There are some tried and true rules about the search engine optimization, or SEO, game which will never change – keywords matter, linking shows value, and more. However, as search engines and their results get more sophisticated, it now matters “who” you’re optimizing your site for.
There are still very few people who realize it, but as search engines have evolved (particularly Google) results are becoming increasingly customized. That means that when you search on “flat screen tvs,” the first page of Google results will look entirely different from your cousin, the cable guy, that lives on the other side of the country. Search engines are utilizing your previous search data, location, web use habits, “likes” or “+1’s” to make some inferences about what you might be looking for. Therefore, what you see, is then customized to you.
It used to be easy for us to provide a client with a search engine “ranking.” We’d use a tool to scrape a variety of search engines, and we’d be able to tell if their site was #5 or #50 for a particular keyword or phrase on Google. Now, that’s nearly impossible due to customization.
We’ve evolved our SEO work to include a profile of particular audiences which might have a higher propensity to click on a particular keyword or phrase. We need to consider many more factors, including location, search habits, lifestyle, mobility, etc. You must have a complete understanding of the person you want to find your site in order to optimize for that particular type of person.
One thing is certain, search will continue to evolve and change, especially toward high customization and relevancy for users. As you tweak your keywords and SEO or SEM tactics, be sure to starting thinking about “who” you’re trying to attract as well as the “what” you want them to be attracted to.
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