The technology that’s required for internet users to allow access to information, and the companies that produces and provides these tools are the true marvels of the entire industry. In order to dominate the search landscape in 2011, it’s imperative to understand the foundation that was built in 2010. The significant developments from 2010 will greatly impact on how you engage your SEO efforts in the years to come. The entire year may just be best described as an upward trend towards the improved discovery of precise information and socially connecting with people.
The Top 5 SEO Predictions For 2011
1.) – The Trust In ‘Peer To Peer” Reviews:
Consumers ultimately trust the opinions of their fellow internet users. So unbiased product reviews generated a lot of attention in 2010. Google in conjunction with industry leading vendors such as PowerReviews and Bazaarvoice, began to feature full-length concise product reviews as well as user ratings directly in their search results, from the various retailers participating in the program.
A lot of online marketers have as a result caught on to this opportunity. They have realized that using rich snippets of precise review information are an excellent and ideal way to influence consumers to buy on their site.
So in 2011, explore producing consumer based ‘peer to peer’ unfiltered, user reviews sites. Even if you as a SEO marketer only look at how the competition is utilizing product reviews, important information can be captured to benchmark your position on the Web.
2.) – The User Information Experience:
The use of social media when done properly, is paying off significantly for SEO marketing professionals and information discovery specialists. The major search engines are now stepping up their game in improving and involving the user experience. The best product developed was the introduction of Google Instant (as well as Google Instant Previews). Google Instant was a significant development for search engine marketers during the year, as it produced and brought forward instant focused information that’s being developed by other web professionals based on their target keywords, all without an influence or significant shift in traffic disturbance.
In the entire history of search on the internet, the quality of precise information, the presentation and how it connects to consumers has always been the key to search engine result domination.
So in 2011, your effort should be focused on further expanding unique relevant content and information that’s featured on your web sites. This should include forms of consumer interaction surveys and comments, concise factual white paper reports and consumer contributed product reviews. The end result will be increased exposure to micro-niche related, long tailed keyword content.
3.) – The Influence Of Being Social:
As the Web is moving blink like fast, there were a few things that took most SEO professionals by surprise. One was the rapid rise and the importance of using social media, and incorporating it into their online marketing efforts. Although the web always has had built in social elements, the influence of Facebook and Twitter completely dominated the landscape. It now requires complete undivided attention and focus on these brand’s social influence on capturing attention.
Facebook, now the most popularly visited site on the web, has provided unprecedented opportunities for SEO professionals to connect their product or brand with millions of targeted consumers. It has also provided their users to safely discover new information from within their professional and personal friends and networks. The marketers however, must know and learn how to properly and effectively use the rules of social engagement.
This can be accomplished by using platforms such as HootSuite, or by using a social relationship management tool such as Sprout Social. The focus for 2011 should be on increasing as well as improving social connections.
4.) – Local Demographics Dominates:
The Internet can be seen as a paradox. While it will improve the consumers’ ability to discover precise information on any topic from anywhere around the world, the internet will now also simultaneously drive them to act locally by providing for results based on geo-targeting.
This results in the exponential growth of local search based marketing. Location demographics based services such as Gowalla and Foursquare has forced consumers to consider opportunities — namely in the entertainment sector — of local and social participation. This has brought abundant opportunities for SEO marketers to generate additional exposure.
For example, Facebook Places and Google Places has now positioned themselves to capitalize on the ‘coupon and rebate’ market via smartphones, a growth market in 2010. This has been a total windfall for participating local businesses who use the service.
In 2011, develop local marketing objectives, as well as working towards connecting with targeted audiences in local geographic regions.
5.) – The Need For Speed Issues:
Google in 2010, allowed search engine optimization marketers in on a bit of a secret, which will influence how Web design professionals will develop, as well as promote their websites in 2011. And that is speed. Its always been known for years that a fast loading website performs much better in search results than the slower ones. But now its known that actual rankings may be impacted.
Google has decided to sole-handedly speed up the internet with the introduction of mod_pagespeed. Mod_pagespeed is a module for HTTP servers that will perform multiple speed optimization functions which include:
– optimizing caching
– minimizing payload size and
– minimizing client-server round trips
The early tests revealed that the mod_pagespeed module can actually reduce site page load times by up to 50% percent. Google, in conjunction with GoDaddy are working together to get the mod running for their 8.6 million customers. So it should be a priority to make your website pages load bullet quick. There are many tools on the market to help you do so, one being Yottaa, which is a site performance analytic company which will monitor, rank and analyze the performance of your website.
Looking Towards 2011
2010 has provided SEO marketers with a lot of innovation, as well as offering brand new tools designed to help consumers in the process of information discovery while interacting with others. Online marketers are always on the forefront of these new developments. They will play a significant role in 2011 in deploying optimized websites and applications that will improve the consumers’ ability to connect with each other, and at the same time help them decide and convert better and quicker.
One massive market that was purposely ignored was the mobile market. This topic will be covered in a following report.