In the first half of 2015 the SEO industry saw many more changes and curveballs than were expected, and it’s not unsafe to assume that the second half will follow suite. Being able to predict what may happen next or anticipate trends is a great way to stay ahead of your competition and prepare your strategy for the future with enough time. There are a lot of general trends out there that experts spotted from a distance (such as the importance of mobile optimization or semantic SEO), but there are a few predictions that we can still make today.
Many ideas related to SEO have either been hinted at during the first half of this year or have been completely ignored, but regardless, opening up to potential new ideas can’t hurt. You may not want to plan too far ahead just on a prediction, but it’s a great way to get thinking analytically about the industry and what makes it tick.
5 SEO Predictions to Consider in the Second Half of 2015
Below are five predictions we have for the rest of the year. Let us know in the comments below if you agree and what your predictions are now that we’re halfway through 2015.
Social Ecommerce Will Grow
This wasn’t a prediction a lot of experts made at the beginning of the year, but it’s certainly one to consider now. Social Ecommerce has already started to become a prominent part of online marketing, and it’s only going to grow as more and more social networks begin to tap into the potential they have at their fingertips for advertisers. It’s a fine line to walk because social networking has always been more about the users and connections and not advertising, but I expect to see companies getting creative on this front. Learn more about the networks that have already started the movement and what social ecommerce means for marketers here.
People Will Turn to Alternate Traffic Sources
Without question Google will still be number one and will continue to control the search market, but marketers are going to start getting more creative. Google can be a tough place to compete at times, and there are other places where they can catch the attention of a targeted audience. Social media is of course one of the most popular alternative sources of traffic, but others include Quora, Reddit, Slideshare, Scribd.com, BizSugar, and many more that you can check out here. It’s up to companies to experiment with these alternate forms. 2014 and the beginning of this year seemed to bring about infographics, video, and alternative content forms, but this could very well be the next step.
More Companies Will Create Mobile Apps
We know that mobile optimization was going to become more important and we were ready for app optimization, but we didn’t really prepare for Google’s app indexing. In other words, users can now open app content right there in a mobile app if a company has a mobile app in the first place. A mobile optimization website is great (really great), but suddenly creating an app is also important. Even if a company didn’t think their business warranted an app, the second half of this year will test their creativity and get all companies moving and working with developers. Learn more about app indexing here.
ROI Metrics Will Outweigh Keyword Rankings in Importance
So this is an idea that was circulating throughout SEO expert discussions even at the beginning of 2015, but we haven’t heard or seen much about it since. This second half of 2015 Google announcements and changes may very well slow down giving companies enough time to really put a new strategy in place for analytics. SEO is all about engagement and relationships in today’s world so there is no surprise there, but for many an analytics strategy has yet to follow. Spend more time focusing on a visitor’s path to purchase/engage/click as opposed to keyword rankings and you’ll be able to better optimize the right pages for the best ROI numbers.
Native Advertising Will Hit an All-Time High
Native advertising wasn’t at the forefront of anyone’s mind 6 months ago but it seems to be gaining speed. Even if native advertising isn’t a part of a company’s strategy, it makes sense that this method will grow in the future now that social media and creative content is more prevalent. If you can publish your ads in the same style as buzz worthy or interesting content, you will help keep the flow of a user’s experience while also helping your brand. Some call it tricky, but if done correctly the benefits can be huge. Visit this article to learn more about how it works and statistics about native advertising.