SEO that works in 2019
It is year 2019. Since Google rise, several basic search optimization rules have changed with the exact opposite. SEO becomes “whiter”, and in turn Google fighting manipulative methods mush and mush harder. But there are some website promoting methods that always work. Most of them are related to on-page SEO.
Structured data
Structured data allows search engines to understand your content better. Also, it’s a great way to highlight your site in Google’s enhanced search results. And this in turn allows you to increase the number of transitions from the organic search (click through rate, which is also a search signal).
(Although currently, the click through rate does not work so straightforward: more clicks on the search result page does not mean the higher ranking. At the moment, Google applies a more sophisticated algorithm that takes into account the behavior of the user on the site after the transition from SERP, as well as the user category depending of his searches history: an expert, a standard user, etc. But this is not a part of this post.)
Credit – developers.google.com
Structured data is a powerful SEO tool. Therefore they are often abused. It is important to implement this tool in accordance with Google’s recommendations. Otherwise the structured data will not be included in the advanced search. And in cases of manipulating, it can only hurt and impose website on sanctions from search engines.
A few niches in which using of structured data can give better results:
- Work / recruiting
- Event organization
- Beauty / health / SPA
It’s important to follow above Google recommendations. Also, you can find some ideas from your competitors websites and niche leaders.
Content freshness
Google love fresh content and instant updates. Freshness of the page content is determined by several factors. The easiest way is to specify it is the page date.
When you receive search results that have an old date you may find them less relevant, because much may changed since the article was published. And vice versa – fresh content represent the state at the moment, therefore it is considered more useful by the user.
Even a simple page date update (and in structured data as well) can increase the position of your site in the search engine results.
But first of all you need to pay attention to the freshness of the content itself (not just changing the date). As it has been said, Google implements an intelligent user tracking system. For example, if an user, who according to his historical search analysis has identified by Google as an expert, transit to your content and find it outdated, this expert will quickly leave your page. This action will be determined by Google, and since the user has been categorized as an expert, his behavior is highlighted. That will have negative influence.
Internal links still mutter
Of course, the times when SEO specialists tried to define the “golden internal links scheme ” have passed. Earlier, some people tried to increase SEO weight of the pages without any external links – only using internal links (which also pass in a certain weight – by theory).
Now such endeavors look like an invention of the “perpetual motion”, or an attempt to “get something from nothing.” Internal links cannot generate as much weight as a high-quality external link can.
But using internal links we can organize content properly, we can highlight some content and optimize users flow of on our website.
Titles
An impact of titles on website ranking in search results was different at different times, and it was always difficult to measure and evaluate it. However, almost nobody doubted that the titles IS an important SEO signal ever.
Again, time over time requirements for constructing “best titles” varied. However, two rules were always actual:
- The title should include keywords
- The title should be selling one
How to prioritize these rules depends on you and your strategy. But here are some recommendations for each one.
Keywords
It is good practice to use direct main keyword.
If you have individual pages optimized for “product A” and “product A sales “, it good to have second page containing ” product A sales” in the title.
It is good practice to use several keys in the title, the key absorption.
If you have one page optimized for “products A sales ” and “products A London”, it good to have the page containing ” product A sales in London ” in the title.
Selling one
Selling titles are some per cent science / some per cent art. But here are some examples Paola Dione provides in his blog at Moz:
Include year in the title, it also signals of freshness.
Original Title: “Book Your Trip to Hawaii Now [brand name]”
Changed Title: “Hawaii Trip 2019/2010 | Book now | [brand name]”
Include the lowest price:
Original Title: “Cheap Flights to Hawaii – [brand name]”
Changed Title: “Cheap Flight to Hawaii from $400 – [brand name]”
Paola also provides examples of practices that have a negative impact:
- Adding two or more products in the title
- Adding emoji
Backlinks
Yeah, I know, it’s filled up with oozomina. Especially since it is recommended to solve almost any problems:
Create high quality content – and you’ll get [some benefit of SEO]
In this case, to make people share links to your site and get backlinks you need to create useful, high-quality content.
That sounds like bullying. Who needs useless, poor-quality content? No one. Everyone needs a useful / quality one. The question is how to get it practically.
Focus on your professional experience. You should be an expert in your niche, and the buyer would not. This is natural. So do not wait until you’ll be asked questions directly. Prepare the answers. Provide a review of some trends or model comparisons. It is always interesting for people and they are ready to share it.
You can find possible ideas by starting some poll. A poll is a useful thing by itself – it creates a “hype”, a buzz, attracts attention to you. People think you are interesting in their mind. Who does not love when someone interested in his minds? And you will define some topics that will give you highest engagement.
This is a method for obtaining links in 2019. Of course, ability to purchase external links to your website still available. At the moment, that’s true, many websites are ranked high due to the “commercial links”. And Google still does not penalize ALL these links. Actually, it may not find them at all – all of them.
The thing is the philosophy of evaluating links and SEO signals has changed now. Links are treated as a SEO signals not as they are, not when they are just existing. Searching engines consider many factors – for example, transitions and post transition behavior. If a person comes from some external link but don’t find you content interesting he will leave your website. And Google will see that.
We have not bad post about post click behavior and how Google it, but
useful high-quality content is a key to getting good external links with good post click behavior.
Conclusion
That were SEO techniques that work in 2019. We told how they should be implemented and applied. We did not cover technical SEO – and specifically performance optimization and website speed. Because technical aspect is simply measured, and its impact can be quickly seen.
Instead of that, SEO strategies give a measurable result with a significant inertia. You can see it at a certain time. Accordingly, often the effectiveness of investing in SEO is clear when the strategy itself is difficult to adjust. It is therefore very important to use proven methods. This will allows you and your site to become successful. We wish you that!