Welcome to the January digital marketing monthly round-up – the first of this new decade! The 2020s started with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle going independent from the royal family, Billie Eilish took five Grammy Awards and the United Kingdom left the European Union. While many people were still recovering from the end of the festive season, the start of the new year brought lots of changes to the digital marketing industry! Here are the latest SEO and PPC updates from January 2020.
1. Web Listings Will No Longer Appear Twice In SERPs If It Has The Featured Snippet
This year has already seen a significant change in terms of SERPs: Google decided that featured snippets URLs won’t be duplicated within page 1 of the organic results. Featured snippets come from any website that would ordinarily rank on the first page, so this change means that URLs which obtain the coveted featured snippet spot will no longer be duplicated on page 1. Instead, they will appear on page 2 of the organic rankings according to the revised criteria. However, this is something that will need to be monitored over time, as there is currently a slight inconsistency regarding SERPs with some not reappearing on page 2 at all.
2. Microsoft’s Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) Go Global
Having undergone beta testing since September 2019, Microsoft’s RSAs are now accessible to all advertisers on a worldwide basis. RSAs will therefore enable all advertisers across the global to suggest a maximum of 15 potential headlines and 4 descriptions for their desired ad. Microsoft will then combine the options it feels are the most promising, and establish the tailored ad that is most suited to the individual product or service being offered to the public. It’s great for marketers who turn to advertising on Bing as an alternative to the Google behemoth.
3. Google Enables the Temporary Removal of Sites from SERPs
Google Search Console will now facilitate the removal of specific webpages from search results on a temporary basis. This effectively means that website owners can now decide if they would like particular pieces of content to temporarily stop being visible within Google Search results. Please be aware that the URL, and therefore the page content contained within, would still be accessible via alternative search engines. The change in visibility will apply for approximately six months, so it’s not intended to be a very short-term option whilst a minor change is made to your branding, but is perfect for finding a more permanent replacement during the time.
4. Google’s January 2020 Core Update was Implemented
On 13 January, Google’s core update was introduced with immediate effect. It is considered to have an impact on search results across the globe, with the effects expected to still be apparent in the coming weeks. Analysis from Moz found that sites such as verywellhealth.com, Yahoo Finance and dictionary.com all making huge gains. Meanwhile, more health and wellbeing sites took a big hit as well as Foursquare. Quality content remains a key factor in ensuring your website isn’t affected and this is especially true in relation to YMYL sites, as they continue to be affected.
5. Content Marketing Campaigns are in High Demand
The use of campaigns focusing on content is something marketers have identified as increasing throughout 2020. It’s also expected to continue to increase during the next two years. A report released by eMarketer three months ago, which asked marketers around the world for their perspective, found that roughly 4 in 5 marketing professionals believed that content marketing campaigns would increase in use. Audio content and podcasts are also anticipated to be particularly prominent in campaigns in 2020, according to 9 in 10 marketers who participated in the survey. This comes as no surprise as businesses are becoming more wise to how important content is in the digital world, especially if you want a great presence with your digital savvy audience.
If you’re looking for content marketing services this year, find out what Ricemedia can do for your business!
6. Clickthrough Rates are Influenced by Meta Descriptions
While the important role that branding plays in search clickthrough rates is perhaps less surprising, it may be unexpected that meta descriptions are the most influential factor in determining which webpages are the most successful in obtaining clickthrough. In the survey conducted by Ignite Visibility, page title was seen as the third most important consideration. Metas remain an important part of a website’s optimisation and should be looked at regularly to ensure they’re enticing your target audience.
7. CMI Provided an Insight into Improving Mobile Traffic
According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), meta descriptions and titles also play an important part in ensuring stronger traffic results for mobile webpages too. With your SERP appearance further magnified on mobile devices, it’s vital that it looks attractive to users. CMI advise that you ensure you focus on the page headline/title, URL trail that looks like a breadcrumb, image, date, description and site logo to create a result worth clicking on. Making sure the content you share, such as your blog posts, are kept up-to-date will also help improve mobile traffic, as users are more inclined to click onto your website if they see that the content is recent.
8. We Gave You Top Tips on How to Choose Your SEO Agency
We created the ultimate guide to finding the right SEO agency for your business in 2020. It’s key to ensure that your chosen agency are accountable for the work they’ve done and have a plan in place for you that’s been tailored to your business and designed around your company values and goals. If you don’t think you’re getting ROI from your current agency, maybe it’s time for a change?
9. We Attended LondonSEO Meetup: January 2020
A major monthly event with key speakers addressing marketing professionals, LondonSEO Meetup covered a wide range of topics this January. From how a business can enhance their page speed to the use of Google Analytics within eCommerce, this meetup was hugely beneficial to employers and it was a thought-provoking event for a member of our team to attend too.
10. We Selected The Best Digital Marketing Events to Attend This Year
From the less formal #MarTechFestGlobal, which runs in the UK (19-23 October) and in Australia as #MarTechFestAPAC to Creative North, which is aimed at content marketers in Manchester and will take place this coming June, there are many worthwhile events to attend in 2020. For more information about upcoming digital marketing events, visit our blog.
To find out how our team of SEO and PPC specialists could help improve the performance of your website, contact Ricemedia today to discuss your business needs.
