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Optimizing Your Page for People Matters Most in 2019

Are you ready to optimize your site for success? 2019 will be the year where clients matter the most.

We all want to get to the top of the search engine results page. Unfortunately, no one can get too complacent about their ranking once they do reach that coveted place on page No. 1. That’s because search engines constantly update the algorithms that they use to determine which site ranks where. The reason they create these algorithms is to better serve their client base — the searchers. If you want to improve in 2019, you had better serve this client base as well. We’re about to see a new era unfold this year: the era of optimizing for the people. So, how can you do that?

 

The Tools You Need to Get Started

We’re going above and beyond to give customers what they want this year, so you need to have the best SEO tools available at your fingertips. You don’t have to fork over a fortune for these tools, but you should prepare to make a small investment — especially if you plan on doing the optimization yourself.

Keywords still play a significant role in how you rank. That’s why you need keyword research tools that contain a comprehensive suite of elements as well as proper plugins, which help serve your audience better. If you’re a seasoned SEO pro (or at least have enough experience to hack it by yourself), choose a tool like Moz Pro. It has the largest set of applications out there, including keyword research, SERP position monitoring, backlink building and crawling, among others. Packages range from $99 to $1,000 per month.

If you don’t have as much experience, SpyFuis an excellent tool for beginners to use. It’s user-friendly and provides competitor information (spying on the enemy, anyone?) as well as keyword research and ROI-tracking so that you can see how well your SEO works. These plans are a bit more affordable at $33-$299 per month.

 

2019 is a Year for Content Above Keywords

Just because you employ a suite of world-class SEO tools doesn’t mean you’ll shoot right to the top of the SERPs. You need to produce high-quality and user-friendly content to stay ahead of the curve.In 2019, you need to write how-to guides and comprehensive pieces full of exciting information.

You must create relevant and fresh content thatserves a specific purpose. It answers a question, entertains the reader or provides valuable information. The content you produce must also relate to and hopefully, reflect both your product and your brand personality. It should speak to your audience in a voice they both understand and love to hear.

For example, if you run a cooking website, post in-depth articles on different methods of cooking. You can cover sauté, sous vide and others. If you run a poker site, create articles based on different types of games like creating a Texas Hold ‘em guide, and the next week, publish an article about the origins of Omaha Hi-Lo.

Good content is easy to read and diverse in nature, but it still relates back to your business. It utilizes user-friendly vocabulary rather than technical terms. It’s broken up into sections, providing relief for the scrolling eye as well as entertainment for the wandering mind. It is succinct and fluff-free.

Does that mean you’ll better serve with shorter pieces? Absolutely not. According to Forbes, long-form content is in this year. Indeed, it’s number one on their list of SEO trends for 2019. The reason for this is simple: long-form content (2,000 or more words) provides more information and is more likely to serve the user.

Use these tried-and-true methods to create long-form content that grabs user attention and helps you rank well. Source: Ignite Visibility

 

Increasing Audience Dwell Time

Google tracks how much time your customers spend on your site. When they spend a lot of time, it means they’ve read through an entire piece of content. Because they liked your content, you’ll receive an increase in rankings and site authority. That means you need to create content they’ll want to consume, which isn’t hard. Readers on a cooking website want to know about different cooking methods while readers on a poker site are interested in different games. By creating content that caters to your users, you increase the chance that they’ll stay on your page.

Site layout and graphics are critical as well. Using appropriate graphics that tell a story and illustrate your point in a way that is easy to understand and simple to look at will take you further. Infographics are in, so use them frequently — but not so much that your articles are one long infographic with bites of text in between. They need to have substance.

You also need to do everything in your power to increase the loading speed of your page. It’s 2019. People can get information at the touch of a button, and they want it instantaneously. If your site takes too long to load, people won’t wait for it. They’ll go back and click on a different article and site, and you’ll lose them.

 

Maximizing Consumer Experience on Your Site

Consumer experience on your site doesn’t only rely on creating outstanding content, although that is a significant part of it. You need to utilize web design elements to boost consumer experience (and SEO) as well.

This year, it’s also especially imperative to make sure your site is for mobile devices. Eliminate unnecessary JavaScript, as this will slow down mobile speeds and cause customers to look elsewhere for answers. Therefore, use every resource available to you to optimize your page with mobile devices because so many users utilize their phones, not only to view sites but to make purchases as well. Take advantage of this.

Examples to Look Toward

One of the best things you can do to ensure your success is to look toward those who are already successful. Nearly every industry out there has a website you can look toward for inspiration. Are you trying to start up a movie review website? Look toward established review greats like Rotten Tomatoes. This site allows user input on every level, giving a voice to those who don’t wish to remain silent while still ensuring fresh content with a relevant and constantly updated blog. It’s interesting, has a lot of levels and works.

Are you trying to market a game or start up an online casino? The iGaming industry also has its fair share of expertly optimized websites you can look to for guidance. For example, the 888poker site checks all the boxes mentioned above. The layout and imaging of the landing page are set up for easy use as well as visual appeal. It gives consumers plenty to look at while still offering high visibility and actionable links for those who are ready to get started playing online poker immediately. But it’s not pushy. For those who want to know more before they dive in, there is plenty of highly organized and in-depth content for customers to use like poker strategy guides and how-to manuals. Furthermore, they have special offers and promotions to entice new players as well as the old.

If you’re looking to market your business online, check out successful competitors. For example, say you own a grocery store and want to promote it online. Look at what the big guys do like Kroger. The site is clean-cut and well-designed but has tons of information to look at as well as incentives for customers to visit. They offer online coupons, gift cards and tons of promotions to keep shoppers loyal. They also offer appropriate informational pages to draw you in like recipes and Kroger-specific news articles.

Whether you’re running a review site, a poker site or any other site, you can utilize the methods described here. Optimize for people first, and your success will be guaranteed. So, why are you waiting? Take the first step on the road to improvement today.