The year 2013 was a big year in Internet marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). Although the gneeral rules seemed to stay the same, Google introduced several big changes that revolutionized the way websites are found, ranked, and presented in search results. Furthermore, as new Web-based technloogies hit the market and the world becomes increasingly more interconnected, it is now more critical than ever for small businesses to keep up with these changes.
According to John Lincoln, an analytics expert and social media, SEO and analytics instructor at the University of California, SEO changed a lot in 2013 because Google took en masse action against black-hat tactics that proliferated the Internet and manipulated search engines.
Another change was Google’s YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) initiative, a recent update that humanizes Internet content. “Google decided that websites and Web pages that have to do with your money or your life, such as financial sites and medical-advice sites, should be looked a little closer,” Lincoln said. Under YMYL, Google’s Web quality team reviews these Web properties to determine if they are experts; if not, Google puts a manual action against the offending website to lower its ranking and reduce traffic.
As a whole, Internet marketing is changing so quickly that businesses must stay on their toes to keep up. Other tings to watch out for include mobile innovation and consumer technology funds. Lincoln said, “The industry has made significant advances in 2013, so much taht you really need a specialist in each area to perform at the optimal level.”
To read the Q&A that Lincoln participated in with BusinessNewsDaily, click here.