For those of you, like me, who spend a good deal of time learning and implementing SEO techniques, the time might be coming when you can focus on other things. The evidence is mounting that SEO is something that may not be required for too much longer.
To qualify that – “too much longer” might still be years, but it might be months. Let’s face it, if Google et al could eradicate the need for it then it makes sense. The mere name “Search Engine Optimisation” goes against what search engines want to achieve and that is a set of search results that gives the user what they want based on the information on the site.
It’s only a matter of time before user behaviour leads the way. It’s common sense. If a user goes to a site and it has the information they want then clearly it is going to help other users searching for the same thing. It shouldn’t matter that my TITLE tag is perfectly “optimised” or that I have gone and got 100 inbound links. The days of a link being a “vote” are for the most part gone. Only truly authoratative sites can lay claim to providing this and they are few and far between.
The META DESCRIPTION tage is no longer a factor for ranking in Google. It’s now seen as a CTA. The TITLE tag will eventually follow. Why would any search engine allow rankings to be manipulated by the webmaster unless they had too? I add a keyword to my TITLE tag and I jump a few places. It doesn’t improve the user experience. It doesn’t make my content any more useful. It doesn’t make sense to rank me higher.
And there’s the rub. Until now, the search engines have had to use factors like these because the search algos aren’t yet intelligent enough to distinguish truly quality content. But that could be changing. Google have just implemented major changes to their infrastructure and Facebook have laid down the gauntlet to Google – a “social” gauntlet that is all about the user and the way they behave, interact and respond to things. Even Facebook’s internal search on pages utilises user interaction when returning relevant results. It’s where Google, Yahoo (Bing) and others have to go if they want to remain competitive long term.
And when they do, webmastering will change forever. Albeit gradually, webmasters will start to see SEO factors that previousy delivered results decline in usefulness. And decline more. Some say SEO will never die – it will always play a part. Personally I think they are wrong and that day will come far sooner than we think it will.
The mantra has always been “content is king” but until now it has spoken of a Utopia rather than the real world. Now, “quality content is king” will start to assume more relevance. Keeping visitors engaged has always been a part of the equation but in the not too distant future, IMO it will be the main part of the equation, possible even the equation itself to allintents and purposes.
SEO is largely common sense. But common sense says SEO shouldn’t exist. The writing’s on the wall.