Search Engine Rankings Dead?

[Webnauts]

At PubCon, Bruce Clay, Inc. President Bruce Clay presented at a session entitled “Top-Shelf Organic SEO” in which he discussed the approaching future of SEO as search engines evolve into more modern ranking methods.

Bruce says, “If you’re not ready for it as an SEO, you’re gonna lose.”


Here you can watch the entire video: http://www.seowatchblog.com/search-engine-rankings-dead/246/


"Even if many people agree with Bruce on this matter, including myself, obviously many people also disagree."


At PubCon, Bruce Clay revisited his statement “Rankings Is Dead” in his WebProNews video interview with Mike McDonald that stirred up a tremendous buzz in the SEO crowd.:
Video: Bruce Clay Revisits His Ranking Is Dead Statement at SES Chicago (http://videos.webpronews.com/2008/12/29/ses-chicago-bruce-clay-revisits-his-ranking-is-dead-statement/)


What do you think about all this? Do you agree or you disagree? Do you feel any changes already?

[ctabuk]

As you can guess, Webnauts and I are really into this topic. So please join in.

[kgun]

Behavior based search, searh result depending on your prior search history.
Pesonalized search web wide: Search for Java (a programming language, a drink and an island). The search engine will know that and bias the results based on your prior search history.
SEO implication: We can't search for any term and look at ranking because I can get different results than you for exactly the same for the same query.I don't know how fundamental the change is. It requires a larger database and some programming. In the above example there is already a solution that functions:

KW's

Java programming

Java island

Java beverage

P.S. History is made now: CNN | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/cnn)

I was there in cyberspace. :wink:

I posted my message there 4.49 pm

"Congratulation Obama.

Reality is coming soon enough.

It is too early to know the future.

Relax and enjoy the day and work hard with your team from tomorrow.

Congratulation from Norway".

So join in and be part of history.

[seosean]

I totally disagree with Bruce - in fact I even saw a post somewhere from an interview on webpronews with Matt Cutts about the subject and Matt said that's not true.

[floridawebguru]

I think that the Web is slowly but surely moving this way, and for those who are open-minded you'll see that it's actually a GOOD thing. Trying to rank for a particular term can be a nearly impossible thing to do, especially if you're a newer site. Why is it good? Well for users, it gives them more of the kinds of results they really want which will make them more likely to take a preferred action (sign up, buy, share etc.). The sites, video and other content that show up in behavior-based search results will benefit because their visitors will be more "qualified" than what we see from the search results of today.

It also levels the playing field for those of us with sites, blogs, products or services to promote. With behavior-based search, it won't matter who has the bigger budget for Adwords etc. What will matter is pure relevance, the way it should be. In a sense, behavior-based search will be taking SEO back to its roots while modernizing a user's experience at the same time. it will force us SEOs, bloggers and business owners to get down to the nitty-gritty and get back in touch with our target customers. After all, we'll only show up in their search results if we've got exactly what they want (and what they've searched for or purchased before). So all it means is that we'll have to get back to putting the bulk of our focus on our customers, their behavior, their buying/reading/sharing patterns and their needs - instead of back links, page rank and all of the other elements that have taken us so far from the main point.

We're supposed to be creating blogs, sites and videos that offer exactly what a user needs. But instead, we've become more focused on what we think the search engines will deem important based on their algorithms. That should never be the main focus when creating content for users and potential customers. So by modernizing their systems, the search engines will be taking us back to the heart of doing business online - the true customer experience.

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