The Future of Search: Predictions for SEO
Based on 2020 trends the future will likely bring many SEO opportunities. Search engine results pages (SERPs) present a winner take all landscape for high-volume keywords. Where text searches typically provide ten search results, voice searches usually provide only one, in some cases two or three. New SERP formats and recent search algorithm updates have lead to a more fragmented search ecosystem than ever before. Additional features like snippets, maps, and local service ads equal lower click through rates, which means more competition for traffic from SEOs.
Voice and Video Search
Google and Amazon are honing in on natural language processing and long-tail searches. This means there will be more differentiation for the search results of each query. Each query will be evaluated and ranked based on more subjective merits for each page respectively, rather than serving one search results page to a bucket of different long tail queries with similar search intent.
Fragmented Search Ecosystem
Instead of one search results page for ten different queries, you might see ten search results pages for that same set of queries instead. This differentiation and sorting is based on advanced indexing techniques and qualitative metrics, such as parity between searcher intent and content. This leads to an opportunity for creators who can produce goal focused content for search results wherever under-served search intent exists.
Data and Metadata
Podcasting and vlogging are still in early stages of how accessible they are to search engines. As technology improves at transcribing audio and video content and parsing data from that content into relevant snippets. The high volume and speed of creating and processing information that can now be parsed and re-purposed through voice and video will allow these media formats to thrive, better serving search intent to the breadth and depth of long tail queries.
Search Intent Matching Drives Success
Search engines will continue to become more adept at processing and indexing content and snippets of that content that are relevant to the user’s search intent. This presents an opportunity for technical SEO developers to utilize both traditional search as well as voice and video SEO techniques including metadata, json-ld scripts, and alexa skills to serve relevant information that better matches searcher intent and capitalizes on the new frontier of voice and video search in regards to SEO.
