For the SEO industry, there were many changes in the year 2011 through 2012. Thus, each year there is the need for the industry to assess the year that has gone by. It is important to look over all the successes as well as the mistakes that occurred.
It is therefore important to factor in the changes of 2012, and anticipate the changes to come in 2013, with the Penguin 2.0 release. It definitely has had, and will have an influence on the way the search engine optimization should be approached.
Assessing Changes in Search Trends
In looking at which search trends you need to evaluate, you would need to look at, which changes have been the major changes and what are the lesser changes. The changes do not only apply to the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS), but also with what has happened within SEO companies.
What has come about is that these companies have needed more professionals in this field. Many organizations have allocated an increased budget for the purpose of search engine optimization. More jobs in this industry have been made available since the last updates have occurred.
This indicates how important it has become for the industry to adhere to the rules of the trade. In other words, more and more people needed to get assistance to get their websites into rankings by doing the right thing.
Opportunities in Search Trends
The Google updates have brought about changes to your links with regard to the exact match to anchor text or exact keywords. What this means is that you should not use the same text or keywords in your link building exercise. This would be seen as over-emphasizing links.
Keywords or anchor text do not need to also have to be only one word. It can be a phrase and the phrases do not have to be exactly the same (that is, repeated) in your content. This is a means of overcoming the de-emphasis of matching anchor text exactly brought about by the updates of 2012.
Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) have also changed a great deal with the advent of the new updates. The changes have had a great influence on your search visibility. However, there have also been, many opportunities that came from it. Google is still very dependent on SERPs, however, as this is where they earn about 97 per cent of their revenue.
Quality Content for Search Optimization
Even though the first Penguin update did not affect queries or searches that much, it did penalize thin and low quality content. The outcome of this is that you would have to place emphasis on improved content development. With this stoppage on low quality content, the updates have also clamped down on stuffing content with keywords as well as the use of bad linking practices.
Cold and Hot Search Trends
The search trends that have been hit by the Penguin 1.0 update in 2012, have made it a “cold” trend as it is no longer valid and it would also drive your website down or out of the ranks. Link building has also lost its place in SEO marketing.
Previously link building was the “hot” in the form of outreach, via comments, directories and other ways of doing so. In its place, the “hot” trend is link earning.
Moving with the Trends
It is important to look at what the changes of the past were, and make the adjustments as they appear. Google has already released the Penguin 2.0 update. You need to adhere to these changes if you do not want to be left in the wake of your competitors.
It is important that you pay attention to how these changes are affecting and will be affecting the search results of your keywords. It is also vital that your SEO agency spends more time on developing exceptional content. It is also necessary to research data that would give you a competitive edge.
Make sure that you Concentrate on Results
Even though you should make your business as attractive as possible, through the means of a great and well presented website, it is not about showboating. The entire exercise should be around using long-tern strategies to reach the customers you are after.
By following the “hot” trends, you would be able to focus on:
- Link earning and not the link building
- Use single keywords with
- Highly evolved content
- Bringing together your data and how you use it has become important
