Wednesday, January 24, 2018

The Future of SEO


It is true that changes to Google’s main algorithm are far and few in between, but many experts believe that there are changes on the horizon when it comes to Google and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). A recent article published by Forbes.com, talks about those potential changes and some other trends that can have an impact on how users receive search results and how people optimize their web space.

Textbook, Larson & Draper
One of the trends that is already in existence is highlighted in the textbook titled Digital Marketing Essentials.  The book talks about the Panda update to Google’s Algorithm. It says, “The Panda update was significant not just for the changes it implemented but because it marked a significant shift in Google’s ranking determinants. Rather than trust in the patterns of links across the Internet as reliable signals of a website’s quality, Google began assessing the quality of a webpage based on other factors.” (Larson & Draper, 2017) The Panda update took data from several focus groups on what made a website appealing and included those characteristics in their algorithm. Overall, this led to more high quality websites being ushered to the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).


In the Forbes article, the author talks about how there will be possible changes to the way the
Google Home, Virtual Assistant
SERP will operate in the near future. The article states that, “Google has been pushing the development of more personalized search results for the better part of a decade, relying on individual search histories, browser cookies, and other information to give better, more customized SERPs for individuals.” (DeMers, 2017) Google has access to a lot of personal data and they plan to use that data to make the browsing experience more customized to their users. They have already implemented these features in many areas of their tools, but in the future we will see them implemented with many of Google’s other products. For instance, Google Home, the speaker and home virtual assistant will collect information on the user and incorporate those preferences into the browsing experience.

One of the final things the article brings up is that Google and other search engines will focus on hyper-local optimization. As they continue to make the SERP more individualized, one of those components will be to offer more local solutions not only to provide a level of personalization to the user, but also to encourage local community investment and growth. SEO is an ever-evolving tool and one must stay current to utilize the most of its benefits. As technology changes, so will the way we find information. Knowing how to navigate the World Wide Web, will be a useful skill to anyone. 

References:

Larson, S., & Draper, J. (2017). Digital Marketing Essentials. N.p.: Stukent.

DeMers, J. (2017). 7 SEO Trends That Will Dominate 2018. In Forbes.com. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2017/12/26/7-seo-trends-that-will-dominate-2018/2/#





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