As 2008 draws to a close, we can look back at progress in search engine optimization and wonder what the landscape will look like in the year to come. Truly, since the term SEO was coined nearly a decade ago, we have watched the methods and processes of gaining top Internet search rankings become more challenging and centralized. Content overrides code these days, and a looming presence in social media networks is as important – if not more so – as having a Web site.
Searchnewz recently posted an article on the search trends to watch in 2009. Given the climate of this industry, it can be difficult to predict the next surefire method of capturing your Web audience. However, by contemplating what has worked in the last year and what major portals and sites are planning for the future, we can use the information in the link above to better map out strategies to help us win traffic.
A few notes on the Searchnewz definition of “holistic” search:
First, any significant media campaign or offline event drives search volume, so marketers must capture that demand by integrating search with other media planning.
Word of mouth is a tried and true method of advertisement that never goes out of style. Everything you plan for the coming year offline should have a site URL and an Internet point of contact attached to it, and a page created on any social networks where the event is most relevant. Embed signatures with URLs in e-mail, mark your website address on your return labels, let people know where you are.
…expect the major search engines and others to push forward with new ways to infuse paid search listings with display and video media.
Blended search is already the new buzzword, as Google and Yahoo are now integrating news feed and video results in with regular websites. Make your site more attractive to search by allowing the engines to find you in different ways. Video, RSS, weblogs, and social networking are the keys to this success.
