While content still reigns in 2019, Google is making some technical and search-related changes that are bound to impact every business’s SEO and search marketing strategy. Consider these tips from our digital achievers as you adapt your SEO strategy to a new year and create a complementary action plan for content marketing, paid search and social media management.

1. Think Mobile.

If you have yet to develop a responsive web design, the time is now. As part of its commitment to optimizing the user’s search experience, Google is making big waves in 2019 with a mobile-first indexing approach (which actually started last year). This means Google’s bots use “mobile eyes” to crawl your responsive site before crawling your desktop site. If your website isn’t responsive or translates poorly to phone, tablet and phablet use, Google will still index your desktop site—but your rankings will likely drop. Ask Webconsuls how we can help with new and adapted responsive designs and search strategy.

2. Think Beyond Keyword Strings.

Search engines have gotten smarter since the days of exact-match keyword strings. What’s important today is creating high-quality, accurate and authentic content that’s useful to users andmeets their search intent. Google and other search engines can now pick up the subtleties of concepts and topics rather than simply ranking for a particular word-for-word phrase. Using the latest keyword-research techniques and our in-depth understanding of 2019 Google logarithms, Webconsuls provides content marketing, SEO strategy and digital marketing consulting services that ensure your content rises to Google’s complex expectations.

3. Don’t Neglect Voice Search.

Thousands of homes now rely on the artificial intelligence assistance of their favorite Google Home or Amazon Echo—which throws yet another boomerang into the already complicated search mix. Although Webconsuls doesn’t recommend hanging your SEO hat on the outdated idea of keyword stuffing, we also teach clients that long-tailed keywords and exact search terms enable more accurate voice search.

4. Listen to Your Audience.

It can be tempting to immerse yourself in Google research, spend all day reading SEO blogs and try to refine your SEO strategy in a vacuum. Instead of being a student of Google, become a student of your target audience. Before you write or optimize an article, conduct research about your target audience, consume media from their primary influencers, listen to their search vocabulary and build buyer personas that give you a focused marketing direction. If this sounds overwhelming, Webconsuls provides digital marketing consulting services tailored to your needs. Our digital achievers stick with you through each phase of the marketing and SEO process while teaching you to implement timely SEO strategies on your own. After all, what good is a consulting service if it doesn’t teach, equip and empower you to make positive change?

5. Technical SEO Matters.

Aside from on- and off-page SEO, Google holds your website to a technical standard. Technical SEO is the process of optimizing your web pages so Google can effectively access, crawl and interpret your website. Technical SEO has little to do with content or website promotion, and more to do with your site’s infrastructure. Here are three tips for improving your site’s technical SEO. 

1. Obtain SSL certification.If your site is unencrypted and does not yet have an SSL certificate, Google flags your site as “unsecure.” This is concerning to visitors and detrimental to your search results. At Webconsuls, we can help you address this problem by obtaining and installing an SSL certificate.
2. Prioritize loading speed.Best-in-class websites should load within three seconds or less. If your website is clunky and slow, Google will lower your ranking and visitors will leave before they’ve gotten to know you. Webconsuls makes sure your desktop and mobile pages load quickly and meet Google’s rigorous technical standards.
3. Talk to Webconsuls about AMP-ing up your site. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMPs) are designed to load even faster than mobile-responsive designs, and this speed protocol is gathering momentum in 2019. We’ll make sure your new website is incorporating these fast-loading page structures, where applicable, for optimal user experience.

Partner With Webconsuls During 2019

Meet the team of digital achievers that’s changing the SEO landscape in Nashville and beyond. With SEO, digital marketing and consulting services tailored to your branding needs, we provide integrated digital solutions that move your brand—and your search rankings—forward. We’re experts in search strategy and the latest Google logarithms, and we’re ready to ready to put decades of collective marketing expertise to work for you. Happy New Year! Welcome to a new (and exciting) year of search!