Big Surge: 5 Upcoming SEO trends for 2020
Search Engine Optimization trends are constantly changing, and it’s important to keep up with the rapid developments on the scene. It’s clear that 2019 was a busy year for SEO, and the new year will be no different. Or rather, it’s going to be very different, as new SEO developments, algorithms, and technologies come into play. To help you prepare for a new year in online marketing, we’ve compiled a list of 4 upcoming SEO trends for 2020.
1. BERT Algorithm
In 2019, Google introduced BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) into its search algorithm. The algorithm was created to better understand the context of the words people used in internet searches. BERT aims to more effectively interpret the meaning behind what users ask. And according to Google, it is utilized approximately once in every 10 searches. It is currently English-language exclusive, and is used in colloquial searches that include “for,” “like,” “to,” and other similar prepositions.
This means that rather than simple keyword matching, the algorithm considers factors like whether the user is looking for more information on an item, or if they’re trying to track down and purchase an item. For example, say someone wants to know how espresso machines work, but they can only find results on where to purchase one. The BERT algorithm works towards focusing their results to make them more informative-focused rather than strictly transactional.
Unfortunately, content creators can’t actually optimise for BERT. However, they can change their content and keywords to better match up with the intent of popular search results. This stresses the importance of understanding what users really want from their keyword searches. Carefully researching general search trends will play a huge role in taking advantage of the BERT algorithm.
2. Google Set to Stay on Top
It comes as no surprise that Google holds the crown as the most used search engine. But just how far ahead of the competition is this search engine titan? Well, results from 2019 show that Google is holding strong with 75% of desktop searches, with the closest competitor being Bing at 9.97%. The Chinese-based search engine, Baidu, was the third-highest used search engine at 9.34%, and Yahoo brought up the rear with 2.77% of desktop searches. Google had just about than 2.3 trillion searches in 2019, and 15% of its daily searches were carried out by new users.
With that being said, it’s more important than ever for businesses to keep up with Google and its search trends. What’s more, you’ll want to aim for being one of the highest-ranking on search results. That’s because 67.60% of user clicks are from the first page of results! Additionally, the average length of articles in the top results of Google is 2,416 words (or 2,312 words for voice searches). And keyword length has also proven to be an important factor in Google search results. Keywords with four or more words have been used more often by users, as they’re hunting for specific information. Google has proven to be not only an asset to businesses but essential to the overall success of their website and internet presence. As we enter 2020, it’s important now more than ever that businesses take full advantage of what Google has to offer.
3. UX (User Experience)
Another one of the top SEO trends for 2020 to watch out for is the growing focus on UX–User Experience. What this really means is optimizing your webpage so that it’s at peak functionality, so that users won’t have any problems using your site. Ensuring that your webpage is at its top technical performance is another important factor in creating positive UX. Setting up your webpage for success in this regard can mean revamping your website, whether it’s minor updates or giving your site a complete overhaul. Technical systems like SEO automation, JavaScript frameworks, and Progressive Web Apps have so far proven to be nearly essential for top functionality.
It’s no surprise that page speed is certainly one of the most important factors in the technical side of UX. Google Chrome has jumped into the ring of UX and speed improvement. The company has added helpful programs like speed reports and “slow warning badges.” In 2020, discussions between webpage owners and their developers will have to focus on speed and performance more than ever. UX goes hand in hand with website traffic, and so those who take measures to create an improved user experience will be able to propel their site to the top of search results.
4. Keep up to Mobile Traffic with Mobile SEO
Trends from 2019 showed that more people are accessing the web through mobile devices than by any other means. Last year, voice searches accounted for 20% of mobile searches. What’s more, almost half of online transactions were carried out on mobile devices. With mobile users taking up 52% of online traffic (compared to desktop users at 45% per cent) it seems that mobile SEO is the inevitable future of the internet for 2020. Google has even been known to prioritize mobile sites for mobile searches. In other words, websites built only for desktop won’t come up at all when searched on a mobile device. So, to keep up with the increasing mobile traffic, it’s important to optimise your website for mobile. That means ensuring you’re optimised for voice search, as well as for overall mobile SEO.
One of the most important measures to take is ensuring that your website looks good on a mobile screen. These days, many website developers suggest that businesses design their website for mobile before they do for desktop. There are also so many different types of mobile devices, from smartphones to tablets and everything in between. Which is why it’s also important that your mobile design adjusts well to the screen size. For more tips on how to get your website in ship-shape for mobile traffic, check out our previous article on mobile SEO.
So there, you have the top 4 upcoming SEO trends for 2020. With so many rapid changes made to Search Engine Optimization and digital marketing in the past year, we can expect 2020 to be even more eventful.