Online, only 3 things matter: “Location, location, location.” The better the location, the better chance of being seen and gaining customers. That’s why everyone is fighting for the prime spot – the first page of search results. For this, website owners turn to SEO optimisation services.
Lately, though, it has become harder to rank on Google and other search engines. Their ever-changing algorithms, ads, and snippets have made it more difficult for organic search results to compete for the top spots. But there are other challenges. SEO optimisation experts in Sydney and all across the world has outlined the top 5 SEO challenges to look out for in 2019 as well as some techniques to overcome them.
Top 5 SEO Challenges to Look Out for in 2019
- User Experience
Being user-oriented doesn’t cut it anymore. Sites have to be user-obsessed. Search engines likes it when a site makes visitors happy. The challenge for web developers is to make everything on the site geared towards making the users’ experience better while ensuring the business’ goals and needs are still met. User experience is one of the most important ranking factor in search engines this year.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI has completely changed the way people experience the internet. Smart search results and tailor-fit ads have become important marketing strategies. The challenge for SEO optimisation services is understanding how AI “thinks”. Whoever can crack the way AI thinks holds the key to getting the best search outcomes.
- New Search Engines
Google has a monopoly on internet searches but SEO should not only be about Google. SEO is about visibility everywhere on the web. Take Amazon, for instance. People used Google for all their queries but now, some people go to Amazon when searching for a product. The challenge is ranking everywhere people search for things. If the site sells books, then it needs to rank everywhere books can be bought.
- Snippets
Snippets are search results that give users the exact answer to their question. Snippets are featured in a box on a prime spot that is referred to as “Position Zero”. Case studies show a significant jump in the click through rate and revenue of sites featured as snippets. The challenge is getting the site’s contents as a featured snippet.
- Responsive Web Design (RWD)
It was mobile-first web development in the last few years; but it’s now shifting to RWD. People use different screen sizes and RWD is literally a one-size-fits-all approach. RWD leads to good user experience and user experience leads to higher rankings. The challenge is in integrating RWD in the SEO plan.
One other big thing are your competitors. What are they doing, why are they ranking better? Competitors needs to be monitored in order to be on top of things, you need to know what they are doing, how they are ranking – and do better.
Overcoming SEO Challenges
- Improve user experience by:
- making the site easy to navigate.
- making the site accessible and built with all kinds of users in mind.
- concentrating on text readability.
- organising the elements of the site strategically.
- improving speed and response time.
- Adjust keywords by giving them new semantic values so they meet the AI requirements. For instance, instead of merely mentioning the keywords, explain and/or define them.
- For products, keywords, item descriptions, and content need to be more engaging and user-friendly.
- Optimise the site’s content for featured snippets by using a keyword research tool and other techniques.
- Make sure the site works appropriately on devices of all sizes.
Take note of the top 5 SEO challenges to look out for in 2019 and get that coveted prime location on the web.