SEL: Search Engine Experts Share Thoughts on Search

check out the Digging into Search swicki at eurekster.com

Search marketing in the new media era.

July 21, 2004

Search Engine Experts Share Thoughts on Search

We're wrapping-up our quotes from SEM experts with this bumper crop!

Search engine analyst and journalist, John Battelle had this to say...

Q1. What search engine industry development/announcement has surprised you the most over the past 12 months?

Most surprising: Timing of the Gogole IPO. Thought it'd be earlier.

Q2. What do you think will be the most significant development over the next 12 months?

Significant in next year: IBM (or Nutch) will launch (or power) commercial consumer facing search engine (A total wild guess)

Next up is Aaron Wall of SEO Book...

Q1. The massive power of link rentals. Its massive spread througout the web. Google's lack of ability to effectively keep it in check.

Q2. A few hunches or ideas that kinda intertwine. Feel free to pick either one :)

Google will find ways to limit the effectiveness of off topic link buying. This combined with a limited keyword pool and increasing competition will likely cause keyword lockout and a sharp increase in ppc click fraud in the next 12 months.

Spam will become exceedingly sneaky. Example: guys named "Seo Hagishami" will start spamming all my blogs with links into their personal blogs. A few months later their blogs will be taken down and 301 redirect all posts into an SEO firms website. Lots of other similar sneaky ideas.

Leave it Aaron to look at the "sneaky" stuff. Ok, who's up next? Oh yes, editor of WebmasterWorld, Brett Tabke...

Q1. That after 7 years of vaporware, Microsoft actually launched a search engine.
2) Yahoo buying Overture, Fast, and Altavista.

Q2. The Google vs Yahoo vs MSN war.

Thanks Brett, next! Bonjour Serge Thibodeau of Canada's Rank for $ales..

Q1. I would have to say it's the major changes Google has done to its search algorithm, both in November and January. I think it had a major impact on many small businesses, and some of them are still scrambling the best way they can. With the help of SEO's that know the business, our assistance can make a big difference in their search rankings, and thus their ROI.

Q2. My answer would be the realization that companies are finally coming to grips with reality. Many of them are realizing that for an online business
or storefront to become successful, you need to hire a reputable SEO/SEM company that has the experience, the knowledge, the tools and, most of all, the trackrecord to produce long-term results for all its clients.

I would also add that, since Google will become public anytime now, it could perhaps consolidate the search engine industry as a whole. However, it's highly possible that we will still see even more players popping up here and there.

Merci..ok, last and by no means, least, we have Did-it's Kevin Lee...

Q1. The change in trademark policies at the search engines.

Q2. Search personalization based on voluntary profiles that include location and prior search history. (A9 and Kaltix/Google as well as shopping engines).

So there you go. I hope you have enjoyed reading these insights, I have certainly been amazed at the different themes appearing...Yahoo's new search engine, personalization, Google IPO etc. Let's hope Search Engine Lowdown is hear next year to see if our experts' predictions come true!

Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

...the search industry queries new media