Mobile-first indexing
Google launched its mobile-first index earlier this year, so brands should be doing everything they can to update content for smartphones. Mobile will be big again in 2019, so if you haven’t made the switch yet, you should consider getting it done before the year is out. Any mobile version type will be sufficient. You can use tools such as PageSpeed Insights to see how fast your mobile pages are loading and WebSite Auditor to determine the quality of the user experience.
Page speed
Google is always eager to serve up the fastest reading experience possible for end users and recently introduced page speed as a ranking factor on mobile. This means that you need to pay close attention to your “optimisation” score as this will directly affect any push for faster loading times. To improve this, Google recommends optimising images, prioritising visible content, and avoiding landing page redirects among other rules.
Brand ranking
Google’s Gary Illyes revealed the importance of “brand mentions” as a factor in the search algorithm last year. Google is now able to determine your authority within a particular field, so publishing high-quality editorials and content that positions you as a leading voice on a particular subject is of growing importance.
Brand reputation and the sentiment associated with mentions also plays a role in how web pages rank in Google SERPs. In 2019, make sure that you address customers’ needs and pains, use influencers to amplify messages and learn from competitors who use SEO strategies that work.
GDPR
The arrival of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was a big event for business in 2018, and brands should continue to overhaul data efforts to comply with the new rules. If you have European customers, then make sure that you update privacy policies, review data collection sources, and revise cookie content forms.
Amazon search
Finally, Amazon has emerged as the e-commerce equivalent of Google search. More than half of consumers say that they visit Amazon immediately when they begin their shopping journey. It is an excellent outlet for keyword research, so consider using a tool such as Rank Tracker to find relevant topics for content creation.
