

The Latest SEO Predictions 2019

by Patrick Chemoul Last updated May. 29, 2019

Want to know the Latest SEO Predictions 2019? Then you’re in the right place. 

Because today search engine optimization changes fast and new techniques are constantly emerging. 

After reading this post you’ll know two things: 

1. What are the most important SEO techniques in 2019 and beyond? 

2. How could you use these techniques to improve your search ranking? 

So let’s start right away!

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1. Improve user experience across your entire site

User experience (UX) is how your visitors behave when they interact with your website. 

Or in other words, UX is how easy and pleasant your website is for your visitors? 

When you improve user experience across your entire site, you remove difficulties, reduce friction and smooth UX. 

For instance, if you create a sleek design and an engaging message, your visitors are likely to spend more time on your website. 

If you make navigation and findability of your content easier, your visitors are likely to spend even more time exploring content, products or services. 

Further, if you have a smooth checkout process, they will find themselves more likely to buy from you. 

The key to great UX is having Just Enough Information on your site. 

Just enough information will help them navigate and covert without getting distracted by overwhelming details. 

However, user experience isn’t just about a pretty look and an engaging hook. It goes well beyond these. 

If your website fails to satisfy your users intent -- the purpose why they visit your website -- you're likely to lose them. 

Improving user experience also includes, demonstrating your brand credibility and recognition through social proof, case studies, and testimonials, etc. 

UX is about having a clear call of action and a streamlined checkout process. It is also about prioritizing the content: presenting your users with the most important details first. 

Since user experience provides insights into why people visit your website and whether they get what they want, improving it is crucial for every business in 2019. 

But don’t forget, customer service is also an extension of user experience. 

You should also improve your customer service’s speed, quality, and approach to retain your existing clients and get more.

2. Optimize for voice search

Do you know by 2020, over half of all searches across the internet will be voice-based and voice shopping will soon reach $40 billion

Seeing the advancement in voice-based technology it is safe to assume that the future of search is voice-based. 

However, optimizing for voice search isn't like traditional SEO. Here are 3 things you can do to optimize for voice.

Tip # 1: Become Mobile Friendly 

Since the vast majority of voice searches take place via mobile devices, smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches, it is important you optimize your site for mobile first. Do this: 

1) Have responsive web design - Google recommends to have a responsive web design for mobile. 

2) Make it fast - Your site's loading speed matters. If it's slow most visitors will bounce back. 

3) Have scannable content - Get it. Your visitors don't read. They scan. Optimize your content to make it easy to scan. 

Tip # 2: List to Google My Business 

Google now shows local researches first, particularly for voice search. 
List and optimize your Google My Business page by doing the following: 

1) Add info: Google wants you to tell searchers what your page is about. Choose a proper category and be to the point. 

2) Add photos: Show them where you are and how do you look from outside and inside?  

3) Create posts: Keep them up to date about your new products, offers, and promotions. 

4) Get reviews: Google ranks your business according to your visitors' reviews. Encourage your clients to do that.

5) Create ads: Create Google ads. 

Tip # 3: Use structured data 

Improve your site's code. Add extra codes that can provide your visitors with additional information about your business. 

For example, if visitors search for your business, they should see not only its name but also when you open and close, what are your prices and what is your star ranking as per customer reviews on Google. 

If you are looking for help with your site's structured data, you can reach out to me here.

3. Go into detail – but only when it’s relevant

In-depth content ranks better but not always. 

Producing in-depth content -- copies around 2K words per piece -- is neither easy nor required. 

Previously, it was to have content for the sake of having it. 

But now when Google’s algorithms are getting really smart at sorting search results, it is for the sake of satisfying user intent. 

And to understand user intent you need to go beyond keywords. You need to identify queries. 

If a user searches (via a search box or voice): "How to optimize for voice search?" Chances are he or she is looking for a detailed and step-by-step guide to understand the process.

In this scenario, to satisfy user intent, you better have an in-depth blog post, covering every aspect of the voice search. 

However, if a user searches: "Voice optimizing checklist", he or she might not be looking for a comprehensive, step by step guide. 

In this scenario, to satisfy user intent, you have to have a bullet-pointed checklist, covering all the points. 

Though there's no tool to know how long your content piece should be. But you can always ask yourself the following questions to set a word count: 

1. Is it answering a query? 

2. Is the query exploratory, starts with a what or where? (Usually) 

3. Is the query explanatory, starts with how and why? (Usually) 

4. Is the topic complex, needs examples? 

5. Will it satisfy searchers' purpose? 

6. Is the write up too brief? 

7. Am I stretching it? 

8. What I'd have liked to pop-up for a similar query? 

9. How is it different from other answers? 

10. Am I writing it for the sake of writing or to help searchers? 

Bonus: Combine smaller pieces to convert them into in-depth comprehensive guides. 

