Google’s algorithm for ranking websites rely heavily on a site’s link popularity which are essentially both the quality and quantity of inbound links pointing to the site. However over the years, Google has discovered other ways to more effectively and fairly rank web pages. It has been collecting enormous user interacted and generated data from sources such as Google user history, Google Analytics and Google Toolbar. Today, all these data have been integrated into Google’s algorithm when determining a site’s ranking in the SERP. In the coming future, Google’s algorithm will rely more on user data and the influences of link popularity will be reduced.
Pagerank has not been an accurate indicator to show webmasters how a particular site should be ranked comparing to other sites. Rather, many experienced webmasters and SEO experts have spotted Google, in combating search engine spams, is in favor of using trustrank and domain age to rank websites in the SERP.
SEO is easier than ever and will become a commodity within the next couple of years, as all the optimization rules have been clearly defined and have become standard practices. SEO and web site usability will be consolidated and integrated into each individual company’s business. Web developers and designers will be required to have full set of knowledge on SEO on-page optimization. Branding for a site will become an essential strategy to compliment SEO for gaining trust and popularity from Google.
The future prospects for today’s SEO experts will depend on whether they possess a broad enough scope to evolve their knowledge – what works on the web and what the customers want most from a web site. A person’s full-packaged Internet marketing experience today will become tomorrow’s solid expertise.
When natural search ranking cannot be guaranteed as easily as in the past, Google leaves another effective search engine marketing channel open to search engine marketers – PPC. Those in the SEM industry who are able to overcome the challenges for paid search in 2008 will continue to shine.