Every time search engine technology changes, doomsayers can be found announcing the death of SEO. The truth is that search engine optimization is here to stay. As long as people search the internet in some way to find goods and services, there will be a need for optimization. However, the techniques used to optimize content must always be changing and adapting to meet the demands of modern search technology. In effect this means that optimization is like the mythical phoenix: old methods die out and are replaced or reborn as new techniques. This constant cycle is at the heart of digital marketing and is one reason you should always count on a professional marketing firm like Mpulse Communications to help you navigate this ever-changing environment.

 

Why Optimization Will Always Be Important

Search engines like Google and Bing are constantly updating their products in order to provide a better value to consumers. Searchers are the end users for any search engine, and their needs are prioritized over the needs or preferences of website owners. After all, people searching for things are the ones driving activity on the site and generating revenue.This means that search engines will relentlessly work to boost the content that searchers want to see and de-rank less valuable content. It also means that search engines will identify and close loopholes and areas that can be exploited by digital marketing schemes that seek to boost page rank without providing quality to the consumer. When people say that SEO is dead, what they mean is that tactics that were previously successful are no longer generating results. This may happen due to shifts in consumer demand or when search engines identify and punish “black hat” techniques that exploit search algorithms without providing value. As algorithms get smarter, digital marketing needs to get savvier.

 

Recent Search Engine Changes

Some of the biggest search engine changes happened years ago, and some digital agencies are still scrambling to catch up. Out-of-date backlinking techniques and keyword stuffing have been out of fashion for years, but you’ll still find agencies offering these services to businesses who don’t know better. Specialists who are keeping a thumb on the pulse of search trends are paying attention to more recent changes:

• Search engines are increasingly being modified for voice searches handled over the phone. This means that longer queries are being searched, and searches are more often asked as questions rather than a cluster of keywords.
•  Site authority is increasingly important especially in an age when “fake news” is a concern. People want to know that the results they get are trustworthy, and search engines will work to find ways to combat low-authority or factually inaccurate news sources.
• Content marketing will continue to be useful, but the form it takes will change. Guest blogging as a way to build backlinks is no longer an approved strategy for Google, and sites relying on this may find themselves penalized in certain situations.

These are just a few of the potential changes on the horizon for search engines in 2018 and beyond. The future of search engine optimization is an ever-changing sea, and it’s never safe to rest on your laurels when it comes to marketing efforts and getting your product in front of the people interested in buying it on the web.

Relying on Expertise and Experience

As a business owner handling your own site optimization is an enormous undertaking. SEO isn’t a skill you can learn once and master; it requires ongoing attention and practice to keep up with changing trends and techniques. You’re already busy with other aspects of your business. Don’t try to take on too much yourself. Rely on the expertise of a company like Mpulse Communications that specializes in search engine optimization and marketing strategies for the 21st century. Contact us today if you have questions or to learn more about what we can do for you.

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