Google’s algorithm changes frequently, so SEO marketers must be aware of these updates to either change or create new digital strategies. Many companies are left wondering what SEO challenges they’ll face.
HubSpot recently published a Report about web traffic and analytics. This report helps you understand how your website is performing and determine what it needs to have to rank at the top of search results.
We decided to write an article based on the report that introduces SEO challenges and the ways to overcome them. Are you prepared?
What SEO challenges can brands expect in 2019?
Look at some of the challenges every marketer should be aware of.
Keep up with algorithm updates.
Google’s algorithm changes constantly, and marketers need to keep up. According to Moz, we’ve had six changes in 2022 and sixteen updates through 2021.
Google’s view of your website can change every time an update is released, which could be good or negative for the content you produce. As you can see below, in 2020, some sites dropped SERP positions.
To avoid such a problem, staying on top of the industry is essential. Producing content on the major topics in your niche will help you get along with the new algorithm.
Search results not ranking higher.
SEO can indeed take time to produce results. But, to achieve them, you must do your homework. To achieve a high ranking on Google, every detail in SEO is essential.
Some websites create great content but need to remember things that may seem silly but are essential.
- heading tags
- alt text;
- Best practices for keywords
- is a secondary keyword for
- author’s signature;
- external and internal backlinks
- Build the content using a topic group strategy.
Google will only rank you well if these (and other) points are included. This is especially true after an update that considers those points.
Keywords used incorrectly
In the distant past, keywords could propel a website to Google’s top page, even with poor content. But, thankfully, times have changed.
Keywords alone are no longer enough to improve organic search results. The user intent behind each keyword is what matters most.
Use tools like SemRush or Keyword Planner to find out what people want. Also, do a Google Search with the keyword. Please list the topics you come across and include them in your article.
Meta descriptions and titles that are compelling
The next step after someone discovers your website in Google’s search engine results is to convince them to click. Your articles should have captivating titles and Meta descriptions.
According to Backlinko’s study, emotional titles are more likely to generate visits and increase your click-through rate ( CTR). We recommend focusing on the problems your audience faces and how you can help them solve them.
Check out the example below.
You can find this article on Copywriting we wrote on Google’s 1st page when you type “copywriting.” This title implies a solution to a problem; we receive over 800 monthly visitors.
Google may also give you a highlighted snippet known as the “position zero” since it’s at the top.
The example shows the article we wrote about Artificial Intelligence Algorithms. According to Backlinko, having it in the featured excerpt position produced good results, with a CTR of 11,8%.
Missing the mark with mobile
Many people access the Internet using mobile devices, much more than desktop computers. Your website needs to be mobile-friendly to keep and attract visitors.
Since July 2019, Google has prioritized mobile versions of websites when indexing and ranking them in SERP. If you know a website that does not perform well on mobile devices, it will likely be ranked poorly on Google.
When you hire a developer to build your website or use a CMS like WordPress, ensure the template is responsive and the page loads quickly. As Google calls it, 53% abandon a mobile website if it takes more than 3 seconds to download.
If your site is slow, many visitors will leave it and visit your competitor’s page. But don’t worry. There is a solution to help you.
Search results that include video
Video content can be beneficial depending on what the user is looking for. If you want to learn how to play the guitar, then a video is better than a blog.
Google is aware of this, so the video appears at the top. Danielle Marshak is Google’s Product Manager. She said that Google was working on and improving more ways to experiment with videos as search results.
If you want to see your videos on SERP, then some best practices should be followed.
- The addition of chapters to your video will help Google better understand the content and display different clips when searching;
- Using the keyword in content: As with articles, you can use the keyword to increase your ranking in Google results by using videos.
- Optimizing your title, description, and thumb image is the same SEO technique you use for your blog posts using Yoast. This must be done to achieve a higher rank and CTR.
- Adding tags: Although they do not help with blogs’ SEO, they still work for videos as they help to find your content.