Top 5 Predictions in SEO, PPC, SMM for 2015

We recently read an article which peaked out interest. It brought forth the ideas and notions that will be important in the new year. From here, we began thinking about what we think 2015 will bring. So here are our Top 5 Predictions for 2015 when it comes to the world of SEO, PPC and SMM.

1.    Mobile is changing the way brands market their products  

• Do you own a cell phone? Is it with you every waking moment of the day? Do you feel lost or out of touch when its misplaced or forgotten somewhere? It’s most likely you answered yes to all three questions which supports that mobiles are arguably the closest marketers can get to their target consumers. Mobiles provide the opportunity for proximity between seller and buyer. Mobile is going to, if not already is, changing the way brands do business! We couldn’t agree more with this statement. “With increasing purchases of tables and smartphones, users are engaged with the digital market more than ever.” Google Adwords targets 900 million global users who spend an average of 15 hours a week on their phone. Half of which make a purchase within the first hour! It is important that online retailers optimize their websites for mobile to capture that market of 450 million users ready to buy. What does this mean you might ask? You need to ensure fast load times, a user-friendly presentation and expert customer service. It is important to remember the modern buying process that mobile devices have created. “The customer in 2015 should be able to research a product on their mobile phone, look at in store and then make a purchase on their tablet without any interruption to the buying cycle.” The simply fact is the mobile phones are not going away anytime soon. The industry continues to grow at a rapid pace highlighting its importance for companies to develop strategies which capture this vast market.

According to various reports including Comscore and Morgan Stanely the mobile now exceeds PC internet usage. We expect this trend to increase and may accelerate with the usage of wearable technology.

2.    Social signals for SEO, Google+, will become increasingly important in organic ranking

In 2014 we have noticed our posts showing up in Google searches with in minutes of sharing them on our page. We have observed that it happened to all of our followers searches when they are in our circles and logged into their Google account. We like that personalized search approach and clearly increases the organic traffic. The Google+ posts are altering the organic search results and helping your website SEO.

• When it comes to SEO, it is crucial to look past just your website. Ranking is based a lot on social networks as well. “For 2015, it will be a must that all businesses have Google + pages for SEO. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, each post you make in Google+ has most of the characteristics of a blog posting, including a unique URL, which has the potential to send strong semantic signals to Google’s search algorithm.” On top of the URL benefits, once a business page reached over 1,000 followers, it is granted access to +Post ads. This is another great tool to help increase content reach, thus improving ranking in search engines. “In essence, a Google+ page becomes an ad on Google’s Display Network.” This acts as an additional media platform boosting your company’s digital footprint. Although Google+ hasn’t established itself as a popular social media outlet compared to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, these features will be a great motivator for companies to start making their transition towards plus. In essence, Google+, once optimized correctly, starts working for you in ways other social media sites can’t. Creating greater brand awareness and putting your company on Googles first search results page. Because the hard fact is that, no one rarely goes beyond the first google search results page. The advantage of Google+ allows smaller companies to improve brand awareness in today’s contested marketplace.

If you haven’t implemented open graph on your website it is time to ensure your brand reflects in your posts. It could be a Youtube video or a picture.

If you haven’t noticed Google places has been replaced with Google My business. Make sure to link your Google + page with my business. Take advantage of the new dashboard with lots of insights about your local business.

3.    Personalized content is the way of the future in e-commerce

• Admit it, we all like to see the “Welcome back Mario!” on a screen when we revisit a site where we have made past purchases. It adds the right amount of personalization to make us feel like we are appreciated and noticed. It’s in our nature to feel that way when noticed or in this case, targeted. We have always been firm believers that personalized content is the king when it comes to websites. “It will become crucial for all content to be personalized to the customer’s needs and wants.” The example Business 2 Community used was retail. They expressed the notion that “customizing the online shopping experience for the individual visitor instead of offering a single model for all customers visiting the website,” is extremely important. Your website is no longer a place where people may end up while looking for information and possibly call or visit your location. They are here to get what they want, when they want it. The more you customize your website for the individual user, the more likely you will be able to create a conversion. Moreover, customization increases customer loyalty. From social media profiles, to customizable video game characters, the principle remains the same and adds value to the user experience.Take advantage of this and make informed decisions when it comes to your content. In essence, everyone likes personalized content.

In the past Google news allowed users to customize the news channels according to what the reader likes to read every day. Email marketing campaigns like Mailchimp and WordPress already display your name when you are logged in. All the news feeds in your dashboard can be customized as you needed. However we will see more automated personalized content as these websites learn more about their users.

Are you personalizing your content?

4. Brands will be using data driven approach to generate key conversations with their customers

• Knowledge is power. This couldn’t be more true when it comes to online marketing. It is important to make informed decision when it comes to your marketing plans. Collecting data can help you “analyze customer behaviour in order to better understand their intentions and habits.” The great things about Google AdWords is that you can get this data in real time. Everything you could possibly think of is being tracked on Google Adwords. Using Google Analytics, operated under Adwords,  provides vital information regarding how consumers are interacting with your website across all digital platforms; mobile, tablet or desktop. Google Analytics empowers businesses to trace the customer path which is critical to understanding the buying cycle. From where and how they find you during the initial search query, to the checkout page.  If customers fail to get to this desired end goal, you are able to see what web page they ended leaving from. Forcing you to ask yourself why customers are leaving on these certain pages so you can make necessary changes to your website to optimize conversion. This is just the tip of the iceberg of Google Adwords power, but the key message is, and will alway be that, you need to be informed to make these necessary decisions to increase revenue growth. Knowledge is power and power is knowledge.

5. B2B Social Relationship Management (SRM) will replace cold calls and unwanted emails

• Building relationships online that will benefit your business is becoming increasingly crucial. This is where you can gain potential customers and can create buzz around your brand. “Creating a real connection with the client is the key to success.” Great tools to do this social relationship management (SRM) to offer your products and services on LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+. “By publishing new and interesting content, business leads are likely to read what you’re saying and recognize the value you can provide to their company.” There it is again; content, content, content. It can’t be said enough. However, you do not always have to be selling to attract new customers and retain the ones you already have. Simply engaging them about industry trends (like we are doing here!), shedding light on current affairs, bringing awareness to community events (big or small), is just as important as selling. Engaging with your community allows you to shed light on your company in a different manner. You bring attention to yourself for other reasons other than selling your products. It’s about developing a real connection with your clients, not a superficial “seller” and “buyer” type relationship. People like to work with people they like. In essence, nice people. Its as simple as that folks.

This blog post inspired from the Top 5 Predictions for 2015 that Business 2 Community published. We have added our own thoughts that will help our local small businesses.

Just a reminder, these are nothing more than predictions based on current developing market trends. But the information provided here gives you some insight into the future of the marketing industry and where effort, time, and money should be spent. From understanding how affluent the mobile industry is, focusing social media efforts towards Google+, personalizing your customers online retail experience, acquiring user data, and selling more than just your product/service is all valuable advice nonetheless. We highly recommend taking the time to read the full article at: Top 5 Marketing Predictions for 2015- Steven Tulman (http://www.business2community.com/marketing/top-5-marketing-predictions-2015-01114512.)

If you would like to learn more and get our help, reach out to us at 778-471-5953.