With little information given by Google about internal workings of its algorithms, it is uncertain and nearly impossible to know what issues webmasters can expect to encounter in 2013. About 200 algorithm updates typically take place each year by Google. However, there is no way to know if another Panda or Penguin update is in the making. It is certainly possible to make a few predictions now of the changes that could take place in the field of search engine optimization for this coming year. Recently, a few fundamental shifts have occurred and will more than likely continue to occur throughout 2013:
Google’s continuous goal is to rid its own results pages of spam. Even though the Penguin update of 2012 took major steps in a better direction than before it came to play, the changes uncovered a few new technicalities that allowed webmasters to actively sneak in low quality pages in Google’s natural search results to boost rankings. Google’s updated search algorithms gave out a clear message to webmasters that any indication of manipulation of ranking above natural value is bad quality and open for penalties. As Google battles against spam you can expect more purifications of the Penguin update or an entirely new algorithm change.
Link Building is continually becoming more difficult. The process of finding and securing backlinks for search engine optimization grows more challenging because Google’s algorithm updates are always invalidating popular linking schemes. It’s safe to say that having “link worthy” material on your site will help boost rankings naturally and give your site more linkable assets.
Mobile internet usage continually grows, changing SEO tactics and becoming somewhat of a threat as well as an opportunity. It’s imperative that companies implement mobile SEO best practices for their websites with the predictions that mobile internet usage will account for as much as half of all web traffic by 2014. As mobile web usage takes over the desktop it is on its way of doing the same with mobile search. With one third of all internet users using mobile devices in the world today, it is important to make your website mobile friendly, otherwise you will be turning away potential customers.
A few SEO predictions for 2013:
Webmasters will steer away from the shortcuts and tricks from the past and focus more on long-term solutions to secure their rankings. They will continue to focus more and more on quality versus quantity.
A more accessible path to website success has always been good content marketing. This does not involve spamming sites with guest posts or creating cheesy info graphics because they are popular. Instead, good content includes uniquely written, valuable content on topics readers actually care about. By doing this you naturally will increase brand reputation, inbound backlinks and referral traffic. With much less effort than traditional SEO techniques, search engine results will increase. After creating quality content, you will be able to then promote it with social activity.
Daily research will continue to grow in importance. There will be a greater need to stay on top of all the changes that take place in the SEO industry. The industry is becoming increasingly more competitive and difficult. Before putting some SEO concepts and theories into practice, it is better to test them and then monitor the results to see what works and what doesn’t.
