If you’re a digital marketer, you’ve probably heard the term “SEO industry dying” more than a few times. While some people claim that SEO has died, others argue that it’s just overdone and confusing. It’s also hard to know if the industry is actually dying or not. Fortunately, many of its practices are still in use, despite what many people think.
As the world grows more technologically and people are becoming more savvy, SEO techniques have evolved. Traditional SEO techniques are giving way to more technical and advanced techniques. According to relevant SEO statistics, 79% of search engine users click on natural search results on a regular basis. Moreover, 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. In fact, 70% of all links that search users click on are organic. So, there is no reason to panic.
While many in the digital industry argue that SEO is dead, the reality is that SEO is alive and well. Although click-through rates are decreasing and Google’s algorithm continues to evolve, the benefits of SEO are still measurable. In fact, Google generates over 100 billion dollars in advertising revenue each year, so it’s hard to imagine that SEO won’t stay around for the foreseeable future.
While the digital marketing world laments that organic search is dead, these prophets are constantly coming back to repeat themselves. Social media platforms were initially thought to be a killer of the SEO industry, but their increasing accuracy and user numbers have given rise to a new wave of panic. However, search engine marketing is alive and thriving. The question now becomes, “Is the SEO Industry Dying?”
In fact, social media has helped to highlight the death of below-par SEO. On the other hand, it has helped bring attention to the legitimate professional businesses that work to increase a client’s ranking and profits. Despite the social media hype, SEO careers continue to flourish. On average, there are four billion people using the internet every month. Even those without a website still drive billions of visits. There are also more than 120 million businesses without a website that don’t have a website. In fact, content is the most prevalent form of SEO.
Despite the influx of spammers and other unsavory web traffic, SEO will be around for years to come. The importance of search engines to consumers has never been greater. Today, the average web user relies on search engines for information and answers. However, there is no guarantee that SEO services will continue to be around, but it will continue to be important. So what is SEO going to look like in the future?
There are a couple reasons why SEO may not be dying in 2020. It’s important to adapt and learn new techniques as search engine algorithms evolve. Black hat SEO tactics like keyword stuffing and buying links have become outdated. Google doesn’t have the time to pick out individual websites. Instead, it’s too busy assessing the entire web, and it’s unlikely to notice a website without a strong online presence.