Published on October 8th, 2020 | by Sumit Bhowal
0Technology That Is Changing SEO
Gone are the days when SEO was just as simple as optimization of websites’ landing pages on a desktop or personal computer. Today things have become a little bit more complex and they are about to become even more complicated with the adoption of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR). Technology is always improving to enhance content and there’s a constant demand to create more engaging and newer content for consumers. Although the majority of what constituted basic SEO tools are still similar, including keywords, internal and external linking, regularly updated content, and image and meta tag optimization for search, SEO has grown to include much broader concepts such as mobile search, social media profiles, and UX. Below is the technology that is changing SEO, according to the best St Louis SEO Company.
Voice search, machine learning, mobile, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality are some of the newer technology expected to significantly disrupt the world of SEO. There are several theories concerning expected changes in SEO strategy. Search marketers need to stay ahead of the game if they want to remain relevant once the newer technology innovations are fully implemented.
Voice Search and the Internet of Things (IoT)
Virtual assistant devices are now connected to the Internet and voice search is growing fast. Amazon’s Alexa, Google Now and Cortana, and Apple’s Siri have demonstrated that voice has been integrated into internet searches. Today, even smart TV’s music players and gaming consoles have voice searches connected to the Internet. Virtual assistants are used to perform various tasks and answer multiple questions, provide directions, find nearby restaurants and other businesses, and provide relevant information on products and services. Virtual Assistants (VAs) perform searches that are more conversational in nature and will shape how SEO marketers and professionals optimize voice search to match their target audience. So, voice searches are not going anywhere soon and will only continue to grow in popularity. They’ll continue to be integrated into car systems to help provide directions and answer numerous questions and smart homes to make life easier for homeowners.
IoT encapsulates internet-connected devices, including refrigerators and modern cars, not just smartphones and tablets. It allows devices to communicate and share vital information. While smart homes have existed for decades, the digital phenomenon is rising fast.
Mobile Search
Today, more people own smartphones than desktop computers, a phenomenon that has forced content creators to consider mobile UX in their web design and content creation. Google has made significant investments in improving mobile pages and ensuring they load faster and more efficiently. The tech giant introduced accelerated mobile pages (AMP) to enhance page load speeds for mobile phones and page load speeds are now twice as fast. Other tech giants that have been developing dedicated mobile offerings include Facebook (Facebook Instant Articles) and Apple (Search Ads platform). Search marketers will have to create AMP pages because it is continuously becoming a crucial factor in mobile search ranking algorithms for accurate search results.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
For half a decade, AI has been a major driving force behind SEO upgrades. Google primarily focuses on the user and constantly works to improve the content’s relevance so that searchers get exactly what they are looking for.
RankBrain, which is Google’s algorithm that employs AI, has been in effect for a while. Machine learning is a concept in which the machine is able to learn by itself without the instructions from programmers. The main reason for Google’s use of this AI technology is to enhance user experience and Google’s RankBrain strives to improve the relevance of content so that the searcher can have the best possible experience when searching for information online. Google is using AI to go beyond the traditional keyword searches and this seems to shape the future direction for SEO. RankBrain interprets both the content and context of the same content while suggesting to users pages that may not have included the words searched for initially but still contain relevant information. AI will arrange search results based on quality, relevance, and value added to the searcher. SEO marketers and specialists will have to move from simple keyword-based content to concept inspired content.
Virtual Reality (VR)
While many still believe that VR is just for gamers, nerds, and tech enthusiasts, this technology could potentially change virtually every industry across different niches, including SEO. The video gaming industry is constantly looking for ways to maximize VR technology. The impact of VR technology is already shaping the SEO industry as social media is adopting some of its features such as live 360 degrees videos. These videos are filmed, distributed, and even optimized for online searches using a range of Google tools, thereby transforming search and online content. These tools include Google Street View, VR View, and Cardboard Camera where users can share content on various platforms, including social media (Instagram and Facebook) and WordPress. Today, photos, infographics, baits, and memes are actively used as clickbait. However, VR is the future of clickbait, as it can be used as online video content or repurposed as engaging graphics, allowing content creators to reach a wider audience. Fresh, creative VR content has the potential to generate more organic traffic and backlinks to your site, significantly improving ranking and domain authority. Content creators can embed VR videos directly to webpages to allow web visitors to view content without using any specialist VR equipment.
From all these, it is clear that the future of SEO is going to be impacted by various technologies to allow users to find the answers they are looking for most conveniently. Content creators will have to find a balanced approach that incorporates each and every aspect of these tech touchpoints if they want to succeed in their SEO campaigns. The era of keyword stuffing content, over-optimizing meta tags, and link-buying is over. Previous SEO practices that impacted the industry’s development have been replaced by social media marketing, mobile search and content marketing. SEO experts need to embrace the future of search engine optimization if they want to remain relevant in the fast-paced SEO industry that is constantly bombarded with all sorts of new, disruptive technological developments and innovation. Content marketing will continue to thrive no matter the medium used.