At the beginning of 2002, there were more than a dozen “search engines,” including crawlers, directories, and paid/PPC/CPC engines.
But by the end of that year, Google had emerged from the pack to become the leading player. (According to Nielsen//NetRatings, Google had a 39% share of 47 million “search hours” in December 2002.1)
I recently called the past 20 years “The Age of the One-Trick Pony.” Back at the beginning of 2003, if you figured out how to improve a website’s visibility in Google’s organic search results, then you could get a well-paying job at an SEO agency.
But, SEO professionals need to prepare for a paradigm shift as that age is about to end.
This means you must invest more time learning innovative marketing disciplines, and demonstrate prudent judgment to manage change.
As we step into the future of search, I can share five strategic insights and five pieces of tactical advice.
1. Embrace AI As A Powerful Tool
You’ve already learned how to use SEO tools that help you improve your company or client’s search engine rankings by analyzing keywords, content, and backlinks.
2. Conduct Audience Research
I’ve been using keyword research tools since 2002, but I started using an audience research tool in 2020.
With classic keyword research, you learn how many searches a keyword gets. With an audience research tool, you also learn about the audience that searches for a keyword, uses words in their bio, or visits a website.
3. Focus On High-Quality, Original Content
It’s worth re-reading Google’s guidance on building high-quality sites published in 2011, following the first Panda algorithm change.
It’s also worth reading the Googe Search Center documentation for creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.
4. Build Strong Backlinks
I don’t need to tell SEO pros they need to build strong backlinks. I also don’t need to tell you that this is getting harder to do.
Back in 2002, all you needed to do was submit your URL to the Yahoo! Directory and the Open Directory Project (also known as DMOZ). But, both directories have since been shut down, with the Yahoo! Directory closing in 2014 and the Open Directory Project in 2017.
5. Prioritize User Experience (UX):
Finally, read about how AI is transforming user experiences and influencing SEO rankings.
Every SEO I’ve met over the past 20 years knows how to evaluate the usability of webpages.