a privacy policy, add author profiles to your content, etc. (trustworthiness) 

E-A-T usually works alongside another key component of SEO – YMYL which means Your Money or Your Life Content.

Influencers For SEO

Initially, website owners would cheat their way into the first page of Google through paid links, keyword stuffing, spam comments, etc. But Google got clever and now you could be penalised or even be delisted if found doing that. 

With influencer marketing, you don’t even need to take that risk. It’s a fairly new concept that is about connecting and working with people who already have the target audience you want to reach. 

For a start, you can collaborate with influencers who are relevant to what you are doing. In the process, you will have a chance to get great natural backlinks for your site (if the influencer has their website or access to authority ones).

If they share your link on their other platforms, say social media, people will share it and this will raise your popularity. You might later find an authority website or several picking it and soon your work will find its way into the bigger websites.

That aside, the shares and interactions your content might get through the influencers will contribute to your authority and credibility, which are among the things Google considers when ranking websites. Not forgetting to mention the engagement and traffic, both of which are factors the search engine pays attention to as well.  

Curious to learn how to find the best influencer for your brand?  Spare some time to visit a good digital marketing agency in Sydney. 

Major On Video Content

Video content continues to attract massive traffic. A report by Hubspot about the future of content marketing shows that over 40% of people want to see more video content online. Still, search engines are more likely to display video content than text on the SERP. 

Nowadays, part of the search results (depending on what you are searching) will likely have video featured snippets. Embed videos in the blog posts on your website. You can make it possible for Google to spot them by adopting a structure that separates the content into sections. 

Remember to optimise your videos. Adjust them to match your blog’s width. Add a title with a relevant keyword(s), description, and appropriate tags where necessary.

Create a YouTube channel as well (if you don’t have one yet). Publish SEO optimised videos that will not only rank better on the platform but also on Google. Currently, 62% of the search results on Google have at least one video, with the majority coming from YouTube.

Final Thoughts

SEO will always evolve. Expect new updates but don’t forget the previous ones that are just as relevant. Today’s choice of SEO trends is a selection that is sure to bring you excellent results. Your only task is to invest in each and make sure it’s done right. Some will be more technical than others but that should not worry when you have the help of the best SEO Company in Sydney.

Good luck as you work to take your website to the next level in 2020.

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