If you’re reading this article, then you are probably interested in improving your digital marketing presence. Part of improving that presence is having a great SEO strategy and part of that SEO strategy is keeping up with every Google algorithm update. This can be incredibly challenging and time consuming to do. We’ve reached out to the top digital marketing experts to ask them what strategies to implement in 2019.
Need For New Websites
Consistently we see a need for websites. Texas is rated the number one state for Women Entrepreneurs in 2019 (fitsmallbusiness.com) and the number one state for business startups for the second year in a row (dallasnews.com). As a result of this positive startup environment, many new businesses are popping up in need of websites and digital services. Our digital agency has seen a doubling of demand for digital marketing for small-medium businesses in 2019. We believe this trend will continue to grow in 2020,” says Jordan Sherrod of M. Roberts Digital.
“The second most popular demand of our services is geofencing. Geofencing of competitors and specific locations is appealing to small business owners. For those who have never heard of geofencing, its always fun to see their face light up in amazement when we explain the power of the technology.”
Tommy Crowe of Next Up Marketing shares these sentiments. “When it comes to SEO, it’s essential to have a quality website that abides by Google’s standards, builds trust, and converts visitors into leads. I’ve come by numerous clients who have wanted to begin an SEO campaign but their website is simply not where it needs to be. The fact of the matter is, you can drive traffic to a bad website all day but that website will not convert and the client will not see results. Long story short, a quality website is essential to quality SEO performance.”
The rise of DIY website builders for small business owners has been a blessing. they can now have a fully updated website create fast and without the pain associated with traditonal web design.
Structured Data
“Q&A structured data really started getting popular this year, with major movement for our clients focused keywords,” echoes Richard Rubenstein of Kadima Digital. “We saw jumps into the top 3 results after just a couple days of implementation.”
White Hat SEO Techniques
“I think we can all refer to the old adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Regardless of the updates, new techniques, and the “latest” SEO methodology, it appears that solid, white hat SEO techniques, hard work, and superior creativity will always overcome competition. Something that is necessary for success in any industry,” says Andy Roessler of Diamond R Creative.
“Digital Marketing is not Rocket Science, however, it is Rocket Fuel for your business,” adds Steven Walters of 10:23 Digital Marketing.
Prioritize SEO
“For all industries to be more competitive, companies need to prioritize an SEO/content marketing strategy which should include organic backlinks and a keyword-rich content outline,” mentions Holly Rollins of 10x Digital Marketing Agency. “This annual practice is almost as important as their business plan and should be a key component of any program of work–which should be reviewed quarterly.”
Differentiate Your Brand
“Sound marketing requires differentiating your brand from other offers and affiliating with values your market shares, so that everything you do reinforces the position you want to occupy in your prospect’s life,” says Tim Johnson of Espresso Moon. “People consider your offer based on your similarity to your peers, but they choose based on your differences. SEO can dilute your underlying brand promise with generic, short-sighted pitches, or it can strengthen your brand’s position by consistently pivoting around the core values that make your offer unique.”
Link Building Matters
“For our clients targeting local customers, link building and geo-targeted keywords are still the most effective strategy,” echoes Matt McKenna of Delt. “Things like page speed and voice search have had little (if any) impact on their industries. We’ve also noticed pretty consistent rankings across mobile and desktop search engines.”
Focus On Top 3 Organic Spots
“As Google continues to expand their search features, organic listings are becoming buried beneath maps, images, and shopping ads,” says Mark Kelly of 10Turn. “Page one no longer guarantees success as it has in the past. In order to see a significant ROI, businesses should focus on becoming one of the first three organic listings.”
Leverage Technology
“2019 is all about SEO A/B split testing, Artificial Intelligence and chatbots, automated ad bidding, more personalization for advertising messages, video marketing, and influencer marketing. These are the top things I’ve seen really take off this year,” says Johnathan Rapp of JR Digital Marketing.
Content Meant For Users
“Consumers increasingly expect bite-sized, personalized, and conversational content. Our digital marketing strategies must come into alignment to be effective,” says Bill Rice of Kaleidico.
