Looking Back at
Three Key Predictions for Internet Marketing in 2006 from David Williams
January 2006 In January of 2006 I made the Following Predictions for Search Engine Marketing in 2006Now it is time to look back at 2006 and see how I did.
Here is the original article in it's entirety (items in Orange are the actual outcomes in 2006 and reflect the accuracy of my predictions)
Three Key Predictions for 2006 from David Williams
I see three key Internet Marketing areas to Watch:
"SEO Chasm Will Widen" I read between 30 to 60 professional articles a week regarding SEO and I belong to several professional forums. Still, even as a paid professional in the field of organic search engine optimization I am bewildered by the huge separation in SEO theories.
There are those who say SEO should be minimized and those who believe SEO overkill will get the job done. The gap (or chasm) between these two schools of thought will deepen in 2006 which will only confuse web site owners even further.
To those who say "Organic SEO is useless" I would argue that "Jagger", Google's most recent update, is one of several updates that has proven that Organic SEO combined with Relevant Copy is worthwhile.
For those who say "SEO overkill" will win the war I would argue that the very definition of overkill: "An excess of what is necessary or appropriate for a particular end" should be warning enough to the overzealous among us.
For those of you who seek the bridge between these two extremes - you will be rewarded if you stay faithful to approved SEO tactics a.k.a. White Hat Organic SEO.
David Williams was Correct in this prediction.
"The Search Engines Will Not Only Read Copy - They will Penalize Overzealous Redesigns"
In 2005 I wrote, "Rumor among leading developers and SEO professionals indicates that Google is leading the way toward interpreting the written words on a web page for relevancy to the the search terms. Some say that Google is now reading pages rather than metadata to determine the value of a page in SERPs."
And in 2006 I will take this theory one step further.
If you are planning a redesign of your website in 2006 you may see a trough before you ride the crest of your redesign efforts.
To maximize your ROI from redesigning your website you need to know that you may see a dip in SERP before the search engines catch up to the "new" value of your pages - therefore you should make calculated decisions as to what changes will yield the best results for the long term.
David Williams was Correct in this prediction.
"Link Popularity Will Be Huge"
If you're not getting 20 offers a week for "free reciprocal links" and/or "Guaranteed Top Rankings on __ Search Engines in Only Two Weeks" then your SPAM filters are working better than mine.
Sadly, too many web site owners are being lured into these scams thinking free inbound links from "Link Farms" will raise their ranking and learn too late that they dropped in rank rather than gained. And a growing number are paying thousands to unscrupulous 'SEO Firms' to get penalized or reduced ranking with little or no recourse because of the fine print in the contract.
Free Inbound links are worth every penny - If they are relevant and from a reputable site. These favorable inbound links require effort on your part as a site owner because you must take a proactive approach to getting them.
And a word of caution for those looking for Guaranteed Top Placement - there is no guarantee and there is no easy fix. Even in the least competitive markets "Top Ranking" takes time and effort - period.
Search Engine algorithms are going to scrutinize inbound links more carefully in 2006 - give them something of value to look at.
David Williams was Correct in this prediction.
All in all - and not wanting to sound boastful - I am very pleased with the articles I have written and the advice I have given in 2005.
And, speaking with the customers I have been blessed to have served in 2005 - so are they. |
