What will change in 2010 with search engines ranking? (Google speaking only? Not sure …)
It will soon come the time where SEO may well be much more a matter of traffic management and analysis than ranking.
Search engines positioning standards are constantly moving, making ranking a permanent issue for websites visibility and business. Up to now, being the first (or at least at the top 5 of the first page) of Google was the real thing.
This reality is doomed to disappear.
Why?
Because Google now focuses on 3 distinct measures for ranking (and will be doing so even more in the near future):
- Local and personal data (IP address, language, researches history: whether you are connected with a Google account or not).
- Universal search is getting mixed up within search engines results pages for good (images, videos, podcasts, RSS. All this with results suggestions: definitions, similar / closed researches …).
- Real time information included in Google results pages (social networking news, such as Twitter tweets already in Google results – probably tomorrow your FaceBook friends news – and for sure Google Buzz messages. Also used, what is new: keywords buzz at a defined time).
Of course, the already known key standards for ranking are still to be used, but their importance is decreasing for some of them (keyword in links, images, footer …).
What we are going towards is personalisation.
In the near future, do not be surprised if two persons doing the same keyword research at a time on Google will have different results pages …
What can you do?
I strongly recommend you to consider the 4 advice below:
- Forget about search engine positioning as it is (looking in Google where your website is for a particular keyword). Have a look in the Google Webmaster tools which indicates the ranking tendency of your web site: this is probably the best indicator available.
- Analyse your keywords traffic (in your traffic analytics tool: Google Analytics, Xiti …): consider even more your search engines traffic part as a whole. Identify your keywords groups based on common themes, and work on it.
- Reschedule your SEO time: the long tail effect is getting a strong reality to face. As it is (or will) become 80% of your website visits, it has to be 80% of your optimisation time (and 20% with the other “top visits” keywords).
- Stick to the fresh news and identify the popular keyword linked to them (use Google Ad Planner). Use them in your articles and news. Share your news as much as possible.
All of this is very Google oriented, but let me bet Yahoo / Bing will do just the same … in 2011?
A French version of this article is available here: Evolution du positionnement en 2010 – les choses à savoir
About the Author:
Alice Bourseau is a professional SEO-oriented Web project leader having worked on major sites in France. She maintains a French SEO blog on Ziki: Ziki Alice Bourseau.
Twitter: kurtavish
says:
“”Real time information included in Google results”" — If only it was showing REAL real time information instead of gossips and RTs and also Spam links from twitter, then it would have been good.
For now again I’ll say it, when people search they search for information, not for what Mr X is telling Mrs Y about event Z on social networks
As for country based and ip based results, I think it is good. Since atleast it will not always be the “Capitals of the World” websites who will always be listed on Top. ( As if the other sites from other countries are…%^&^$). So this part is a good transformation.
Hi Kurt Avish
yes you are right : up to now, no one can really say that Google is making the most of Twitter … But it is a start : let’s guess it will be more selective with time (and experience : I’m positive Google would certainly scan deeply how web surfers react to real time micro-blogging). Just remember how search engines results were only a few years ago !
As for me, Tweets are as many opportunities to be on top results if I’m good enought to bring relevant information (to Google’s algorithm eyes of course). The big difference now is that I could probably not do that often, and not for a long time …
Twitter: sachindb
says:
I admit that tweets are sometimes just gossip or have no real interest but for one thing, a lot of professionals use Twitter which can be a good way to capture budding trends, technologies and techniques. In any case, Google has to maximise its results and using Twitter is a good way for it to stay on the source of the information. What I am trying to say here is that we have been SEOing web pages for some time now while we do not really know how to really SEO Tweets even if we’re turning more and more towards SMO (Social Media Optimisation), thus results from social tools might still be great sources for the time being.
Real time search is one of the most important factor of google search.And your traffic concern issue is mostly depend on how can you use social networking sites to improvise your traffic.
-Alex
Hello Alex
yes real time search is important, but how can you use it ? Of course social networking is the support to reach this purpose, but how do you know how to improve your articles / tweets / posts without analysing your trafic ? (especially understand & use keywords interest driven to your website).
Twitter: sachindb
says:
Rightly said Alex, Real time search seems to be the next big trend in search engines.
Twitter: sachindb
says:
If we’re talking of real time search, wouldn’t the freshness of the information the most important element in the SEO techniques to be used? It would be like 24/7 information channels and professional users of blogs, twitter & other social media would have to distribute information quickly and around the clock.
freshness alone won’t do it : popularity and trustability are to consider if you want your comments to be listed (as it is already the case). So yes, make it “fresh” and interesting, but work on the 2 others as well ^^
Twitter: sachindb
says:
So we need to enhance the Twitter profile for example… becoming an authority in one’s branch with authority and power in the field. A good tool to try then is Twitter Grader.
Hello,
Nice articles dear. I like it. Keep it up.
Thanks Bryan
@Sachin : sounds like an old marketing trick … “find a way to be the first in your category, and if not possible create another category where you can be the first” ^^ totally applies to Twitter isn’t it ?
Twitter: sachindb
says:
That’s the idea. Its what web designers did with the “tables” design when no standards were involved. Use it for something else… Twitter was originally made to work like Facebook but we found a marketing line in it. Always be the first…