Google makes over 3200 algorithm updates per year. And when 97% of your ideal audience is using search to find services like yours online, keeping up with the latest changes is imperative.
Based upon the changes Google has implemented in 2019, here are three massive changes coming to SEO in 2020 that you need to know:
#1 Expect Your Website Traffic to Decrease
Nearly half of all searches on Google right now aren’t resulting in clicks through to websites. While this has to do with our #3 massive SEO change coming in 2020, you can expect the click-through-rate to decrease even more in 2020.
That being said, you can expect your organic traffic to also take a hit in 2020. In 2019 alone, organic search on Google fell 8% year-over-year in Q2. Bing and Yahoo organic search was hit even harder with declines of 26% and 11% respectively. With this trend pointing downward, it is forecasted to continue on that path for 2020.
#2 Increased Opportunities for Sales for Ecommerce
In 2019, Google launched a “buy on Google” feature that allows people to buy ecommerce products directly on Google. Up until that point, Shopify was the only large ecommerce option aside from Amazon.
In 2020, you can expect much more competition from Google with Amazon. As they continue to increase the “buy on Google” feature capabilities, those with ecommerce stores will find that they are able to generate more sales even with the decline of website visitors because searches will be able to buy their products directly from Google.
#3 Rich Snippets will Provide Searchers the Information They Need
It used to be that in order to get the information you were searching for, you’d need to click through to a website for answers to your search inquiry. However, as Google continues to get smarter, so does its ability to provide visitors with what they need the moment they arrive – without clicking through.
As we mentioned above, one of the massive SEO changes you can expect to see in 2020 is a decrease in website traffic. And a large part of that comes from the way Google now delivers search results.
Currently, 40% of users ages 14-18 get the information they need from search snippets without ever clicking through, and similarly, 20% of users ages 18-30 gather their answers from snippets as well.
Google wants to ensure searchers a better experience, so they will continue to work towards providing answers visitors are looking for on their search pages. While this is great for user experience, it also will mean reduced traffic back to your site moving forward.
However…that also means the traffic you will get back to your site will increase your conversion rates as those visitors will be looking for something specifically from you.
You Can Achieve the Success Your Business is After Despite the Coming SEO Changes in 2020
Tired of getting caught off-guard when your site rankings drop? Stay on top of the latest changes with Google. See the full list of Google algorithm updates from 2019.
Better yet, leave it to the experts to keep up with the changes for you. Our SEO specialists will create a customized SEO campaign aligned with your business goals as well as your budget. Contact us today to find out more.