6 SEO Trends for 2014 by Amy Harris
10SHARESFacebookTwitter 2013 saw Google busily updating their algorithms with the introduction of Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird, designed to target content, link and search quality – like voice search on mobile devices. At the end of 2013 Google took the step that SEO professionals hoped would never happen, but secretly knew was inevitable; they made all organic searches secure, meaning keyword data is now ‘not provided’. Without this data, site owners are no longer able to use their own web analytics software to segment users by keywords. These changes, combined with the exploding markets for smartphones and mobile devices, mean that the SEO landscape of 2014 has changed dramatically. Amy Harris, Community Manager for business website Expert Market offers six SEO trends for the coming year: 1. Exploring a ‘Not Provided’ World Google may be leading the way in hiding keyword referral data but they are by no means alone; IE10, Firefox and Mobile Safari have all followed suit. So in 2014 data will have to be viewed differently and new options will need to be explored. With the new advanced segment UI, questions will be answered but in a different way as it’s the user rather than the individual visit that’s measured. This change will be an important component in a new trend that will force SEO specialists to think differently about the data available. More emphasis will be placed on other sets of data like PPC impressions data, which could be the most accurate for identifying opportunities. 2. Content Marketing Grows Up In 2014 Google will be looking for far more mature and well-rounded content marketing than previously. Existing content being used strategically will have to be re-evaluated and radically altered to meet Google’s demand for regular, helpful and highly-targeted content. This will be engaging content, regularly updated and shared to prove that the site is alive and growing and has some authority. In short, the more effective your content is in addressing your audience’s most common problems, the more this will help your site ranking. 3. Social Signalling Will Increase In the last couple of years, content from networks like Pinterest and Instagram have been fast following in the footsteps of social giants Facebook and Twitter. As the interest in social media continues, appearing on just one or two social networks will not be sufficient in 2014. In fact, a study by the Content Marketing Institute reports that B2B small business marketers juggle an average of five networks at the same time. Again, it’s about knowing your audience and where they like to hang out beyond the obvious selections for your industry. Profiles will become more crafted as...