Following Monday’s post on selling SEO during the economic downturn I wanted to put forward some ideas on how specific SEO methods might change over the next 12-18 months. We’re all used to frequent shifts in the ranking algorithms of major engines - and the occasional update of seismic magnitude that changes the game for whole sectors and strategies - but how many of us are used to dealing with rapid change induced by the search audience themselves?

Trends come and go, and market conditions change in any given sector. SEOs in fast moving spaces are used to dealing with that, but the next year or so is going to see a global shift towards certain types of search query construction. It’s in the wind so you should start getting ready for it now.

Price, value and quality

Now more than ever it’s vital that you have a deep understanding of what people have in mind when searching for your products or services (or those of your clients). As a general rule this will mean taking your imaginary searcher and tightening their belt a little.

This doesn’t mean people will be searching for “discount caviar”…optimising for “cheap X”, “bargain Y” and “deals on Z” is going to be more important in commodity spaces though. Consumer goods, financial products, utility services and the like will see an upswing in popularity for searches indicating a high degree of price sensitivity. Look to phrases that incorporate these terms, as well as modifiers such as “sale”, “specials”, “buy online” (associated with good value in many areas) and so on.

Things will be slightly different in fields where even the most penny-pinching of us are looking for the best value rather than the cheapest price. Luxury goods won’t suddenly be searched for with a host of fire sale style modifiers, nor will certain types of professional services: nobody wants a low rent solicitor or the cheapest private school for their children. Modifiers like “recommended”, “top” and “compare” will probably get more play here.

There are as many examples as there are websites and what works for one field would be a misstep in another, but the key point is that people are going to be looking to spend less, or get more for their money. Think like a searcher and give them what they want.

We’d love to see other people’s ideas on approaching this in specific spaces, and anyone who’s already seeing an upswing in price sensitive search referrals…Holla back!

The future of search is in mobile technology and that’s a fact. Keeping up with mobile applications isn’t easy to say the least. Personally I’m a Blackberry fan and always looking for the latest apps. Crackberry.com came to my attention and I have to say it offers great insights into all things Blackberry.

Like many businesses we’re currently assessing our exposure to the effects of the financial crisis and how the trickle down impact on the “real economy” might effect us. It’s widely accepted that when times get tough the marketing budget is the first target for cost cutting, so are we, as Search Marketers, in trouble?

On the contrary, I’d say there are no better times to be in Search Engine Marketing than hard times. A lot of firms in SEO/SEM/PPC will fall by the wayside in the next 24 months, no doubt, but for those who know how to play to the strengths of our field this is a time of opportunity. In uncertain times Search Marketing has big advantages:

• Unbeatable ROI
  I spent many years involved in more traditional marketing efforts such as print advertising, direct mail, sponsorship, etc. and in my experience nothing delivers Return On Investment like Search Marketing. Every penny spent on organic search, in particular, works harder than a Japanese beaver. £50k spent on newspaper advertising might get you a single full page spread and, at best, a few hundred thousand eyeballs for a couple of seconds. £50k spent on organic search will get you tens of thousands of visitors a day for years to come.
  
  
• Quantifiable results
  A lot of traditional advertising is hit and hope, with most TV & Print campaigns having no tracking mechanism whatsoever. Direct Mail is a little better in this respect, but nothing can compare to the clear metrics you get with online marketing. Whether it’s organic search, PPC or email, online can tell you how your customers are finding you, what they’re doing when they have and, most importantly, if they’re spending their money with you.

At times like this companies have two key criteria when assigning their marketing budgets: getting as much bang for their buck as possible, and being able to see clearly how it impacts their bottom line. Search is a match made in heaven for these businesses.

As Search Marketers we need to stress these advantages and look for customers receptive to the business benefits they bring. Fortunately those companies are simple enough to find…it’s very easy to convince existing SEO clients to put more of their money in search because they’ve already seen the results it can deliver. Should you need to go looking for new business there’s plenty of low hanging fruit too: pick any industry and look at who’s spending on PPC. Check the organic rankings for same. When you find a company spending on ads that are nowhere in organic you’ve got a potential customer.

It’s tough out there but people are looking to spend wisely, not stop spending altogether. And it doesn’t get much wiser than SEM when it comes to marketing.

Next week I will be down in the big smoke at the A4U Expo London. It’s the first time I have been to this conference so it will be interesting, plus I’m speaking in 2 sessions.

I’ll be speaking at 3pm on Tuesday on Extreme SEO Strategies for Affiliates (Platinum 4), and then at 3pm on Wednesday on the Affiliate Doctors Live panel (Platinum 3).

Tuesday is going to be really hectic as I have a 9.30am client meeting over in Swindon, so I’ll be dashing back across London to the Excel in time for my session. I think it takes longer to get across London from the Excel to Paddington, as it does to get from Paddington to Swindon .. so lets hope the trains and tubes are all on time.

I’ll be travelling down tomorrow and bringing Becky with me this time as we have managed to get the kids looked after while we’re away … so we may see you there.

DaveN