How 2018 has been for the digital industry? What trends are about to gushing out in 2019? Here is a take of our forward-thinking digital marketing experts on the happenings and predictions as well.
The world of Internet marketing is dynamic. Each year, it is shaken by some trends that changed digital marketing for better. And 2018 is no exception.
Google remained vigilant as well as innovative throughout the year. New social media features and updates popped up. Then, we saw how some trends changed the methodologies of a web design.
2018 has been an exciting year for Internet marketing.
What about 2019?
You must be wondering which online marketing trends will rule 2019.
What existing practices are going to be dumped? What’s under the hat?
Here we have compiled the precise predictions about Internet marketing in 2019 and beyond.
But first of all, time to look up at the events that rocked the past year’s calendar of a digital marketer.
And the RECAP of Digital Marketing in 2018 is here…
The year was kicked off with some significant pieces of news for the webmasters.
The very first one was the release of Google’s Rich Results in the early January. It would be an umbrella term for all Google’s rich snippets, rich cards and other search result enhancement. On 17th January, Google announced page speed as a ranking factor for mobile search results. Meanwhile, Google rolled off a beta version of its new Search Console. Another major announcement was from Facebook about the overhauling of News Feed feature.
In February, Google My Business enabled restaurants owners to edit menu listing. In the mid February, Google removed “view image” button from image search results to prevent download of copyright images. Besides, Google announced the addition of an “SEO Audit” category to the Chrome extension.
WordPress made its jargon glossary live to help beginners acquaint with new things. March 21st marked the release of the world’s first cloud-based digital signature by Adobe. Meanwhile, Google informed webmasters that the dip in site ranking could be due to the ranking algorithm update. And it also came up with good news as it enabled users to add a business description to Google My Business.The month also witnessed the release of two new tools by Google, Mobile Scorecard and Impact Calculator to compare the site’s speed and how much revenue it is missing out because of slow loading speed respectively.
While Google was in news for new tools, Facebook was grabbing headlines for Cambridge Analytica case.
In April, Google Search Console has been equipped with a filter option to categorize data by Rich results, job listing, AMP article and job details. On 12th April, Google launched “More Results” button to replace the “Next” button on mobile.
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In May, Twitter announced to tweak its ranking algorithm to check abusive tweets, trolling and harassment. This month also marked the release of new Google My Business API to manage multiple locations. Besides, Google announced to notify the users over the response of business owners to their reviews. In mid of May, the search engine giant decided to shorten its search results snippets.
Moving to June, Google unrolled new version of Google Search Console to help the webmasters keep a tab on their website. The new version would also fix New Index Coverage Issue.
On June 20, Instagram launched a live TV feature called IGTV. Google updated Knowledge Panel to enable the users and organizations to edit the information shown. It was followed by the release of URL inspection tool in Google Search Console.
The availability of Google’s URL inspection tool for everyone was big news in July.
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In August, Google surprised webmasters with Broad Core Algorithm on the changes in “order or importance of different ranking signals.” And here is what to learn from Broad Core Algorithm!
Another major update of the month was the Google’s confirmation on new FAQs, Q&A and How-Tos for SERPs snippets.
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In September, Google announced new Image Search design for a desktop to “show more context around images, including captions”. It would let the users know where each image is published. Creator and Credit metadata would support this new image search. Besides, Google has also updated its SERP system with a “small” algorithm update.
Google’s spree to improve the SERPs was continued in October. To enhance the user’s search experience, Google determined a new format for sitelinks to display more content in search results. To let the customers book the services on the SERPs, “book” or “schedule” button has been added to the local search results. Meanwhile, Instagram launched new name tag feature to find and follow the accounts.
October also witnessed the new design for hotel search results as a grid and card interface on Google. Google also updated Shopping insights to let the marketers explore the product search trends.
November was the month of some big Google’s updates given below…
- Google My Business allowed businesses to announce the date of their opening directly in Google Maps. Besides, they can manage their service area and business address.
- Google announced a new update (Version 5) to its Pagespeed Insight Tool.
- A new Google’s portal was launched to help developers measure site performance and its “compliance with” the guidelines for web apps, accessibility and SEO.
- Google updated the GMB app to improve customer visibility and businesses’ interaction with their customers.
- Google Search Console’s performance report was equipped with event listings and detail filters for event markup.
- Queries related to time, date, calculation and conversion would receive no search results
- Google Search Console made changes in index coverage report for mobile-first indexing.
