It may be harder to get the search engines to provide what we want, but they’re still the most important marketing channel out there.
There’s no doubt that the search engines are struggling to cope with the changes in the way people use the web and the deluge of machine-generated ‘content’ flooding the internet. And the problem with this – for most businesses – is that the search engines are still the main gateway to get prospects to view our websites. Nobody’s yet come up with a better way of getting them to us. We don’t want the search engines to struggle.
Some may say that means there’s a decision to make regarding the resources we put into ensuring we keep that flow of website traffic coming. Should we be considering moving our effort towards different enquiry generating channels?
Quite the opposite, I think. When the going gets tough, the really tough double down. It may be harder to get the search engines to provide what we want, but they’re still the most important link in by far the most important marketing channel out there. Basic SEO, and topping this up (and filling in any gaps) through search advertising, will now require more effort than ever, but it remains the best investment in generating enquiries.
Here comes the sun
One ray of sunlight is that third party sites whose thin business model was nothing more than adding another step in the information chain are having real problems, and many are giving up. We’ll all have seen the problem: search for ‘blue widget’ and instead of getting a list of blue widget suppliers, we’re confronted with a bunch of ‘review’ sites offering ‘the ultimate guide to blue widget suppliers’.
Many of these are on the websites of publications that are nothing to do with the subject, but which have been bought by speculators wanting to trade on the site’s history. I didn’t want some heavy metal magazine’s guide to lounge curtains, but for a while, the search engines thought that’s what I should get. These aren’t making money now, and should fade away.
So don’t be disheartened – SEO and search advertising is as important as ever, and our efforts in those areas are never wasted.