SEO in 2020: Tips and Trends for your Business

In MARKETING
12 March 2020
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As the amount of content available online continues to grow, the most effective ways to be discovered from a simple search are changing. The basics of SEO in 2020 are still simple. Your content should be fully indexed, easy to link to and from and include relevant keywords in titles, descriptions and even URLs.

If you’re publishing your content digitally on Calaméo, you’re in luck—all of that is a snap to accomplish. So we decided to go a step further and look at some of the biggest new trends in search engine optimization strategy. Keep reading for the five things you need to know about SEO in 2020, as well as our best tips for your business.

SEO in 2020: Emerging Trends

MOBILE SEARCH

Our first pick for SEO in 2020 goes beyond just being mobile-friendly. Last year, 55% of all internet traffic came from smartphones and tablets. As a result, all of your content from blog posts to product catalogs should always be responsive. But to take advantage of the 58% of searches happening on mobile, every related element needs to be optimized for phones. Titles, descriptions and embeds should sized to display correctly on smaller screens so readers can more easily find and explore your content.

VOICE SEARCH

Next on our list is a trend that’s been buzzy for quite a while now: searching the internet by using your voice. For several years, the popularity of devices like the Apple Watch and Google Home has been increasing. Since these devices allow users to ask questions out loud and receive answers from Google, Amazon and other services, search engines have started taking voice into account as they index content. Although it seems unlikely that voice will take over search any time soon, you may want to try out getting some of your content voice-ready in 2020.

NATURAL LANGUAGE

In the same vein as voice search, natural language search is set to be an important trend for SEO in 2020. Originally announced in a Google search algorithm update at the end of 2019, BERT means that the search engine will focus less on individual keywords and more on user intent. In other words, Google will get better and better at understanding complicated and conversational searches. The good news? Natural language search should make high-quality content even easier to find.

MORE ADVERTISING

After introducing its natural language search update, Google shook things up again when it changed the design of search results. This redesign included site favicons displayed next to the URL snippet of organic results. But the small “Ad” label in the same place for paid results caused controversy about ads looking more like regular content than ever before. While Google ultimately removed the favicons from desktop search, the lesson for SEO in 2020 is clear: paid results are here to stay.

FEWER CLICKS

The last major SEO trend on our list is the growth of so-called “zero click” searches. That is to say, searches where the user does not click on any of the results at all. Instead, she finds the desired information directly on the results page and ends her search there. Almost half of all searches were zero-click on desktop in 2019. And that number topped 60% for searches on mobile devices. In short, the zero-click search adds another challenge to the SEO puzzle.

SEO in 2020: Quick conclusions

So what does all of this mean for your business’s online content? Here are a few simple recommendations.

  • Focus SEO efforts on essential content. With more competition for fewer clicks, don’t spend too much time trying to be the number-one result for every possible search out there. Choose keywords wisely and optimize your content so searchers can find you when it counts. And remember to consider potential natural language searches!
  • Boost your brand name in natural results. Despite the trends towards more ads in search results, you should still aim to be the top results for your own company name. Try customizing your account URL on Calaméo to increase your brand name’s visibility and optimize your publications.
  • Maximize direct user contact. Above all, SEO is one part of a larger digital strategy. If your business is using content marketing, for example, you’ll also want to encourage readers who find your content through search to become subscribers. Add sign-up forms to gather email addresses and stay in touch with your audience through their inboxes.

And there you have it—five big trends and three quick takeaways to help you get a handle on SEO in 2020. Not sure where to begin with your online content? Take a look at our Guided Tour to see all of the advantages that digital publishing has to offer on Calaméo.

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Podcasts have become increasingly popular in recent years. Many people launch their own podcasts to share their passion or expertise with the world. However, with so many podcasts available, it’s legitimate to wonder whether it’s still a good idea to launch your own in 2024.

In this blog post, we’ll look at the pros and cons of launching a podcast in 2024 to help you decide whether it’s a good idea or not.

High costs

One of the main disadvantages of launching a podcast in 2024 is the high cost. If you want your podcast to be of professional quality, you’ll need to invest in quality equipment, such as microphones, digital recorders, audio editing software and so on.