- Google My Business API v4.3 was rolled out to improve the response over customer’s queries, report locations and reviews.
Although December was not as happening as November, the month saw the release of New rounded Google search bar that would even appear during the “down scrolling” of the page. Also, “Sold Here” feature was added to the local search queries to let customers know the availability of the products they are looking for. This feature was rolled out after a month-long testing.
So this was how the year was characterized for online marketing.
To sum up, 2018 was all about some ground breaking changes and innovations. From Google to Facebook, every tech giant has remained user-focused.
How Will Digital Marketing Behave In 2019?
We wish we could have occult to see the happenings!
Jokes apart, 2019 can be even bigger than 2018 as new methodologies can shape up the year. This is because internet marketing is continued to be user-focused, making a room for improvement and innovations as well.
Based on all this, here is how our experts predict 2019 for all the realms of a digital marketing.
How SEO will Behave in 2019
SEO industry will be marked by business-critical trends in 2019. It can be the time for webmasters to ditch some obsolete SEO trends while embracing a new one. What should be included in your SEO checklist for 2019?
Let’s have a look at some SEO trends for 2019…
1. Structured Data Markup will be On the Mind:
Structured data will be crucial for the websites. Like mobile first, Google is speculated to play AI as its next move. Using structured data everywhere would help your website if Google shifts to AI tomorrow. This is because AI requires a website to process and crawl as fast as possible.
2. The Noise of Voice Search:
Voice search can be incorporated into social media campaigns. Google searches also include social media platforms if their keywords match up with a search term.
Make sure to optimize your social media posts or AdWords campaigns for voice controlled assistants by shortening them in a more conversational manner.
Read Also: How To Optimize Content For Voice Search
3. Mobile First will be a Crucial Ranking Factor:
Google is getting more user-centric which is why it requires websites to create “mobile ready” content. This is really important as Google announced the release of mobile first indexing on March 26, 2018. The preference to mobile first simply means that Google will check the mobile version of your pages while indexing and ranking.
4. An Era of E-A-T Content:
E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) is an important ranking factor for a website. And it will be a key trend in 2019. So, the data should be extracted from reliable sources and done by experts. Here is how you can boost the EAT score of your website.
5. Google will be looking for More LSI Keywords in Content:
LSI or Latent Semantic Indexing helps the search engine understand what the page is all about. Once Google gets the context, the chances of being ranked just get better. With an LSI keywords rich content, users find what they’re seeking, not just what they are searching for. All you need to understand your audience’s intent and keep the LSI keywords relevant as well.
Trendsetters For Social Media In 2019
2018 was the year of influencer marketing, live streaming, videos and rise of social TV like IGTV. Let’s have a sneak peek into our expert’s prediction for social in 2019.
1. Live Video can be More Authentic and Personalized:
Live video trend can be bigger and better in 2019. There will be a demand for a more authenticity and personalization. This is because of the popularity of behind the scenes and friendly tone of the videos.
2. A Rise of Chatbots:
A chatbot is an important communicating tool in Facebook Business Manager. And it is going to be a revenue booster in 2019. According to one study, chatbots will support 85% of customer service interactions by 2020. And over 80% of customers look for the help at the point of purchase. That’s why incorporating chatbots into your Facebook Business Manager page is important if you haven’t done so.
3. User Generated Content will make a Difference:
User generated content like reviews or user’s stories look more authentic and personalized. They are likely to get more shares and views as people are likely to trust their peers or friends than product descriptions. It is created by the followers or fans and can be anything like video, photos, memes and stories.
What Will Happen In Content Marketing In 2019?
Content is king! Content marketing trends are likely to change as the industry is more user-focused. You can’t strictly rely on textual or “run-out-of-mill” content. 2019 expects content marketers to do unique, sound authentic.
Read Also: 5 Often ‘Missed Out’ Attributes Of Content Strategy
1. Popular Yet Unique Topic will Work:
Novelty does matter. You need to choose the topics that are popular, but stay unique and specific at the same time.
2. Video Content will Get You More Readers:
Video marketing is shaking up all the fields of online marketing, including content marketing. Most of the successful blogs of the past year have been incorporated with videos to support and explain their points. No wonder that it will continue to get space in blogs and textual content in the years to come.
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However, the importance of infographics in blogging can’t be undermined amidst the roar of video content.
