How SEO Will Conquer the Industry in 2020

SEO has been around for a while, and ever since it joined the scene, the game has changed forever. Today, every marketer holds their breath at the end of each year. They wonder how the new algorithm changes will affect SEO as they know it, and the new algorithms always live up to the expectations. Here we are, on the verge of 2020, and SEO conquers the industry once again. If you’re wondering how the game will change this upcoming period, then here’s what you need to know about the impact of the new algorithms:

1. Local SEO

   Anyone who’s been paying attention for SEO during the last period has definitely noticed how the search engines have greatly shifted the way they arrange their results. To be prepared for 2020, businesses of all sizes, industries, and niches are optimizing their websites for local searches. There’s been a great increase in the creation of Google My Business listings, as this is the main factor that affects their ranking on the maps and local results after any inquiry.

2. The BERT Algorithm

   Keywords are one of the foundations of SEO. Traditionally, marketers would look up the most commonly used keywords in their niche, after which they’d stuff those keywords everywhere they could on their websites. After all, the search engines focused on finding those keywords and ranking the results based on the websites that provide the most relevant keyword placements.

   The BERT algorithm turned the world of keyword placement upside down. Instead of merely looking for matching keywords, the search engines now rely on intent-matching, thanks to AI. They analyze the intent of the inquirer, understand what they’re looking for, and then come up with the most relevant answers—even if they don’t contain any of the keywords at all! This places much greater importance of content creation, demanding marketers to create content that’s relevant to those seeking. This is all done in an effort to provide a better user experience.

3. Content Value

   

   Marketers now have no option but to improve the quality of their content; simply updating old content or duplicating it won’t do the trick. The content they create needs to be both relevant and valuable, in such a way that provides everything the user is looking for without any unnecessary stuffing.

4. Brand Building vs. Link Building

   An example of how content creation will be completely transformed is that marketers will now have to change their backlinking strategies. While getting backlinks from reputable websites used to be enough, their links will now have to match the intent of the content, as well. In simple terms, they’ll need to use backlinking to build their brands.

5. On-Page Optimization

   On-page optimization includes many features, from having a clean code for optimizing your images for search engines. To do that, you’ll need to focus on adding meta-descriptions, using the suitable headings in your posts and on your pages, and optimize your alt tags. All of these practices will enable the search engine spiders to crawl into your website and understand what you’re offering, giving you higher chances of an improved ranking.

6. E-A-T

   If there’s one thing that the new algorithms focus on strongly, then it’s the reputability of websites. According to E-A-T, algorithms are going to rank websites based on their expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. For instance, websites with bad reviews or low rankings will find it much more difficult to compete in the game. The same goes for websites with poor security.

7. Optimizing User Experience

   The power of the user becomes even more prominent in 2020, and the search engines are doing everything they can to empower them. As a result, marketers will have to optimize their websites to offer an optimum user experience based on the following factors:

   1. Site Speed

      Site speed is not new to the game, but it remains a critical factor for being evaluated by the search engines.

   2. Mobile-Friendliness

      As the whole world keeps on shifting toward practicality and mobile solutions, the increased use of mobile search and the diminishing one of desktops make it critical to optimize for the mobile experience.

   3. Schema

      The new algorithms introduced a couple of new features to the scene, which can be summed up in the featured snippets and voice search results. To maintain your competitive edge, you’ll need to optimize your website scheme and provide structured data.

As we approach 2020, the search algorithms are changing the industry once again. With the main focus placed on further enhancing the user experience, the SEO game will change how content is created, how websites are optimized, and how the search results are viewed and ranked.