Universal Web Consulting: Four SEO Trends to Watch in 2012

 Internet marketing is an ever-evolving field. As Universal Web Consulting notes, changes from Google and legal changes make the need to stay current in the field very important. There have been a number of new trends to develop over the past year; some still around, others not so much. This early into 2012 there are several new developments that will possibly play a huge part in internet marketing this year. Being conscious of and knowledgeable of these trends can be the key to big profits for internet marketers. The four trends we think will be relevant in 2012 are as follows.

Universal Web Consulting Trend #1 – Corporatization of SEO

 The current state of SEO has leveled the playing field between small and large businesses (somewhat). Large companies love to see results, and to achieve set goals in SEO many large enterprises are dedicating an entire unit to SEO. This can be unrealistic for some companies (probably for many of the smaller Universal Web Consulting companies) and those companies have begun to outsource much of their SEO work. Companies want to make sure they have quality content and support to stay relevant.

Universal Web Consulting Trend #2 – Rich Snippets

A new feature of Google is the ability to put a small author photo in the search results. It is predicted that more and more will use this feature and it may become the standard for marketers. Rich snippets, as it is called, is said to increase clicks. It gives the reader better insight into what the site or article is about.

RV Guha, rich snippets engineer at Google, says, “…it seemed that giving the user a better idea of what to expect on the page increases the click through rate on the search results. So, if webmasters do this it’s really good for them. They get more traffic. It’s good for users because they have a better idea of what to expect on the page. And, overall it’s good for the web.”

Universal Web Consulting Trend #3 – Social, Social and more Social

Universal Web Consulting notes that Google+ is the newest media marketers need to master. Every internet marketer needs a plan of attack when it comes to Google+. As more users log in to Google+ it becomes increasingly important to address the media site. Google has already stated that search information of logged in Google+ users would be forwarded to AdWords advertisers. This could possibly create a climate of decreasing search queries. Marketers are able to implement social extensions and connect an AdWords account with a Google+ brand page.

Universal Web Consulting Trend #4 – Domain Authority

With the growing popularity of social media and the changes it is creating to SEO the simple rule of domain authority still reigns as highly important. Google is amassing a heap of data through Google+, this is a fact. The social network will be hit heavy by Google this year. Still, at this point LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter lead the way in social media right now. But no worries, Universal Web Consulting clients – classic linking strategies will still rule the web in 2012 and sites with a high domain authority will have an advantage in areas of SEO.

These are four of the most popular trends that will be around for 2012. The increasing presence of Google+, as mentioned, may create some changes midway through the year. Universal Web Consulting marketers, however, should look for these tips to stay current in new trends in web marketing.