9 SEO Experts on the Future of Marketing

salesforce SEO EXPERTS REVEAL THE TRUTH ABOUT MARKETING Search engines have come a long way from the old days. With this in mind, how can companies use search (or more specifically, Search Engine Optimization, commonly known as SEO), and the different mediums of marketing, to further their business objectives? We spoke to a panel of SEO experts and asked them three important questions. Major Growth As search numbers grow, SEO is becoming more important than ever. 20.4 Billion 113.1 illion Based on data from comScore, there were just under 20.4 billion searches from desktops alone in According ro ComScore, the number of U.S. searchers using mobile phones grew between March and December to 113.1l million searchers. March 2013. Meet The Panel The biggest names in search engine optimization Debra Mastaler Adam Audette Chris Bennett Founder/CEO of 97th Floor 97thfloor.com echrisbennett Duane Forrester President Of Alliance-Link Chief knowledge Officer at RKG Senior Product Manager, bing.com/Duane-Forrester DuaneForrester Jim Yu CEO of BrightEdge brightedge.com rimmkaufman.com alliance-link.com edebramastaler @audette JimYu Marshall Simmonds Founder of Define Media Group CEO/Co-Founder of Moz Definemg.com @mdsimmonds Wil Reynolds Founder of Seer Interactive Seerinteractive.com wilreynolds Will Critchlow Founder of Distilled, inc Distilled.net willcritchlow Rand Fishkin Moz.com/randfish erandfish What is the Future of SEO? We asked the SEO experts what was most important in search and what to expect years from now. I see (search) merging with inbound marketing practices as a whole. Every inbound channel is connected - organic search, social media, content, community, email, etc. The future will bring less and less of an ability to do great SEO without embracing these other channels and practices." Rand Fishkin CEO/Co-Founder of Moz I think we'll see more authority given to vetted authors/sites so Google returns results that matter to the person making the request. What "real" people search (ask) for and what's important to them is what Google makes a note of and strives to return. Their algorithms appear to be evolving to better understand relationships between content, the question asked and the person asking it." Debra Mastaler President of Alliance-Link "Mobile is going to be the most important factor in search, and will play a much bigger role in 2013. Computers are no longer encased in desktop or laptop coverings and search does not happen only on 1024x768 screens. We not only saw a rise in smartphone activity in 2012, but also significant activity in tablet computing. With tablet computers, there will be different conversion metrics, different keywords to optimize for, and other considerations in the future." Jim Yu CEO of BrightEdge Key Takeaways For Your Business Now more than ever, your marketing campaigns must be integrated. Ensure your website, TV spots, print ads, and even your website work together for optimal results. Incorporate SEO and social media into your marketing efforts. Consider how search engines can be part of the plan. What is the relationship between Social Media and SEO? How does social media factor into the search process today? 7 believe we are only in the very earliest stages of seeing search benefits of social aside from it generating regular links...We should be thinking about social and search as channels that need a unified approach, because the best content should appeal to both channels and the cross-over benefits /economies of scale are potentially huge." Will Critchlow Founder of Distiled, INC. "It's an ecosystem really - search results give way to links/mentions/shares which give way to more authority, and ultimately better ranking, and even more links/mentions/shares." Marshall Simmonds Founder of Define Media Group "They are hand and hand. It is virtually the same thing now, as social has become a huge part of not only Google's algorithm but also how to spread content and drive traffic. You can't be an effective [organization) and not leverage social media." Chris Bennett Founder/CEO of 97th Floor Key Takeaways For Your Business Create and share content on your social channels. Done well, it will help boost your search results. Focus on the content that fuels social media and do more of it. This boosts SEO results. How has Content Marketing Changed SEO? Content marketing is a great way to build relationships and market your company. How does it impact SEO? "Content is what people are searching for...They search because they have a need. That need, be it product, service or information, appears to them as content in some form or another. Stay focused on creating engaging content experiences and impress visitors with thoughtful usability, making their job easier." Duane Forrester Senior Product Manager, Bing "Today it's not about "get the traffic" - it's about "get the targeted and relevant traffic." This is the era of less is more SEO. Content is the key, because it's how a website creates an online experience. Content is ANYTHING that creates a compelling experience. But it's so much more, because you quickly realize that your can't really know which content types to create until you understand which content types people want." Adam Audette Chief knowledge Officer at RKG I don't think SEO has changed. The basic components are still the same: optimize your pages with good content and get a lot of quality sites/pages to link to them. What has changed is the way the engines look and judge content and the fact that engines like Bing and Google are no longer the only platforms you have to optimize for." Debra Mastaler President of Alliance-Link Key Takeaways For Your Business A website built around the needs of the consumer will be a successful one from the content on the site to the SEO keywords to the user-friendly navigation. Stay focused on creating engaging content experiences and impress visitors with thoughtful usability, making their job (answering their question) easier. 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