Search engine optimization has always been criticized and pessimistic. But lately, the voices implying that SEO is dead or that the trend is dying have grown louder. Both inside and outside the SEO community are predicting the industry’s demise within the next decade.
Are these rumors true? Is SEO losing power or profitability, and if so, what can the SEO industry do about it?
The SEO industry’s threats
The SEO industry is facing some major threats. Already, SEO isn’t perfect. Even if you get everything right, it could take months or years to see the results you want.
Then there are the threats facing our industry:
- Apps and services: Why use Google when you can use your Amazon app to get product recommendations? Why look for a ridesharing service when Uber is available? Apps and direct services are stealing some search traffic. These apps and direct services may open up new possibilities. Most apps like these still allow users to search for specific products or needs, and if a search algorithm exists, it can be exploited.
- DIY Optimizers: DIY optimization is becoming more accessible and popular due to the abundance of online SEO content, the power of website builders’ built-in SEO tools, and other factors. While this doesn’t affect SEO as a strategy, it may affect it as a career.
- Digital assistants: Google Now, digital assistants, and other search enhancements make search optimization more difficult. Answers are sometimes given directly to users rather than directing them to specific web content. Digital assistant algorithms are more ambiguous and difficult to parse.
- Smarter Algorithms: Google and other search engines are constantly updating to provide better results more consistently. That said, it is becoming increasingly difficult to write great content and build great links for the modern algorithm. So SEO keeps getting more complex, time consuming, and costly.
Budgets for SEO
If the SEO industry is dying, no one knows about it. For as long as SEO has existed, spending has risen year after year. Optimism for SEO hasn’t waned in recent years, according to surveys of business owners. You could argue that public perception will take a few years to catch up with reality, but the markets currently indicate that the SEO phenomenon is here to stay.
Reasons for Optimism
The SEO industry has other reasons to be optimistic.
- Search’s ubiquity: Traditional search is still the most common way to find information online, with billions of searches per day. So long as people use search engines, SEO will be relevant and effective.
- Google updates: Its core search algorithm is still being updated even though Google is investing heavily in apps and smarter algorithms. Google believes traditional online search will be around for a long time, and it is working to improve its user experience.
- New markets: Globally, there are currently 4.66 billion internet users, and that number is growing year on year as internet connections bring more people together. Even if traditional search engines lose power, the surge in new potential target audiences can more than make up for it.