The world of search engine optimization suffered through what seemed like the end of the Mayan calendar in 2011. The search engines, particularly Google, just decided to flip all the game pieces in the air and more or less start again when it came to rankings.
This suggests the question of what we can expect to discover in 2012 moving forward. Will the industry of search engine ranking be one in which the search engines like google are constantly changing the rules of the game all over again or not?
The not so good news flash is we are not going to see any stability in the coming 365 days. The search engines became fat on their dominant positions the last 10 years. After that Facebook transpired and the search engines ended up left in the dirt. Now they are hoping to respond to these changes.
This has been certainly what 2011 was all about. From Panda to the Freshness upgrade, various search engines were rearranging elements in anticipation of generating significant alterations for the coming year. Just what will the big emphasis be in next season?
The answer is social media integration. The search engines may be late to the game, but they are going to try to nose in on Facebook’s action. It is as simple as that. This is what Google plus is all about.
The patents that are out this year from Google detail the way the online search engine company means to make a significant leap into web 2.0. The idea will be to start integrating the content into its search result formula.
Think about that for a moment. The trust factor of most sites will not depend on what people in social circles are saying about it. This may sound like the greatest thing in the world, but it clearly is not. Why? Abuse is going to be a huge problem.
Let’s say I set up a team of folks that have established Twitter and Facebook accounts with no shortage of followers. I identify two doctors in New York that are competing to rank for a significant keyword. I could have one pay me to have my group write-up harmful opinions about the other and drop them in the rankings.
The search engines have long parroted the statement that their search results are about providing users with the best experience. This is no longer the case. Now they are simply trying to catch up in a social media game that they missed out on long ago.
While many will see this as the search engines receiving their just deserts, notably Google, it doesn’t make life for people in the search engine optimization game any less complicated. Actually, the coming year could be a serious dozy for many of us. See you then.
Not sure where to begin with internet marketing? Don’t be too concerned. The key is to find something that makes sense and then try it.. Also published at Thoughts On Search Engine Optimization In Coming Year.
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