By Lee Mustoe (Web Designer at JGOWIT)
I was asked by Best SEO Company to write an article for their website, I liked it so much I’m reproducing it here on JGOWIT (with edits). It’s a bit out there, but what the heck – it makes a change from all the stuff most of already know!
Reading a column on the internet recently, a person of some search engine repute felt the need to point out what might be happening with Google (and possibly their competitors).
Instead of almost force-ably steering surfers to other websites, there were definite signs that search engine results pages (SERPs) were shaping up to giving people much more vertical depth. Web pages were usually the main driving energy behind results, but now we’re seeing emphasis being centred upon differing forms of content (from the same site).
Video? Surely it’s not news anymore?
Since Google shocked us initially by including specialist content type in their SERPs, SEOptimisers and web masters have been moaning about the crush on available space. Video/MP4 was always destined to appear more in the page estate, as have images, Froogle and maps (a growing list no doubt).
People will have to get comfortable with the idea that SERPs are not going to stay static in their current format, but will evolve for sure – probably driven by monetary pressures. Mom and Pop web sites will start to struggle with the corporates in trying to get high rankings, being muscled out by those who feed the sharks…er sorry share holders.
Changing fashions of habit?
Google and fellow search engines won’t get everything as they like it. Forgive me “creator of the universe (Google)”, but I forsee people changing their habits of sifting results, away from an addiction to the top pages. Webmasters buried in the deeper regions will fight back by offering unbeatable service, depth of knowledge and quality of humanity (that word will be difficult for Google et al to manipulate).
Price Price Price
Consider the shock of those in top places being forced to pay increasingly exhorbitant fees to secure their search positions – who wouldn’t laugh at that auction? But what if it became a mass acceptance to cruise nonchalantly down to 3rd or 4th pages – because thats where the quality and keener prices were to be found? It could happen in a self-organising system (which is what search engine results may increasingly become).
Humans to the fore – surely not?
For the sceptics who think it won’t happen, I would say “keep your eye on the social bookmarking ball” – I predict that this’ll be the knight in shining armour when people start to hate the corporate blandness of SERPs. Taxonomy is afterall just another form of algorithm, markedly with a huge dose of humanity.
All the cash finding its way to Facebook and Twitter will be going there for a reason. Just because the majority of people can’t conceive of massive forces building up on the web – doesn’t mean they’re not. Dollars have a very sharp nose for the shape of the future.