3. Storytelling will be a New Way to Mesmerize Audience:
While informative and authentic content is important, storytelling can be an exciting way to serve it. This is because people are natural listeners to the stories. An engaging story is more likely to be shared by people. However, make sure to stick on the objective of your content.
4. New Channels to Market Your Content:
The success of content is determined by the way you expose it. Using social media is the most exploited way. Other new yet effective platforms to find an audience can be email marketing, influencer marketing, direct messages and turning the content into slides or podcasts
Trends That Will Redesign Web Design In 2019
We have talked about flat design, Google AMP and animated logo in web design trends for 2018. This time, the industry will be touched by even more exciting practices given below.
1. CSS Animation will Rule:
Animation has always been the designer’s choice—this time in the form of CSS animation. It is a captivating feature that has set new standards in the realm of web designing. CSS is also preferred for its intactness even in resizing or compressing.
2. Video Headers will do the Wonder:
Like SEO and content marketing, video has been gaining traction in web design. After all, it creates an impact as well as encourages the users to explore more.
3. Diagonal Line Design will Gain a Momentum:
Diagonal line design is another exciting web design trend for 2019. It may replace horizontal lines to create sections on the website’s pages. It not only catches the user’s eye, but also prompts them to explore down the page or take an action.
4. Geometric Shapes are here to Stay:
Geometric shapes add fun and vibrancy to a web design. They have been web designer’s favorite for past some years and will continue to be so in 2019.
5. Here Come the Hero Images:
Big images on a web banner are a latest trend that will continue to evolve in 2019. Apart from a great visual impact, they create more scrolling options and are spacious for other design elements.
What to Expect from Web Development in 2019?
New trends and technologies will also make inroad in the field of web development. Here our experts predict some huge trendsetters for the industry.
1. Get ready for AMP pages:
AMP or Accelerated Mobile Pages ensure quick loading and smooth functions on all devices—that’s what Google wants. The average loading speed of an AMP page is 0.7 seconds compared to 15-20 seconds of a non-AMP page. No wonder that this practice will be prevalent among web developers in 2019 to get the competitive edge.
2. Single Page Applications can Double the UX:
Single Page Application is another web development trend to watch for. They are easier to navigate as they have a single page menu. It works well on both desktop and mobile devices.
3. What about Motion UI!
The short attention span of Internet users calls for more interactive and easy web designs. As a result, we have motion UI. This development methodology is expected to see popularity in the coming years.
4. Push Notifications Can be an Important Part:
Beyond mobile apps, push notifications can be an essential component of a modern web design in 2019. They are useful for a website to notify users about newly published content, offers and promotions.
5. Progressive Web Apps or PWA will continue to Blossom in 2019:
PWA has taken web development to a next level. It is a website app that almost functions like a mobile app. It simplifies the user’s interface which in turn improves conversation and customer’s interaction with a website.
Which Trends Will Dominate Business Development In 2019?
The role of business development is vital for any organization. It helps companies find new customers and sell products or services to existing one. Simply put, business development pros take your business to clients. And this section will also be touched by the trends like…
1. Outsourcing in Bidding:
Like other parts of a business, bidding can be done by external or specialist bidders. It would save in-house team time and hassles during extremely busy periods. It is a growing trend as more bidders are seeing big benefits from an outside assistance.
2. A Shift towards Cloud Based Communication Solutions:
An effective communication not only conveys the ideas, but also helps you get unresponsive clients back to you. From social media, email, chats, video conferencing to VoIP, there are many ways to communicate with a team and clients as well. Cloud communications solutions are more affordable and accessible on mobile devices. With real time collaboration and advanced sharing options, they ensure flexibility and convenience.
3. Machine Learning to Improve the Process of Information:
Availability and accuracy of information are important to seal the deal. Thanks to effective CRM tools that have made it easy. Business development professionals will make informed decisions on the basis of data being fetched by these tools from various platforms.
Time To Put These Trends Into A Practice Right Now…
So these are the key trends that will define the Internet industry in 2019. All these trends are a mix of existing and emerging technologies. However, they shouldn’t be seen as a learning curve only. They will help the IT pros to explore the best of their practices. Whether you are a web developer or an SEO expert, incorporating these trends into your respective fields will help you stay ahead in the game.
Do you think we have skipped some important trends? Or you want to thank us for these untold trends?
Open up by commenting below! Signing off!!!