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Since its inception, search engine optimization has faced criticism and pessimism. But of late, voices hinting that SEO is on its last legs, or that the trend is finally fading, have grown stronger. People both inside and outside the SEO community are making bold predictions that within this decade, the entire industry could collapse.
Is there any truth to these speculations? Is SEO starting to weaken in terms of power or profitability, and if so, is there anything we in the SEO industry can do about it?
Threats to the SEO Industry
There are some big threats in the SEO industry on the table. SEO is no longer a perfect strategy. There’s no guarantee it’ll get you traffic or be profitable, it can be tricky to implement, and even if you do everything right, it could still be months or even years before you start seeing the results you want.
Related: Could SEO Permanently Ruin Your Website?
Add to that the array of threats facing our industry:
Applications and direct services. Why bother searching for something on Google when you can simply get product recommendations in your Amazon app? Why look for a ridesharing service when you can just rely on Uber? The truth is that apps and direct services are taking away some of the traditional search traffic. However, these direct applications and services could present new opportunities. Most apps like these still allow users to search for specific products or specific needs, and if there’s a search algorithm in play, there’s a way to take advantage of it. Social media. Likewise, people turn to social media for news and information. Organic traffic and searches are taking a hit because of this. That said, most people involved in search engine optimization also have a social media strategy of some sort, which allows them to capitalize on both fronts. Digital assistants. Digital assistants, rich snippets, and other search enhancements also make search optimization more difficult. Sometimes users receive answers directly, rather than being forwarded to specific content on the web. The algorithms used by digital assistants are more ambiguous and harder to analyze. DIY optimizers. Thanks to the prevalence of SEO content online, the power of website builders’ built-in SEO tools, and other factors, DIY optimization is much more accessible and a much more common option. While this doesn’t weaken SEO as a strategy, it does potentially weaken it as a career choice Smarter Algorithms. Google and other search engines are constantly updating to provide users with higher quality and more consistent results. But here are some drawbacks for search optimizers; that is, it’s getting harder and harder to write the best content and build the best links for the algorithm in its modern state. So SEO continues to be more nuanced, more time-consuming, and more expensive.
SEO budgets and expenses
If the SEO industry is dying, employers haven’t gotten the news yet. SEO spend has historically increased, year after year, for as long as SEO has existed. The past few years have been no different, and surveys of business owners suggest that their optimism about SEO has not waned. You could argue that it will be a few years before public perception catches up to reality, but currently the markets indicate that the SEO phenomenon is not going away anytime soon.
Related: How to change an outdated link building strategy
Reasons for optimism
There are additional reasons for optimism in the SEO industry.
Constant updates from Google. Despite pouring money into apps, smarter algorithms, digital assistants and other technologies, Google is still constantly updating its core search algorithm. Google itself has faith that traditional online search will be around for a long time, and the company continues to improve its service offerings for its users. The ubiquity of research. Traditional search is still used billions of times a day and remains the dominant way to find information online. As long as people continue to use search engines, SEO will continue to be a relevant and effective way to persuade and target them. New audiences. Currently there are 4,660 million Internet users worldwide, and this number is increasing every year as Internet connections bring together more and more people around the world. Even if the power of conventional search engines begins to wane, the increase in new potential target audiences can more than make up for the gap.
Related: Is it possible to have too much web traffic?
Transformations are slow
One last important consideration here: Industry transformations are often slow, even in the face of radical new technologies. If search engines and user behaviors are changing, SEO experts have plenty of time to study these changes and adapt. Tomorrow’s SEO may not look like today’s, but search marketers will inevitably find a way to serve customers and make a profit with similar tactics.
Related: 5 Ways to Make Money with SEO in 2022
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