Crystal Ball Predictions: Forecasters Weigh in on SEO Trends
A 2008 search marketing report claims sponsored search represented 88% of the $13.5 spent on Internet marketing, while SEO only accounted for 11%. Yet forecasters are saying that in the years to come, the tide will turn and SEO practices will be the big spenders while PPC takes a backseat. As an advertising agency expected to deliver advice and develop strategies for our clients we’re always interested in not just what the data says. We want to know why.
Although it’s all hypothetical’s right now, data crunchers are focusing on search engine user behavior to explain the shifting trend. Experts are now noticing a potential for higher clicks on organic listings than their sponsored search alternatives. Perhaps users are wary of clicking on obvious advertisements, feeling that a sales pitch waits just beyond the click. Maybe it’s the one-size fits all adaptation – SEO works across all search engines so you don’t have to tailor a campaign specific to one engine. We speculate that users aren’t ignoring the sponsored ads, but clicking on the organic listing when they’re presented together on the same SERP. Just as consumer behavior is influenced by economic climate, search engine user behavior too feels the effects of a down economy. As customers become price-conscious, it is imperative that businesses adapt their marketing to position themselves correctly.
It’s just not enough to have your site optimized for search engines. New data indicates that the top positions are where “it’s” at. "It" being your customer’s eyes. Consider the eye-tracking heat chart below. This chart is known as the Google Search Golden Triangle and serves to illustrate the importance of being ranked highly in search engine results.
Notice that the majority of eyes roam over the top paid search position and the top organic search results and then gradually interest wanes towards the bottom of the page.
Should you bet the farm in SEO? We wouldn’t advise putting all of your advertising eggs in one basket, but it does beg the question: Are you doing all you can for your business? Are you maximizing your SEO potential?
Blogs, press releases, fresh and focused content, videos, old pages, new pages, targeted keywords and the right audience are just a few of the complex variables that can make or break your SEO campaign’s success. SEO offers businesses much more than just an optimized website for a search engine robot to read. Optimized sites are user-friendly, customer-oriented, focused and organized, and offer excellent brand and reputation management. When you consider all that SEO has to offer, it’s no wonder why the trends are showing a favorable trend towards those organic listings.
The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), arguably one of the foremost experts in search engine marketing analysis, predicts that over $26 billion will be spent on advertising in the year 2013. That’s almost a 100% increase in only five years. Is your business ready for the future?