Each week I read another article for how SEO is changing. Perhaps, google has tweaked its search page algorithm some more, and everything you thought your marketing organization was doing right is not doing exactly wrong.
A recent article that struck this tone suggested three cataclysmic and major shifts:
1) Google Search is being dominated by ads
2) The future of search is voice-based
3) Quality content should be the top priority
Based on our lessons in class and my experience, these are not novel suggestions.
Regarding item 1, the entire Alphabet business is driven by ads and capturing the long tail is viable through digital marketing. Perhaps digital marketing is more competitive now due to increased accessibility and knowledge, but the domination of paid advertisements is pervasive throughout the past decade of Google Search.
"“Ninety-seven out of 100 of the SERPs in our data set do not have ten blue links. Only three percent do,” - Dr. Peter J. Meyers, Marketing Scientist at Moz.
Regarding item 2, I continue to be skeptical about voice search. The data backing up these claims is driven by increased usage of smart assistants on smart phones and devices. In my network, I have yet to see (or hear?) people use smart assistants to make a purchase decision or complete relevant research on a product (unless asking Alexa the Rotten Tomatoes score for 'Knives Out' counts as research). In the highly technical B2B industry in which we operate, I would be confident submitting that voice optimization will never be a determining factor in a purchase decision. However, if voice optimization starts to outrank its counterparts in text searches, this may become a different story. Still, I think there will be plenty of time to make this shift in most markets.
Regarding item 3...duh! Quality content is and will continue to be a key driver for google and purchasers. This leads me to believe overall at its core that digital marketing is still an extension of marketing. So many articles try to scare and confuse digital marketers that they are doing things wrong, but the more things change the more they stay the same. Perhaps these opinion writers should start focusing on creating higher quality content!
Sources:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/277007
https://99firms.com/blog/voice-search-statistics/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/347149
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