Why SEO Will Be More Difficult In 2019

Hi Derek here,

I’ve been doing Search Engine Optimization for getting on for seven years now, and I can tell you for free that SEO is more difficult than ever as we move in to 2019.

Why is SEO tougher in 2019? Well, here’s a quick video I recorded to show you some examples. I’ve also added some comment beneath with further explanations and points.

So, you can clearly see why getting a web page ranked is more difficult in 2019. It’s not like the good old days when you could put a 500 word article up, chuck a couple of backlinks at it and see it storm to number one in the SERPS.

What Does Google Want?

To add to the examples I gave in the video, I think that Google wants to see a few things before it will give you rankings

1. The content is good and informative and indeed useful for the reader. They want to see that, if people land on the page , they stay on the page and engage. Now this is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. It could be argued that unless a page is ranked it’s not going to get found and clicked on…let alone anyone sticking around to read and engage with the content. Search engine optimisation is very much Google’s ball, of course. So, they dictate the rules and unfortunately, we have no option but to play by their SEO rules.

2. They want to see big content that is rich in media (images, videos). Neil Patel will tell you the optimum length for an article is 1,890 words. Neil does some seriously detailed research and is worth following if you want to take search engine optimisation further. You can find his site at the link above.

3. They want to see that you are an “authority” on the subject matter.

4. They want to see the page stay online and the content evolve.

5. They want to see backlinks build gradually over a period of time.

6. They want to see increasing social signals pointing at the content as a source of refrence for others.

SEO – A Different Game In 2019

So, as you can see, SEO is a very different game. Yes, a couple of PBN link backs and that used to be enough to get pretty much any content in the SERPS. Now, you need all of the above.

And, even then, there are no guarantees as I mentioned in the video with my Online Business Mentor post. It is my belief that this content is genuinely helpful to anyone who is looking to build an online business. It is also useful for anyone looking for a mentor or mastermind group to help them do that.

But, despite a concerted SEO campaign, I am only showing some low initial rankings. I’m not easily beaten of course! I will get the page ranked for most of the target keywords, but as I said, it does now take more time.

So, the bottom line is that search engine optimization is still very much a valid online marketing technique. However, you have to bear in mind, Google will give priority to sites with the highest authority in any given niche.

You also have to bear in mind that, in 2019, SEO is a much longer game.

It should be a strategic part of your online marketing arsenal for sure. But you should accept that, as a small business, you are unlikely to achieve everything you want from inplementing it.

Google’s Perspective

I guess you can see it from Google’s perspective!

Firstly, they want to maximise profits. That is why ads and Google shopping are becoming more prominent.

They would argue the snack pack allows local small businesses who take the trouble to claim some meaningful online real estate.

Secondly, Google will (and do) argue that it is all about user experience. The more authority a site has, the better placed they are to provide a better user experience. Maybe even the more qualified. Certainly the core algorithm, update of 1st August 2018 (dubbed “The Medic”) gave preference (in a big way) to sites Google perceive as authoratative.

Overcoming SEO Limitations

There are, of course, ways and means around this. In my 2015 product Keyword Cash Loophole (which I am currently re-writing for 2019), I taught you how to dig deep into niches to find profitable keywords.

This is certainly one way around the problem. To find keywords the authority sites are not targeting. If these keywords attract the same market but have low competition, you have a “route in” to the SERPS.

YouTube As An Alternative

I am also developing a YouTube technique based around similar research techniques. I think YouTube will be easier to manipulate for the next 2-3 years. And, whilst it is owned by Google, it is still quicker and easier to get rankings on the platform. YouTube is now the world’s second biggest search engine behind Google itself.

I understand YouTube is much more “how to” based whereas Google is more knowledge based. However, keywords and phrases can be manipulated to reflect this. The way to think about this is…”if you want to know something Google it, if you want to find out how to do something, search it on YouTube” – wise words.

I hope you found that useful, if so, please add a comment or follow me on YouTube.

Want to know about SEO now we’re deep into 2020? What’s changed? What’s new? Check out my extensive review pf my new SEO product SEO Academy.