The world of search engine optimisation (SEO) keeps changing, year after year. As 2019 starts to take shape, what trends will emerge? What will die? Or, will some principles continue in 2020? Sure, it’s challenging to keep up with SEO, but some things will dominate year. What follows is rundown of some of the biggest trends to watch out for in 2019.

Voice Search Will Take Center Stage

The popularity of voice search is going through the roof – and that’s likely to be the scenario for the next couple of years. Insiders say that voice will account for 50% of all searches this year.

Look around; the number of people using voice assistants is growing by the day. In the United States, for instance, 35.6 million Americans use a voice-activated device once or twice every month. On top of that, one in every six Americans has a smart speaker in their home or place of work.

It is essential to point out, however, that even though search engines and SEO are in constant motion, the rise of voice search usage will trigger one of the most significant changes yet. Why? Well, because this is something entirely different and requires a well-thought-out strategy to optimize.

Many Sites Will Up Their Load Time

It's 2019! Nobody wants to wait for five seconds for a website to load! So, what happens when your site slows down? Of course, you won’t gain much with your SEO efforts. And, the first place to look when things go wrong is your host.

See, sharing a server is, in most cases, the cause of slow site speed. What this implies is that the rise of various KVM VPS options will continue as people look for ways to boost their website’s speed and by extension, increase their chance of ranking well in SERPs.

Remember, load speed affects every metric you care about from conversion to bounce rate, reader satisfaction, and conversion.

Traffic from Social Media

Traffic helps drive rankings, especially when people start to search for your website name in Google, although this is not a direct ranking factor it does help to make your site more credible. The more followers or likes you have the more trustworthy your account is according to Social Media Daily so don’t skip out on those social platforms when you’re trying to rank your website.

Mobile-first Indexing

In March 2018, Google rolled out mobile first indexing. Industry players say this change ought to have happened a long time ago. After all, nearly 60% of all traffic happens on mobile devices, and the trend will remain the same in 2019.

But, how will mobile-first indexing affect SEO and web design? Is there going to be a voice search index in the future?

For starters, the mobile-first index is slightly over a year old, so it’s hard to say in specific terms where it’s heading. Still, one thing is clear – your website has to be super responsive and mobile friendly. More than that, your site has to be easy to navigate, offering an excellent user experience.

Blockchain Technology

Blockchain is not all about cryptos – its impact is far-reaching. And, it’ll have a hand to play in how SEO turns out 2019. The biggest question is how it is going to this in a meaningful way.

Granted, blockchain seeks to create safe and trustworthy transactions. It, therefore, means that you can use it secure transactions taking place on search engines. Think of it as a link between website owners and advertisers. In theory, this implies that Google is the middleman between the two, creating the trust required for the transactions to run smoothly.

Indeed, this will affect not only SEO but also Google’s ad revenue. Take Microsoft, for instance. The tech giant is getting into partnership with blockchain based systems such as Blockstack Labs to help them revamp their services and apps.

Amazon Search Optimization

Wait. Can Amazon compete with Google? Sure, you can’t search “how to make homemade recipes” on Amazon, but the online retailer is a worthy competitor. Many SEO whizzes predict notable growth in Amazon Search Optimization in 2019.

Now, that sounds a bit far-fetched, right? Well, not until you consider that 72% of shoppers now use Amazon to find products, according to repeated research in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

Even more telling, 56% of consumers search on Amazon first before considering other sites. That way, they don’t have to Google for similar products or read independent reviews. In short, they don’t need a second search engine to make a buying decision.

Final Thoughts

While you may not be an SEO expert, it’s critical to know what’s happening at all times. The idea is to enable you to understand how to dominate SERPs and most importantly, outperform your competitors. Remember, what’s working today may be outdated a couple of months down the line. The more you perfect your game, the easier it is to achieve your objectives.