After making a recent visit to the website of the Museum of Natural History, I was struck by how the human body has changed over the past few hundred years. We know that average body height has steadily risen since the 17th century, mainly because of improvements in nutrition and quality of life — but just imagine what humans will look like in 100 years after industrial work is given over to robots and machines!
As is usually the case, my thoughts circled back round to SEO. How will SEO marketing change in the next century, I wondered? How will content for your website look after all the major trends we are predicting now have come and gone?
While you might have some grandiose ideas in mind, I am interested in making pragmatic predictions based on the high-level trends appearing today.
A Sensory Based 3D Web
We already have augmented reality goggles making waves in the intersection of art, technology, and entertainment. According to Jason DeMers, interactive ads are one of the major trends to look out for with augmented reality. But it could have a more wide-ranging impact than just advertising. Expect an augmented reality experience to be possible on every site that you visit in 2118. An integral development in aesthetic branding, AR will probably come as an additional experience for those who want to break out of the 2D phone environment and enter into a fully immersive zone.
What does that mean for SEO marketing?
If augmented reality is to have the massive impact most people are expecting, then Google will probably incorporate an AR quality score metric into their algorithm. It will probably be an immense addition to the marketing and branding realm that compliments the function of the site.
Shift from Search to Apps
A lot of people think the internet will go the way of the dodo bird in 100 years and be replaced by a fully networked world. Every device and thing we own (including ourselves!) will be linked up to a network and monitored for efficiency. Assuming this to be the case, what does that mean for website content? It means a shift from Google search traffic to application use monitoring. In 100 years, consumers will probably just download the apps for companies they like to shop from, and do away with random Google search queries.
What does this mean for SEO marketing?
In a digital world defined by applications and fully interconnected individuals, search engine optimization will become more personalized. SEO analysts will optimize user experience for customers navigating within the application. They will also study ways to increase the natural visibility of a website on whatever platform companies advertise themselves (including the small percentage of searchers that still prefer using Google to find what they want).
Conclusion
While it is important to acknowledge Google’s role in directing SEO marketing best-practices, at the end of the day they are only reacting to changes in search behavior. In 100 years, it is likely searchers will prefer augmented reality websites that offer a complete immersive experience and an application component that syncs up with their home network. Does this sound equal parts exciting and scary? Let me know what you think about my SEO marketing prognostications by commenting below!
All you need is time (4-6 months) and patience and you can get that new business through digital marketing efforts. If you need results quicker, a website refresh and pay per click (PPC) program may be better suited to your needs. Contact me. We can discuss strategy on the phone or get a coffee
Rob Dunford is a Marketing Consulting in the Great Toronto Area with over 20 years experience in building and implementing marketing plans for small business.