seo
2014 Digital Marketing Outlook
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s a new year approaches, part of our client strategy discussions involve how we think the digital marketing industry will evolve in 2014. Will the same strategies work? What will be different? How will the changes affect our clients and the overall marketing landscape? Below are the top 5 items that need to be on your radar for 2014. 1. Google Cozies Up to Consumers, SEO Firms Get Resourceful: In late 2013, Google began blocking keyword referral data in Google Analytics. Before, you used to be able to see which keywords users entered to bring them to your site and how many visitors came from each key word. This data is no longer available through Google Analytics; Google’s position on this change is that they are “protecting” the consumer. As identity theft and cyber security dominate the headlines, this is Google’s way of making sure consumers feel safe using Google products and platforms. However, the data is still available to Google, just not to digital marketers who rely on their analytics program. In 2014, SEO firms will discover new ways to uncover this data (there are several options). Firms will get more creative with how to access and interpret keyword data because it remains a large part of SEO strategy. After all, knowing how visitors are searching helps firms to better understand their target markets and create a better user experience on the website—the foundation of a solid SEO strategy. 2. The Bird Interprets Words: Hummingbird, Google’s new search algorithm introduced at the end of September 2013, improves how your search results are pulled. According to Google’s search chief, Amit Singhal, this is the biggest algorithm change since 2001. Hummingbird pulls from different data points so that search results are more refined and conversationally sequential. For example, before this update, if you typed in “Where is the closest place to my home to buy an iPhone5?” search results would have focused on pages that included the words “buy” and “iPhone5.” Hummingbird focuses on the meaning behind these words and would first identify your location and then the businesses around said
location that mention iPhone5 sales on their sites. In addition, if you next typed “How do I get there from here?” Hummingbird would interpret several data points to understand that “there” means the store that sells the iPhone5 from the page you just visited and that “here” means your home. The point is to improve how Google pulls in the pages for search results by mapping relationships. This, in turn, means more relevant results— and less clicking and scrolling—for the user. Hummingbird has no SEO implications and will, in fact, favor sites with original, high-quality content. 3. Talk to Me! Voice Search Improves: Hummingbird foreshadows Google’s attempt to become more like a real person; this algorithm will improve the results users get when using voice search. As a result, more people will begin relying on voice search and the demand will cause the technology to improve. Users will become accustomed to this more natural way of interacting with technology; as such, the focus on mechanical SEO will decrease and an industry emphasis will be placed on connecting relevant topics and people. 4. Facebook—from Content Creation to Content Consumption: In 2013, we saw an outstanding growth of users on social media. From 2011, Twitter has grown from 200M users to 500M users, Facebook from 600M to 800M and LinkedIn from 119M to 238M! In 2014, we predict that Facebook will be used more as a resource for information; its utility will increase for brands and decrease for individuals. People will use Facebook to research organizations, products, and services. As such, full optimization of your business’s Facebook page description and inclusion of “Like” and “Share” buttons on your business’s website will become even more important. 5. The Moving Target: And by moving we mean mobile. Mobile marketing will dominate innovations in 2014. Companies will discover new ways to target mobile devices and users; in fact, 2014 will be the year that the mobile user is thoroughly researched and understood as a distinct entity from the desktop user. Organizations will begin to build on their understanding that the mobile user needs information that will make them act quickly, without having to scroll or click. Companies will invest in refining their mobile presence and we will see additional mobile payment methods and mobile marketing campaigns. 2014 will prove to be an interesting year for digital marketers and consumers alike. As Google becomes more “human” in its ability to interpret user’s needs while searching, content remains king in the world of search engine optimization. Data will provide the key to competitive advantage, providing insight as to how the social media network user is changing and the mobile user is evolving. Search results will get increasingly refined and relevant as website experiences continue to improve. Hang on—2014 will provide an exciting ride. n
Kaysha Kalkofen and JoAnna Dettmann are co-founders of tSunela, a digital marketing firm that specializes in search engine optimization, mobile search marketing, paid search marketing, local search optimization, web analytics, and social media marketing. tSunela is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with an additional office in Portland, Oregon. For more information: www.tSunela.com or call 314.721.8813.
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Visibility
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Winter 2013
www.visibilitymagazine.com