- March 31, 2015
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Search Marketing Predictions for 2015
Since 2006, Bruce Clay has been one of the most respected prognosticators of Internet and search marketing. Here is a summary of his nine search marketing predictions about trends and shakeups that he believes integrated marketers can expect this year. We suggest using them in upcoming discussions with your internal team and/or website developer.
- Mobile results will be more important.
Google has warned websites about critical mobile usability errors, signaling that a new mobile ranking algorithm may be coming soon. Voice search will grow due to greater mobile use, leading to more long-tail searches.
- All first-page Google results will be mobile-friendly, fast, and relevant.
Google will focus more on delivering very specific answers to questions in order to serve conversational, long-tail queries.
- Local results will gain prominence in search engines.
Google is under pressure to increase revenue, so expect local search to feature paid results, sold as enhanced entries, which could include coupons, phone numbers and images.
- Google will keep fighting spam by changing algorithms, penalizing all sites to some degree.
Clay expects Google to look for ways to improve search results across the board in every algorithmic category.
- Google will be forced to launch an ecommerce support program to compete with Amazon.
Fewer people are searching for products through Google, as more searches are made within Amazon, causing Google’s PPC revenue to drop.
- On-page video will be more heavily weighted in search rankings.
Bandwidth capacity now allows video nearly everywhere, and since Google owns YouTube, the company has an interest in promoting video. Video will signal expertise and authority when pulled in from YouTube.
- As SEO becomes more technical, marketing will become more important
Marketing and messaging involves conversion-rate optimization. So Clay expects marketing to absorb SEO, since technical SEOs will have a harder time incorporating marketing into their methodology than marketers will have in integrating SEO requirements.
- As user experience gains significance, conversion methods will soften.
With consumers becoming more tech-savvy and less receptive to a hard sell, businesses will need to test different messages and calls to action with softer tones.
- Google remains dominant, but Bing will expand market share.
Mobile search presents a huge opportunity for Bing to grow. Said Clay, “If they hit mobile search experience out of the park, then Google won’t be able to touch them.” According to Clay, “…No one company is safe from being edged out, and it’s all up to the public opinion of what’s best and what’s acceptable.”
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