In the process of setting up my own agency in the past year I have had to talk about, analyse and future gaze with all aspects of marketing, social media and SEO. Some things I’ve even had to re-learn!
I am the type of person who thinks in pictures, grids and models. If you know me, you will know I like a silly analogy. In a recent meeting I used a board game narrative to explain the process of building your way up slowly and steadily with SEO. Explaining that at a moment’s notice, previous actions, a simple error or a colleague’s silly actions can send you back to the beginning of ‘the game’. I like the game analogy, as SEO can sometimes frequently be seen like an arms-race, or a rush to do more than your competitors.
In the previous couple of years, there have been more radical changes than the previous decade. This has meant that many years of previously accepted wisdom have easily come ‘undone’!
Over at SESOME we believe in making the right long-term calls for our clients and avoiding the temptation of short-term-wins with potential big loses.
Here comes the analogy, “The ‘game of SEO as ’Snakes & Ladders’”. Below, I will explain my SEO 2015 predictions. I know it’s still November, but here goes!
SEO as a game of ‘Snakes and Ladders’
My 2015 predictions
More of the basics
We all need to go back to a basic, and simultaneously advanced, concept of ‘library indexation’. This is due to the growing realisation of the “the internet of things” becoming more and more mainstream. Now this won’t necessarily affect traditional SEO but we should be thinking of entities, about the giving and receiving of information in a more and more connected device world.
Brands will focus on being real publishers of content and not just sites that publish content.
Links will still be important. Social media shares and citations will probably mature as the signals from established platforms, and we will be playing with new platforms that come and go.
Local SEO will be talked about a lot more. Personalisation of the SERPs being more mobile/phablet friendly will mean GPS coordinates will have a bigger impact on your visibility.
SEO will increasingly be about answers over just facts. Back in computer science and stats 101 you learn about the 3 levels of Data, Information and Knowledge. We are shifting further to the right as the engines get better of taking human questions.
And, many big companies will still not fully understand SEO, even though more and more are starting to say they do!
There will be real integration
SEO, Social, PR and email will become even more integrated. We will return to teams being called ‘internet marketing’ rather than just silos. My first ever job title in the late 90’s was actually ‘Internet marketing executive’, this may return to your business!
Technical site hygiene will undo many websites in 2015. Sites that don’t take server and user security will be penalised. You will need to indoctrinate your sys admin as the newest full time member of the SEO team!
“Mobile first” will be a phrase that you will be using in every meeting. Simple as that.
Paid-for amplification will be a standard trick in the outreach portfolio.
Teaching old-dogs new tricks
Basic coding will become core skills for all performance marketers. You may only use them to impress your colleagues or check a tracking tag, but a good appreciation of the art of coding will become mandatory to ensure you can discuss the topic with ease.
Attribution modelling will come of age and will not only be preserved with the data-geeks. Therefore SEO and social should get greater support from those who understand user funnels and the interrelationship of channels.
New formats
There will be a new battle ground of wearable tech – even though I’m sure many of us are not ready for tech that moves outside of our phones! So, earlier I said mobile first. We may need to think of super-mobile-first in terms of simplified content and apps to present for those new specific formats.
App SEO is coming. Oh, and video again.
Final thought
So, I am predicting that everything will change – but nothing will!