What is the future of SEO? Google faced a lot of backlash in early 2014. The U.K. brought the search engine to court over privacy breaches, and France is the latest to take a stand against Google. Following a court ruling, the homepage of Google France, in fact, will bear a print reminder — “The Restricted National Commission on Information and Freedom has fined Google 150,000 euros for breaches of the ‘Freedoms’ law” — for up to six months, Business Insider reports.
Trouble Times and Their Impact on Natural Search Engine Optimization
The recent backlash against Google raises important questions including, what does this mean for my company and its search engine marketing strategies? First and foremost, Google remains the top predictor of small business search engine marketing. To truly understand the impact of recent trials and change, however, companies should consider the components separately. The impact on PPC search engine marketing, for example, will be very different from the impact on natural SEO. Here are some steps search engine optimizers can take to get results, even while Google is under fire:
- Keep Internet Marketing Strategies Comprehensive
Drafting a successful marketing strategy is lot like investing, or — specifically — funding a retirement. Experts rarely recommend putting all of your money into a single stock, and most strongly advise against it. Similarly, businesses should always take a comprehensive approach to online marketing. Natural search engine optimization and content marketing are important, but it is inadvisable to use them alone. (If Google significantly alters their algorithms, this may temporarily setback SEO efforts.) For that reason, it is smart to fortify SEO and content efforts with PPC search engine marketing. PPC offers a guaranteed ROI that withstands algorithm and policy changes. - Don’t Write-Off Email
Email advertising is not outdated. Consumers still open promotional emails, and, last year, 44% bought products or services advertised in emails. Email is also a relatively inexpensive way to reinforce internet marketing strategies.
Don’t let Google’s setbacks spook you. Adopt a comprehensive online marketing strategy, complete with PPC and email campaigns, for the best results year-round. Get more info here.