subject: How To Get The Edge On Your SEO Competition [print this page] In this exclusive interview, SEO expert Michael Marshall talks about the role of competitive intelligence in Search Engine Optimization(SEO-CI), and offers some predictions on SEO trends to watch in 2010...
3) The increasing influence of Personalization of Search.
2) Competitive Intelligence ? understanding strengths and weaknesses of competitors
3) Measuring performance through Web Analytics
You mentioned personalization of search. Can you elaborate on the impact of this on SEO?
A quote from Mike Moran is worth noting here:
"Widespread personalization will doom traditional rank checking. The question won't be 'Does my site rank No. 1?' but rather 'For what percentage of searchers does my site rank No. 1' or 'What was my average ranking yesterday?' . [I]t's the biggest change in search marketing since paid search."
Any traditional SEO methodologies or SEO Tools that depend heavily on traditional rank checking methods are similarly doomed. This means that any methods for:
1) Determining which competitors you should emulate, as well as how they should be emulated, and
2) Determining the effectiveness of your SEO efforts
that depend on traditional rank checking methods are destined for obsolescence. The overall thematic relevance of a page also becomes more important.
You also mentioned competitive intelligence research.
A local business can use it to prioritize which target keyphrases are really worth going after and also to discover important components of a larger company's SEO strategy, which of those components are most worthy of your attention and emulation, and which of those may be weaknesses that can be exploited...
About Michael Marshall:
Michael Marshall is a SEO consultant with over 19 years experience in information technology covering a wide range of specialties including: web design, software engineering, e-commerce solutions, artificial intelligence, and Internet marketing.
He has degrees in Linguistics, Philosophy and Theology and is a contributing author to SEOToday.com, the premier website for SEM professionals, and a contributor to "Building Your Business With Google for Dummies" by Brad Hill.
