7 SEO Trends That You Need to Know in 2020

In 2008, there were over 155 million websites. A decade later and that number ballooned to 1.5 billion websites.

It’s harder than ever to get your website to stand out when there are over 4 million blog posts published each day. If you’re wanting to get ahead of the curve for 2020, you aren’t the only one. About 77% of searches are made on Google, so it’s essential for any business to have a web presence and rank well.

If you’re wondering how to get on top of Google search, the answer is through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Understanding SEO and keeping up with the latest trends is vital in getting your website noticed.

In this article, we’ll take a look at several SEO trends set to dominate in 2020.

7 SEO Trends: How to Get on Top of Google Search

As every content marketer can attest, Google’s algorithm is always evolving. Whether it’s because of the Google BERT or the Google EAT update, you have to always stay on top of the latest SEO tactics if you want your site to rank. No one single method will land you in the #1 ranking spot, but if you follow our tips on these newest trends, you should do well.

1. Voice Search Optimization

Each day, over 55% of teens and 41% of adults do at least one voice search. Once you realize how many people are using voice search, it makes sense to capitalize on it. About 20% of all searches on a smartphone are voice searches.

Most voice searches come as a question. This is why Google’s voice assistant will pick a page that features the question and the answer. It’s the most relevant.

While optimizing your site for voice search, be sure to include the question and also answer the question in-depth within the content.

2. Mobile Optimization

Google has now introduced the Mobile-First Index. This means that Google prefers the mobile version of a page when it indexes and ranks websites.

What does this mean? If your site looks bad on a mobile device, you might lose your rankings in both mobile and desktop search results.

To ensure your site is mobile-friendly and will rank high, ensure that your page speed is as fast as possible. Also, be sure to load your website on your own phone to doublecheck how it looks and make sure all information carries over.

3. Position Zero

This is also known as a featured snippet. When a person does a voice search on their mobile device, Google now gives a preview of the result. This position is important because with a voice search there’s only the one result being read to the person.

If you want to boost your visibility and outrank your competitors, you cannot ignore optimizing for a featured snippet.

There are several steps involved when optimizing to land position zero. First, you’ll want to make sure you make use of H2 and H3 subheadings. These subheadings should contain the question and keyword you’re trying to rank for.

Next, you’ll want to provide a concise answer of no more than 70 characters. These answers are called “snippet bait” and make it easy for Google to pull. They also help to build a lead to your business by enticing customers.

4. User-Focused Optimization

Google no longer focuses on exact-matching keyword stuffing. With Google BERT, it now takes context into consideration.

What this means is that you’ll need to make sure your content is written to match the user intent behind search queries. You need to focus on how users talk about their problems and find ways to address those issues.

In short, find ways to create content that solves your potential customer’s pain points. The more useful and relevant your site is, the more credibility and authority you’ll build.

5. SERP Marketing

The update to Google’s algorithm means that you can’t focus on only ranking high in the organic listings. There are now many different ways to rank.

The different search elements include things like videos, images, featured snippets, and even the People Also Ask section at the bottom of the page. You must consider each search result page as of paramount importance and strive to rank first on all.

6. High-Quality Content

You’ve probably heard the saying “content is king” at some point while studying SEO. Another famous saying states that “content is the kingdom”, not the king. Both sayings should give you an idea of how important content is.

If your content is written poorly, lacks structure, and doesn’t help address questions, your ranking will plummet. To succeed in 2020, your content must be relevant.

7. Structured Data

While high-quality content and context are of paramount importance, Google is still learning and updating its algorithms. This means you must help give Google’s search engine information to better understand your article and rank it higher.

By using structured data, you assist Google in understanding the site page, how each element relates to other elements, and how the page as a whole relates to other pages on the website.

Schema has structured data outlines and will allow you to structure your data to your advantage. When optimized the proper way, your page will display as an interactive search snippet with dropdown bars of the questions that then reveal the answer.

SEO Moves Fast

How SEO is used in relation to how to get on top of Google search is ever-evolving. If you want your website to rank high in 2020, it’s essential you stay updated on the latest changes to SEO.

If you fall behind on what’s expected to trend, you risk losing your search result ranking. Once that’s lost, it’s harder to beat out other sites to regain the ranking.

We hope this guide helped answer what the latest SEO trends are expected to be in 2020. By following the tips in this article and optimizing for the various changes, you’ll be fast on your way to ranking in the #1 spot of search results.

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