Top Ranking Signals to Pay Attention In 2019

With Google changing its search algorithm so regularly we seem to have new ranking signal champions to root for every year. In 2014, it was site security (https), 2015 had your websites mobile responsive status, and 2016 shifted to more content driven ranking signals with Rank Brain. But what about 2019? What ranking signals should you focus on if you want to win at SEO and get your website to the top of Google search?

Ranking Signals to Focus On, In 2019
We might never know definitely what the best ranking signals are but based on the data analysis we do year on year it is safe to assume that the following signals should be given priority in 2019.

1. Quality Content
Right from when search was invented to this present day content is and forever will be king of the internet. It’s what your customer are looking for after all. Content can come in a variety of formats, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, or some other form. What’s important to note is that only the best quality content will help your website really flourish online.

But what do we mean by high quality content? This can be broken down into content that is easy to read, keeps the user engaged longer on your page, and actually provides information that helps the customer in the long run.

2. Voice Search Optimization
With AI assistants gaining popularity it won’t be long till voice search will beat out typed search. In fact, more than 72% of the people surveyed have already admitted to using the voice search option of their assistants (this includes Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa, Bixby) at least once a day.

As you move into 2019 you should definitely focus on optimizing your text for voice search. Basically your content should be more in line with how people will speak rather than how they would read.

3. Structured Data and Snippets
If you haven’t yet started using structured data and schema to mark-up your text it won’t be long before your competition speeds past you. Scheme markups help make your search results more visually appealing. This could be by adding images to your search content, by displaying reviews of the products on display or even simply by providing in-site links for the customer to click on.

Rich snippets have known to increase click through rates as well as reduce bounce rates because the customer gets a preview of what they’ll be receiving on the page. So make sure to optimize your content accordingly so as to not disappoint your customer when they click on your link.

4. Mobile Responsive Sites
With more and more customers moving to a mobile first experience you can’t be seen lagging behind in your websites mobile responsiveness. Please keep in mind that the last mobile friendly ranking signal was launched in 2015 but we are seeing more signs of mobile responsive websites doing better on search.

However, considering the mobile first indexing it is prudent that you pay attention to how you treat your sites responsive elements.

5.User Experience Improvements
One of the biggest ranking signals you should focus on in 2019 is the user experience of your website visitors. Here are some stunning statistics that will help you pay more attention to your UX design.
– More than 30% of the people admitted to clicking on the back button even before they had a chance to read the content if they did not like the design or layout.
– Using better fonts and calling out call-to-action buttons more vividly tends to increase conversions by up to 60%.

User experience signals matter because they impact your on-page time, your bounce rate which play a big role in your search engine rank.

Conclusion
If you pay attention to these 5 top ranking signals to focus on in 2019 you should do fairly well in Google’s search engine results. If you need help with your company’s SEO efforts we’re just a click away. Get in touch today.