4. Conquer video with YouTube SEO

YouTube is not only the second most trafficked website out there but also the world’s second largest search engine

Since Google owns YouTube, most YouTube videos rank on the first page as compared to videos hosted on other sites. 

Therefore it is crucial that you optimize your YouTube to conquer search ranking for video content in 2019. 

Here are two quick hacks that you should use to rank better for video content:

1) Optimize your video for search 

YouTube’s algorithm works pretty much like Google spiders. It makes sense of your video by reading its title and description. 

Video without titles (I wonder if there's any) can't be searched. And videos without proper description rank lower. 

Topic: To create an engaging video title, follow the same rules as you do when creating a blog headline. 

Description: Since YouTube algorithm can't read your video, tell it what your video is about. Remember you are writing for AI. Keep it simple. Concise and to the point. 

Bonus: Upload your video script if you have one. Or convert your 'video to text' and then upload it to the description section. I use for this. 

2) Remember "Go into detail – but only when it’s relevant" rule 

No doubt early research shows that longer videos do better in YouTube search. 

But how about satisfying user intent on YouTube? Well, it matters. 

If a user wants to watch a quick video on "SEO techniques in 2019" you can't make him watch a video for an hour. 

If you google "SEO techniques in 2019" Youtube will show you videos of 5 to 10 minutes to 1 hour. 

Again it's about identifying the search query and then answering it. Going to details but only when required. 

5. Build a variety of backlinks

Backlinks are one of the oldest ranking factors but still important in the SEO world. In fact, they are the #1 factor

However, what has changed is how Google treats different links. Now the search engine's algorithm takes into account the quality of backlinks. 

Good quality links improve your site ranking and bad quality links bring it down. 

Links such as in text or referral citations, testimonials, and interviews, etc. are considered good. Whereas, links such as blog comments and paid links, etc. are considered bad. 

However, excessive high-quality links from one or two websites can't get the job done. 

Instead, such links, no matter from super credible sites, can lead you to a Google penalty. 

Therefore, having diversified credible backlinks is imperative. 

Here are 10 proven methods you can use to (build) diversify your backlinks:

Method # 1. The broken-link building method: Find broken links on a website. Reach the owner. Tell them to replace it with yours. 

Method # 2. Backlinks through infographics: Create helpful infographics. People are likely to share these with their audience, giving your credit and backlinks. 

Method # 3. Backlinks through guest articles: Find opportunities, do guest posting. Also, write opinion pieces. 

Method # 4. Reach sites backlinking your competitors: Produce something super cool and reach out to sites that have backlinked your competitors. Ask them nicely consider sharing your "GREAT" piece too. 

Method # 5. Build internal links: So that Google can now see different content on your site. Also, this will help people cite you more often. 

Method # 6. Share your content: You wrote it. Now promote it. Sharing your content with your email subscribers increases your readership and gets you more backlinks. 

Method # 7. Backlinks through testimonials: Write testimonials. These are high-quality links, don't miss them. 

Method # 8. Backlinking through volunteering: Be a volunteer. Donate blood. Donate money. Work with community organizations. Help them and they will acknowledge it. Mention you on their site. 

Method # 9. Backlinking through public speaking: This is not for everyone. But yes, you can always go to seminars and conferences and earn links from government and non-profit websites. 

Method # 10. Backlinks through interviews: Keep in touch with journalists and researchers. See an opportunity to get interviewed and lock it.  

Follow these methods and you’ll end up getting a variety of links pointing to your website, including links from: 

- Blogs 
- Author Bios 
- Product/Service Pages 
- Testimonials 
- News Sites 
- Forums 
- Directories 
- NGO's 
- Government Organizations 

Final words

If you want to improve your search ranking in 2019, you should start practicing these techniques from today. 

Remember user experience is not just about the design of your website, it’s about meeting your users' expectations.

Voice search is here to stay. Optimize for it or else you have already lost the SEO game. 

Create content to satisfy user intent. Write in-depth pieces only when required. Write bullet-points when needed. Combine short pieces to create comprehensive guides. 

Your customers want to see your product or service in action. 

Create video content. SEO your YouTube channel and improve your ranking. 

Backlinks are still the #1 ranking factor. But don’t go for all backlinks. Go for high-quality backlinks and diversify them. 

What SEO techniques are you following in 2019? Share your SEO techniques with me.