Just when you thought your website was fully optimized, Google has decided to change their search engine ranking algorithm— again. Now, more than ever, it makes sense to look for help with search engine optimization (SEO) since what worked last year won’t be working as well in 2008.

Google has shaken things up by introducing “Universal Search” which is a system that will combine listings from its news, video, images, local and book search engines. This information is gathered by their search engine spiders that crawl along the web.

This new ranking methodology was introduced for anyone using the English version of Google.com. This change should help searchers find more relevant information without having to dig deep into pages of unrelated search results. You will still get ten search items per page but you can now expect to see video and image listings also included.

For the website owner, the bar just got raised again. High rankings will require more content including video and image results. It seems that keeping up with these changes favors an ongoing relationship with a SEO firm who can stay on top of things.

I think the pundants’ forecast of easy-to-use, do-it-yourself web design and SEO maintenance was greatly exaggerated. Thanks Google.

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2007 All rights reserved.

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4 Comments
  1. Oh John, you are sooo right.

    We have clients who have spent the majority of their online lives using brute-force online advertising tactics to drive revenue…

    Most of it spent on the far right and immediate top of the search results, if you catch my drift.

    We show them the value of moving from the right edge of the page to the left, above the fold. Then we create a Unified Search Program for them. Something to get all of that previously unnaproached online real estate under wraps.

    The lightbulb goes off the first time they see 2-4 listings near the top of the home page on the top 5 search engines… and one is a video, image or news item.

    Changes everything.

    Smart online businesses will buy, lease or learn how to leverage Universal Search… or perish.

    Best of success to you in ’08.
    Mark Alan Effinger
    RichContent Corporation

  2. Mark,

    Like a lot of things, good web marketing involves a mix of activities: SEO, lots of good content, article marketing, pay-per-click, etc. And the operative word is mix—that mix is always changing.

    The website owner needs to be careful not to get too comfortable with the current mix since it will change again.

    JBJ

  3. John,

    I actually just went to a meet up about this. As you said, this will lead to a new permuatation of SEO. Now a combination of content will add to relevenace on the site. I predict we’ll be seeing a lot more multimedia content through sites like YouTube from companies looking to do SEO. This would be a great opportunity to learn about this more and start capitalizing on companies rishing to optimize their sites (again).

    Rob

  4. Rob,

    Digital video is new frontier.

    JBJ

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