The new year is upon us and companies of all sizes are looking for ways to tap into new audiences. As organizations research ways to make the most bang for their buck, many are turning to the power of Search Engine Optimization.
So much so that sources like Top Rank Online Marketing are reporting SEO as the number 1 digital marketing tactic for their reader base in 2011.
SEOmoz, a leader in SEO strategies and campaigns, recently posted an article on big search engine optimization trends and predictions for 2011. Here are just a few to help you start fresh.
According to Kristi Hines’ five link building predictions, “link building efforts will probably start to target brand/business names more than keyword anchor text.” What does this mean for your business? You’ll want to include your business or brand name in your most important anchor links.
Bharati Ahuja from WebPro Technologies is predicting increased value in external links that establish your company as an expert or add value to websites associated with your brand. Companies will benefit greatly from answering questions at Yahoo Answers, LinkedIn and other communities. Guest posts will also be a fabulous avenue to explore.
Good news for smaller companies! Bharati, along with others who blogged their 2011 SEO predictions, foresees search engines focusing more on local sites and blogs. Companies can take advantage of this shift by optimizing their websites for local search.
Finally, Jolie O’Dell from Mashable says we can “expect to be asked to make more and more app-like sites.” As an increasing volume of consumers turn to smartphones and iPads as their web browsing tool, companies will need to adjust. Organizations who work at creating a mobile-friendly version (accomodating a smaller screen or developing apps, for example) will find themselves ahead.
These are just a few of the thoughts and inklings coming from the SEO expert community. What are some of your predictions?
