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Feb 3, 2020
2019 was a big year for the digital marketing game.
Google released its new BERT algorithm, shifting SEO practices even more towards conversational search queries and focusing on user intent. Augmented reality (AR) and AI voice assistants are steady on the rise, all in the effort of making interactions with a brand more interactive.
The point is, people don’t want to feel tricked with “salesy” ad copy. They want to be engaged.
The state of the digital marketing landscape for 2020 reflects the need for quality content, and enhanced user interfaces. This includes digital marketing strategies that do much more than sell a product or service, while still promoting your business and encouraging positive engagement with your brand.
So, before we take a look at some of the key initiatives you should adopt for the new year, let’s just establish what these new trends are still able to achieve.
No matter the outward trappings, digital marketing strategies should always work to accomplish these specific goals:
Step one, you want to gain organic user traffic on your website and increase the number of unique visitors—both mobile and non-mobile. More visitors mean more people are viewing your web content and learning more about your business.In other words, an increase in user traffic means more potential customers, and a higher conversion rate.
Improving search engine optimization (SEO) for your business includes optimizing your digital content in order to rank higher for search engine results pages (SERPs), where people are browsing for the answers to their questions.From social media content to ad copy and web content, a crucial part of any digital marketing plan has to include SEO marketing.
Conversions are made when a user follows through with a Call-to-Action (CTA) on your website, whether it’s joining a mailing list, placing a call to your business office, scheduling an appointment, or requesting a quote or consultation. Lead generation is the process of turning conversions into actual customers.
Measuring your return on investment (ROI) is always an important aspect of analyzing the costs of your digital marketing strategy, in its individual components, versus how effective that strategy has been for your business.
We’ve looked at the most common goals for a successful strategy, so now let’s examine the trending digital marketing initiatives you should take advantage of in 2020.
As evidenced by the Google BERT algorithm, search engines are becoming even more intelligent by taking semantic search into account. Semantic search allows Google to better analyze search queries for context and compiles search engine results based on how to best answer the user’s question.
This is why SEO marketing is moving away from exact-match keyword optimization. Instead, it’s following Google’s lead by shifting to an emphasis on user intent.
You can do this by creating topic-based web content instead of keyword-based; content that is relevant to your business, in your industry, and answers questions that your potential customers are asking.
Short-form web content is like a dime in the ocean—shiny for an instant, and then it’s gone.
Blog posts churned out at less than 300 words just aren’t going to cut it anymore when it comes to gaining user traffic. Long-form content between 600 to 3000 words, written excellently and exhaustively on one topic, will do more to keep users from leaving your website to find more information elsewhere.
Quick note about content length: People argue about what the right length for web content should be. We find that variation is a good strategy anyway. Being within the 600 to 3000+ range is where you want to be.
6 out of 10 people are watching videos online over actual TV, and you can bet that YouTube is high on that list of platforms.
People are now extremely visual. Considering that search engine crawlers like pulling videos for SERPs, developing video content is more important than ever for SEO, as well as for increasing brand awareness for your business.
If the current digital marketing landscape is all about enhancing the user experience, then it’s a no-brainer that web content should also be more interactive. Most millennials and Gen Zs are no stranger to the Buzzfeed quiz, so take a page out of their playbook with these forms of interactive content:
Augmented reality is also being used to create unique user experiences. This includes digital 3D tours of office spaces, and virtually “trying on” cosmetics and clothing from the convenience of your mobile device.AR is able to add virtual elements to marketing materials. According to Smart Insights, by scanning an area on the item, you can “use AR to present a variety of contact options that will allow the user to get in touch with a single click, whether through email, LinkedIn or by phone call.”
AI voice assistants like Siri and Alexa have created a new form optimization called VEO, or voice engine optimization. Voice search has become an undeniable component of online search queries. It's heavily contributed to the way browser searches have become more conversational, and focused on user intent.
In turn, that’s been a large influence on local SEO (specifically “near me” and other location-based queries), the need for long-tail keywords, and the development of semantic search.
We know how difficult it is to fine-tune your digital marketing plan, especially when it comes to integrating new techniques.Don’t know where to start?Digital Resource is a full-service digital marketing agency that is always looking for new ways to stay ahead of the game. We can help you navigate uncharted territory, explore your options, and come up with a plan for success that works best for your business. Reach out to us today for a consultation with one of our internet marketing consultants!
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