If you are familiar with Search Engine Optimization (more commonly known by its acronym SEO), you most certainly know about the strict vigilance Google administrators undertake to monitor the SEO tactics of marketers to ensure that unfair practices are kept to a bare minimum, if not completely eliminated. Unfair practices refer to finding loopholes in Google’s search engine ranking system to elevate one’s website above others in the search. Google however has regularly introduced significant updates (starting from Panda in 2011) that looked to modify their search algorithm to minimize unfair leaps by websites in their search rankings and to promote quality and relevance over quantity. 2014 promises more of the same with an inherent focus towards quality. Below are some of the main trends that you will see in 2014 for SEO.
Search Engines will be more evolved
Contrary to what many SEO specialists believe, Search Engine Optimization will not all be about basic link building and keyword schemes. Search Engines will become more adept at differentiating between those websites that actually are relevant to the search and those that merely present the impression of relevance. The required content will need to be appropriate, comprehensive as well as captivating for the majority of readers.
There needs to be a Strong Image on Online Social Platforms
According to a majority of experts, there will be an increased impetus from 2013 towards social media platforms in order to generate more and more visits to a website and consequently increasing its ranking. If an increasing number of people are ready to share your content on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it automatically means that more people will know about your brand.
Mobile Phones will play a huge role
The trend towards mobile phones for internet access is increasing at a phenomenal rate with about two-thirds of e-mails being accessed through mobile phones. Those SEO techniques that cater to the mobile phone community by providing access through apps will reap huge dividends in terms of rankings. Those SEO marketers that do not provide mobile phone access will not be as effective.
The Changing Job Description of SEO Marketers
With the increasing recognition of the importance of SEO and the ever changing updates in the algorithm, companies are absorbing SEO teams and content marketing specialists and integrating them with their marketing strategies. This way they can directly control the content that flows from the SEO specialists pertaining to their websites.
Local Searches are increasing
There are more and more instances of localized searches on Google and the trend only shows signs of increasing. According to Google more than a fifth of all searches include location related searches and which are concentrated to cities, towns and even street addresses rather than for a country as a whole. This trend indicates that SEO experts who focus on local search optimization will be more effective in comparison to those that are not.
What this all means
The core intent of Google for performing all these seemingly complex exercises is to make searches more relevant for the final user, i.e. its customers. It is evolving to make its searches more user friendly and to develop a mechanism where the search engine understands what the user is looking for and to provide appropriate search hits.
