Google is drawing more and more of the internet under their control. So when they say that they're changing the way the search engine algorithms work and cracking down on search engine optimisation techniques, that should definitely make SEO providers pay attention. But does this actually mean that SEO is on its way out as a way of marketing your website, or is that making a mountain out of a molehill? Here's an overview of the way things look in 2012.
So what are Google talking about exactly? It's fairly hard to pin down, but in terms of the changes that relate directly to SEO they've talked about measures to remove content that's 'written for search engines.' It's standard practice to build links for websites in SEO by spreading supporting content across the web. 'Written for search engines' strongly suggests that Google are targeting the terrible copy you see out there are the moment: sites with the same key phrases repeated over and over, poor formatting, and clearly very little care towards people actually reading it.
This isn't a new thing to talk about, and it's actually something that will be welcomed by good SEO providers. Poor content is something that belongs to the cowboy side of SEO, or 'black hat.' When it comes to white hat techniques, the content is designed to be indistinguishable from other user content. In other words it's written for people to read, rather than just being junk to fill up web page space. Skimming off the poor content will allow better SEO companies to be more effective.
However, it will increasingly have to move over to developing web marketing techniques. If Google get what they want, which is a massive influx of users into Google+ and Chrome, and therefore a very tight control on what people see when they make a search, it will get hard for SEO to continue being effective. That means social media, and of course paid methods of advertising, will need to be brought in.
It also means tightening up those landing pages and working on conversion rate. All in all, it will lead to more sophisticated marketing, and fewer cowboys, which probably isn't a bad thing, even if it might seem a little drastic.
So what are Google talking about exactly? It's fairly hard to pin down, but in terms of the changes that relate directly to SEO they've talked about measures to remove content that's 'written for search engines.' It's standard practice to build links for websites in SEO by spreading supporting content across the web. 'Written for search engines' strongly suggests that Google are targeting the terrible copy you see out there are the moment: sites with the same key phrases repeated over and over, poor formatting, and clearly very little care towards people actually reading it.
This isn't a new thing to talk about, and it's actually something that will be welcomed by good SEO providers. Poor content is something that belongs to the cowboy side of SEO, or 'black hat.' When it comes to white hat techniques, the content is designed to be indistinguishable from other user content. In other words it's written for people to read, rather than just being junk to fill up web page space. Skimming off the poor content will allow better SEO companies to be more effective.
However, it will increasingly have to move over to developing web marketing techniques. If Google get what they want, which is a massive influx of users into Google+ and Chrome, and therefore a very tight control on what people see when they make a search, it will get hard for SEO to continue being effective. That means social media, and of course paid methods of advertising, will need to be brought in.
It also means tightening up those landing pages and working on conversion rate. All in all, it will lead to more sophisticated marketing, and fewer cowboys, which probably isn't a bad thing, even if it might seem a little drastic.
