All of us small businesspeople are so busy with our daily routines that we do not take time or know the resources to keep up with the quickly changing online world. A resource that I have found very informative is Hubspot. I recently read a blog from Hubspot titled “Why You Won’t Recognize SEO in Five Years.” As I read it, I wondered if you had found this information. Thinking you might not, I am sharing it with you today along with my thoughts.
The article focused on three emerging patterns that are affecting search engine optimization, SEO. The first one had statistics that shocked me. Recent surveys have found that 60% of Internet use is happening on mobile devices. That prompted expert Benedict Evans to advise that we stop talking about mobile Internet vs. desktop Internet. He stated that “Mobile is the Internet.”
Even more surprising is how mobile users are accessing the Internet. According to Forrester Research, 85% are doing it through apps. Most of that time is spent on a handful of apps led by a major category leader at 24%, Facebook at 13%, and Google at 12%. Amazon and Apple each have 3%. From 2012 to 2014, the amount of time spent with apps increased from 23 to 37 minutes per month. That’s a 50% increase and indicates a trend.
While app usage is on the rise, desktop browser use is flat. The challenge for businesses right now is that browser-based search was easier to optimize via search engines. The current way to find apps and their content is through Google or Apple app stores. Better app search is coming. The iPhone Spotlight already searches within apps and bypasses Google to return some Web results.
The second pattern is the social searches. Facebook can now search for content as well as people and is performing 1.5 billion searches daily. Compare that with Google’s 3.5 billion. Since Facebook is social, the role of connections and influencers has a role in the search. In addition, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat have been treating content differently this past year. The sites had served as a location for limited content and promoted passing through to a Web site for more information. Today the “Read more” click takes the reader to an expanded content that resides on the social media. Instead of taking the reader to the business’s Web site, blog, or news site, the reader is kept on Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat.
This change does not help promote a business’s Web site. It is designed to help the social media survive and grow. Is it intended to replace Web sites? In the future, will businesses need to duplicate their Web sites on social media? Does the lack of pass through to a Web site make the social media less attractive to businesses?
Finally, the voice-activated personal assistants on all devices are expanding the times and places users can request searches. These assistants search differently than search engines by using past history and context rather than a user’s requested search terms. If you are interested in pizza, for example, the assistant knows your past pizza search and/or ordering and accesses your favorites. Your search results are tailored by your past personal purchases, habits, and uses.
These three patterns, mobile use dominating the Internet, social searches, and voice-activated assistants, are all affecting Internet searches and how users find our businesses online. Depending upon your target market, your business may be affected sooner or later. Think ahead. Determine the impact on your business and how you will respond to it. Do it now before these changes hurt your business’s bottom line.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What do you plan to do to respond to these changes? E-mail me your answer.
The article focused on three emerging patterns that are affecting search engine optimization, SEO. The first one had statistics that shocked me. Recent surveys have found that 60% of Internet use is happening on mobile devices. That prompted expert Benedict Evans to advise that we stop talking about mobile Internet vs. desktop Internet. He stated that “Mobile is the Internet.”
Even more surprising is how mobile users are accessing the Internet. According to Forrester Research, 85% are doing it through apps. Most of that time is spent on a handful of apps led by a major category leader at 24%, Facebook at 13%, and Google at 12%. Amazon and Apple each have 3%. From 2012 to 2014, the amount of time spent with apps increased from 23 to 37 minutes per month. That’s a 50% increase and indicates a trend.
While app usage is on the rise, desktop browser use is flat. The challenge for businesses right now is that browser-based search was easier to optimize via search engines. The current way to find apps and their content is through Google or Apple app stores. Better app search is coming. The iPhone Spotlight already searches within apps and bypasses Google to return some Web results.
The second pattern is the social searches. Facebook can now search for content as well as people and is performing 1.5 billion searches daily. Compare that with Google’s 3.5 billion. Since Facebook is social, the role of connections and influencers has a role in the search. In addition, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat have been treating content differently this past year. The sites had served as a location for limited content and promoted passing through to a Web site for more information. Today the “Read more” click takes the reader to an expanded content that resides on the social media. Instead of taking the reader to the business’s Web site, blog, or news site, the reader is kept on Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat.
This change does not help promote a business’s Web site. It is designed to help the social media survive and grow. Is it intended to replace Web sites? In the future, will businesses need to duplicate their Web sites on social media? Does the lack of pass through to a Web site make the social media less attractive to businesses?
Finally, the voice-activated personal assistants on all devices are expanding the times and places users can request searches. These assistants search differently than search engines by using past history and context rather than a user’s requested search terms. If you are interested in pizza, for example, the assistant knows your past pizza search and/or ordering and accesses your favorites. Your search results are tailored by your past personal purchases, habits, and uses.
These three patterns, mobile use dominating the Internet, social searches, and voice-activated assistants, are all affecting Internet searches and how users find our businesses online. Depending upon your target market, your business may be affected sooner or later. Think ahead. Determine the impact on your business and how you will respond to it. Do it now before these changes hurt your business’s bottom line.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What do you plan to do to respond to these changes? E-mail me your answer.
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