Google’s BERT technology has shaken up the SEO world in recent weeks and its impact will continue to be felt into 2020, but what other trends will affect strategies and campaigns as the new decade begins? Here are four predictions from search experts for the new year.
Content, from the top down
Content is the nectar for SEO – everything flows through it. Expert Anna Crowe believes that content “affects everything” related to SEO and that brands need to write web copy and content marketing that is both relevant and valuable in 2020.
Brands can also “future proof” themselves on Google by mastering their content output for a particular topic. From there will come site authority and higher demand for content, which will in turn drive better ROI.
Topics, not keywords
IBM Global SEO strategist Jesse McDonald believes that a singular focus on keywords can hold marketers back as it encourages a spray and pray strategy and an obsession with page views and vanity metrics.
Instead, a broader view of topics can help brands to address conversations “holistically” and organically. First and foremost, marketers should understand their audience and know what answers they are craving.
Audit, to prevent overlap
The new year is a great time to take a step back and analyse what you are doing and where you may be going wrong. Running a content audit, even a quick one, can help with issues such as overlapping rankings and topic saturation.
From here, Aimclear VP Michelle Robbins recommends creating high-quality, optimised content from the ground up with users in mind rather than Google and other search engines. Natural language is set to win big in 2020, so focus on that.
Translate, transcreate
Partnering with an agency specialised in translation and transcreation services should be a high priority in 2020 as international SEO takes greater precedence on the back of a growing demand for localised content and experiences.
AJPR president Motoko Hunt adds: “Many global websites have poorly translated content that hasn’t been edited for the local tongue.
“It’s not the placement of the keywords, it’s about how well your content is written for the local audience.”
