If you are wondering why your website isn’t generating leads like it used to, it may be because you are not appearing on the first page or pages of a Google search. The first page gets more than 98% of all clicks for products and services. Google processes 63K searches per second, and their evolving algorithms which aim to ensure quality results mean search engine optimization is more important than ever.
- 57% of B2B marketers say SEO generates more leads than any other marketing initiative.
- 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search engine queries.
- 57% of clicks go to the first three search results.
Top trends for SEO in 2020
1. Keywords
Most people think that SEO means stuffing as many keywords as possible into a page.
While that was true, Google punished this practice by updating their algorithms to curtail “over-optimization.” Today, there is more emphasis on the context of the content and the use of interrelated keywords. That is another way of saying they reward natural, logical content that’s solidly researched and clearly organized. But, according to Moz’s most recent research, they still rank keywords as the third most important piece of the search algorithm.
Tips: Mention keywords where they matter the most: Headings, title tags and meta descriptions are excellent places to incorporate important keywords for your business. It is also important to internally link keywords in your content to other pages on your site.
2. Mobile first
Randall-Reilly research shows that 74% of truck owners and 66% of construction equipment owners use their smartphones to access the Internet, and Google now indexes mobile phone search over desktop versions.
Page load speed is also a key factor influencing search. Sites that load in 5 seconds (compared to those that load in 19 seconds) see 70% longer average sessions.
Sixty-seven percent of online shoppers will abandon their carts on a slow website; improving load speed by one second can increase conversion rates by between 10% and 20%.
Tips: Remove anything that slows down your website such as large images, flash graphics and unnecessary plug-ins. We highly recommend page loading speed be 3 seconds or less as this is most optimal for user experience.
3. Videos as an information source
People are choosing to get their information from video, and an engaging, dynamic video can be optimized to reach more users.
Tips: Add keywords to the headline and video description to reach a larger number of people interested in your company’s product. If you are creating a video that will be uploaded to YouTube, try to incorporate keywords into your dialogue, because Google can read the transcript of the video and attribute those valuable keywords to your website.
4. Content that connects
Google continues to reward longer, informative, well-researched content that gives answers to your industry’s key pain points. Avoid salesy, marketing-heavy content that’s easily dismissed by online consumers.
Good content options include podcasts, images, video and infographics.
Tips: Use keywords in your image file names and alternative texts. If you are creating a YouTube video, try to incorporate keywords into your dialogue because Google can read the transcript of the video and attribute those valuable keywords to your website.
Conclusion
There’s a lot of tough competition for the top real estate on Google. In fact, more than two-thirds of all clicks go to the first five organic results. A good SEO strategy can improve your company’s Google ranking, enhance user experience and improve the quality of website traffic. If you don’t have in-house SEO expert, consider hiring an SEO consultant who can evaluate your website and create a plan.
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