Social media provides content creators with a powerful tool for sharing their content with thousands of people simultaneously by simply clicking the “Post” button. However, to get the most out of these channels, you’ll need to have a solid strategy. And since every social media platform is different, each requires a different approach for promoting your publications.
To help you navigate the fast-changing world of social media, we’ve created a special tutorial for digital content creators: our Guide to Social Strategy. Inside, you’ll find the numbers, insights and tips that matter. Take a look!
In this tutorial, you’ll learn all the essentials about five key social media platforms and answer valuable questions, including:
Should I still promote content with Facebook?
What kind of publications should I share on LinkedIn?
Why should I consider a video strategy on YouTube?
Who can I reach by posting content to Pinterest?
How should Twitter fit into my social strategy?
Explore the strengths and weaknesses that each of these platforms offers for promoting your digital publications with our full Guide to Social Strategy. Plus, we’ve picked out the most useful statistics to review engagement rates, audience details and more at a glance.
Want more guidance from Calaméo to achieve your goals? Consult our tutorials to learn how to embed your publications and create a personalized Theme. Or visit our Help Center for support in English, German, Italian, Spanish and French.
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.
This year, optimizing content for search is top of mind for businesses everywhere. Of course, search has been key to success on the Internet for more than 20 years. But as just about everything went online, getting discovered in search results has taken on a new importance. What are the SEO trends to know in 2021?
But first…
In case you missed it, check out our look at the top SEO trends in 2020. Learn about voice search, the no-click challenge and more. All caught up? Read on for three ways to prepare for the future of search.
2021 Search trends for business
Back to basics
The number one rule for 2021 is to focus on the fundamentals. Despite entire industries built around tiny changes to the way search works, simple optimizations are still easy and effective. They may not be new, but these strategies are the starting point for any good SEO effort. For example, make sure that you associate each piece of content with appropriate keywords. Then, double check that those keywords appear in the content’s title, description and text.
While this idea has always been the heart of SEO, few would have imagined it to be a major trend in 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced businesses to move everything online—and revealed that many were neglecting search basics. All the more reason to set aside the fancy stuff this year and review your content’s keywords. Or to put it another way, don’t let an oversight stop your content from being found in search.
💡 TIP: You can add or update your publications’ title and description on Calaméo in just a few clicks.
UX factor
Although the basics should come first in 2021, that doesn’t mean SEO trends are standing still. One major announcement from Google made it clear that it’s time for businesses to get serious about user experience. Also known as UX, this aspect of digital design includes the interfaces and structures that allow people to interact with websites. Overall, good UX makes it easier to do things like placing an order or contacting support online.
And now, improving your site’s UX can have a big impact on its visibility in search. Just like loading speed and mobile display in past years, UX factors will soon affect search results. According to Google, content quality still matters most. But the pages to beat will be the ones with great content and great experience. The bottom line? Starting in 2021, UX should be part of your business’s SEO strategy.
Analytics overhaul
Last but not least, there’s a new reporting tool in town for anyone following their content’s views. More specifically, businesses are looking at Google Analytics 4: an updated version of the data tool used by millions of sites. GA4 will eventually replace Universal Analytics, which was first released in 2012. First, however, businesses need to consider how and when they will want to make the switch.
In addition to technical changes, Google Analytics 4 offers fresh ways to understand how people use search to visit your site. That may mean adapting your existing methods for evaluating your content’s performance. Before updating everything, take the time to test the new platform. Be sure to note the metrics you want to watch and connect them to the information you already have. For a smooth transition, a little preparation goes a long way!
Quick conclusions
Now that you’re all caught up on the most important SEO trends for 2021, what’s next? Here are a few action items to help you start taking advantage of these trends today.
Invest now
If it’s been a while since you made SEO a priority, put it back on your to-do list in 2021. You may want to invest in a full SEO audit of your business’s content to get a sense of where things stand. Then, commit the time and resources necessary to optimize the basics. Don’t forget content types other than regular pages: videos, images and publications should all be optimized.
Be patient
Even with a solid investment, the visibility of your business’s content may not grow overnight. Building an audience on search requires consistent content and attention to quality. Create a few benchmarks that you’d like to achieve this year and track your progress, but stay focused on your long-term SEO goals.
Look ahead
Many of the upcoming changes to SEO involve complex projects. For instance, UX improvements can take months to research, design and put in place. As a result, it’s a smart idea to begin planning for these changes now. Decide on a timeline for how your business will tackle big SEO transitions, like moving from Universal Analytics to GA4. That way, you’ll be ready for the SEO trends in 2022!
As always, one simple way to boost your business content’s SEO is with smart digital publishing. You’ll find all the details you need to get started in our Ultimate Guide to Digital Publishing. Or see for yourself how easy it is to do even more with your professional content! Create your free account on Calaméo today.