In addition, you may have to pay for a hosting service, which can be expensive. If you don’t have the budget to invest in quality equipment, or if you can’t afford to pay for a hosting service, starting a podcast may not be a good idea for you.

Limited visibility

Another disadvantage of launching a podcast in 2024 is limited visibility. As we’ve already mentioned, there are a huge number of podcasts available, which means it can be difficult to get noticed. If you don’t already have a fan base or a large online community, it can be difficult to find an audience for your new content.

What’s more, podcasting platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify have algorithms that favor popular podcasts, meaning that new ones will struggle to be found by listeners.

An opportunity to connect with a global audience

Despite these drawbacks, launching a podcast in 2024 may still be a good idea for several reasons. First of all, podcasts offer incredible opportunities to connect with a global audience. Listeners all over the world can find and listen to your podcast, which means you can reach a much wider audience than if you had a local radio show.

What’s more, podcasts are often listened to by people who are passionate about a specific subject, which means you can establish a community of dedicated fans who share your passion.

Great flexibility

Another advantage of launching a podcast in 2024 is flexibility. You can record your podcast anytime, from anywhere, which means you can work your podcast around your busy schedule. You can also choose the length of your podcast, which means you can create short, easy-to-digest content for listeners who don’t have a lot of time on their hands.

Conclusion

Launching a podcast in 2024 can be a good or bad idea. If you have the budget to invest in quality equipment and are willing to work hard to get noticed, launching a podcast can be a great opportunity to connect with a global audience and share your passion with the world. However, if you don’t have the means or can’t afford to take the risk, it may be best to look for other ways to share your content online.

In any case, we obviously recommend using Calaméo to upload and share all your content, transforming it into superb, enriched, shareable publications.

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What is inbound marketing?

In MARKETING
18 January 2024

Today’s consumers are increasingly informed and autonomous in their purchasing decisions. They search online to find information about the products and services they wish to buy. That’s why companies need to adapt their marketing strategy to meet these new behaviors. Inbound marketing is an increasingly popular approach to meeting these needs.

The inbound marketing approach

Inbound marketing is a marketing method that aims to attract potential customers by offering them relevant and useful content. This approach focuses on creating quality content that attracts people interested in the product or service on offer. The aim is to establish a relationship of trust with potential customers, who will then turn into loyal customers.

Inbound marketing is based on four key steps:

1. Attract

The first step in inbound marketing is to attract potential customers by creating quality content. This content can take many forms, such as blog posts, videos, white papers, webinars and so on. It must be relevant and useful to the people the company wants to attract.

2. Convert

Once potential customers have been attracted to the company’s content, the second step is to convert them into leads. This can be done by offering them additional content in exchange for their contact details, such as a newsletter, a more detailed white paper, or a free trial of the product or service on offer.

3. Close

The third stage of inbound marketing is to close sales by converting leads into customers. To do this, the company must propose offers tailored to the needs of potential customers, using segmentation or scoring tools, for example, to identify the most qualified leads.

4. Retain

The final step in inbound marketing is to retain customers by nurturing a long-term relationship of trust. This can be achieved by offering regular, high-quality content, efficient customer service, or exclusive offers for loyal customers.

The benefits of inbound marketing

Inbound marketing has many advantages for companies. First of all, this approach is less intrusive than traditional marketing methods. Potential customers are not bombarded with invasive advertising, but rather come to the company on their own.

What’s more, inbound marketing is more effective at generating quality leads. People who are interested in the company’s content are more likely to become loyal customers.

Finally, inbound marketing is more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods. Creating quality content can be expensive, but it’s more effective in the long term than traditional advertising.

Conclusion

Inbound marketing is an innovative and effective approach for companies wishing to adapt to new consumer behaviors. By creating high-quality content, companies can attract potential customers and build long-term, trusting relationships.

Ultimately, inbound marketing helps generate quality leads and build customer loyalty, while being less intrusive and more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods. If you’re looking to improve your marketing strategy, inbound marketing is an approach you should seriously consider.