Six Game Changers: Why Content Will Once Again Be King in Search Engine Optimization

I am not an Search Engine Optimization expert; however, I know enough to understand that it is critical to brands.

It is clear to me that the Google Homepage, which accounted for 59.2 percent of all searches done in the US in February 2008, has become the new homepage of a company. (Source: Search Engine Watch)

My friend and SEO wiz Lee Odden has some great insight on how to make sure that your homepage reaches the front of that all important Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and we even gave a seminar together about this topic for PRSA called Reputation Management in a Google World. You can also look at my Search Engine Optimization for Dummy's post, where I give five tips for making your corner of the web more findable.

And if you still need more, Lee just posted some case studies about how they got results for clients.

In all of these posts you will see a heavy emphasis on content over SEO tricks.

But today I came across the post, Is Search Engine Optimization a Dying Art, from Wildfire Marketing Group, and they contend that changes in the way search engines operate, particularly Google, will be a game changer for SEO practices.

They name six game changing issues:

• Local search emphasis rather than an overall particular keyword phrase
• Google suggest will cause people to take a more convenient phrase that you might not rank well in
• Google's continued effort to evaluate and subsequently devalue paid links, and demote sites that participate
• Google through their toolbar and other analytical methods are able to track more visitor usage data, giving another ranking touch point
• Trust ranking will give you more credit if a more trusted site links to you, which will make anchor text linking less relevant
• Google Chrome, if adopted widely, will combine the search bar with the address bar, letting Google know who is going where and why

If these six have any bearing, content, and readership, will become more important than they already are.  As communication professionals how can we be ready for these changes and add value to what is really our domain – content?

Would love to hear your thoughts, and also if you are an SEO expert/dabbler, what you see coming.

Minnesota Rennaissance Festival Chess Photo by
Jeff Rozwadowski