Considering the shifts in SEO survival, 2012 has been quite an eventful
year. There have been several important updates that have changed the
search scene altogether.
A massive crackdown on spam sites through the EMD updates was not the
only scathing step taken by Google. Google updates its algorithm over
500 times a year in order to weed out low quality sites from the top
positions. Google will never stop its relentless run to make search
results more relevant.
Search engine optimization, as it stands today, is no longer child’s
play. It has become quite challenging and innovative strategies are
required to attain better rankings.
So what is the outlook for SEO in 2013? The answer to this question is
still vague, as people are not sure about the updates that are to occur
in 2013. Fierce arguments are still raging regarding the Google updates
that may take place. While some believe that the future lies in content
marketing, others believe that social media presence will be the key.
Others continue to resort to blackhat SEO methods that may land them on
Google’s hitlist.
Based on what I hear people saying and see people doing, and my
understanding of the proposed Google updates that may take place, here
is a list of major changes in SEO you can expect to occur in 2013.
Author Rank
How Google handles Author Rank will be the biggest search factor in
2013. It may turn the entire internet marketing world upside down.
Google will assign each blogger an Author Rank based on various
parameters such as niche authority and domain expertise. This Rank will
be given a major role in ranking the content authored by that author.
Simply speaking, the higher the rank and reputation of the author, the
higher are the chances of their content ranking well in search engines.
Also, an author’s published content will be directly linked to their
Google+ profile, thereby drawing Google+ into SEO calculations. So, with
the mooted Author Rank update, performance of a site will depend more
upon the reputation and niche expertise of the content’s author in
social networks.
Equivalency Score Algorithm
Another major update that is expected to take place in 2013 is the
Google Equivalency Score Algorithm (ESA). ESA is expected to work in the
same way as Google Adword’s Quality Score where each keyword is given a
point score based on several factors. The quality score of the keywords
is then used along with the bid amount of the advertiser and the ads
are ranked accordingly. ESA, if operationalized, will have a huge impact
on online businesses. It will effectively cut down the monopoly of some
websites on number one rankings and will create a more level playing
field for all businesses. One effect of this is that Google may display
the same results for a search query in different orders each time the
results appear on screen.
Link Disavow Tool
The Link Disavow Tool was created to collect data on the backlink
structure of sites. Chances are that Google will use this tool in 2013
to create an algorithm using the links that have already been submitted
to them. The tool will be used to improve reporting of spam sites and
poor quality backlinks. Consequently, blog posts and forum posts can no
longer be used to create backlinks.
Social media presence
SEO in 2013 will be heavily influenced by the numerous social networks
and the development and utilisation of an effective social media
presence. Site owners and technicians have to carve a niche out for
themselves in social media if they want their sites to do well in search
rankings. Sharing of content on social networks like Facebook, Twitter,
StumbleUpon, Pinterest, Delicious, LinkedIn, MySpace and Google+ will
be of the utmost importance. Social media popularity will, in a way,
decide the fate of a site as far as Google is concerned.
The reason Google gives such importance to the social media presence of a
site is yet to be definitively ascertained. But there are many theories
out there regarding this. Social media presence is proof that the
traffic finds the content of a site useful. However, many say that
Google will do this to give its staggering Google+ a boost. Many believe
that in the days to come, Google+ might just emerge as the most
important social network for webmasters.
Digital marketing
Digital marketing will also play a big role in 2013. Digital marketing
will slowly include the entire spectrum of online marketing from
market-purposed content creation, through pay-per-click strategies, to
use of social media. Because of certain expected Google updates, this
will get a big boost and chances are that more and more brands will come
into the digital marketing field in time.
No Fundamental Changes in SEO
Having started by explaining how SEO will fundamentally change in 2013,
let me close by saying that the foundation of SEO is going to remain the
same. Whether web owners and professionals like it or not, content will
continue as the king online. High quality, well-written, expertly
displayed, functionally useful content will still hold the key to
ranking well for target search terms. Any site needs to have compelling
and unique content that has good readability and provides a rich user
experience. Half the search battle is won if a website follows this
cardinal rule, and that will only become more true in 2013 and beyond.
Currently accepted link building practices such as viral article
submission and automated link posting won’t work any more, as the basis
for them affecting search results is revealed as artifical. Google began
the tough scrutiny of backlinks in 2012, and this will continue in
2013.
While we must wait to see just how Google and other search giants
implement their strategies for 2013, it can be taken for granted that
their efforts to keep search results organically honest, relevant and
useful to consumer will have an impact on the industry that has
developed around search engine optimization. Whether the effects of that
are good or bad, for consumers and the industry, remains to be seen.
What about you? Are you ready for 2013? Do you foresee other ways in which search will change next year and beyond?
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