Trend 3
Search and content
Content used to be text on a page. Text on a page used to drive search results. Search engines used to be the way people found everything online.
Today, content is video. Content is an image. Content is an application. Blended search results (formerly known as search result clutter) have changed how we interact with results pages, and yet I am surprised how many marketers and their agencies still focus on text. Get over your stand-alone text and move into the new digital position.
Images, videos, feeds, and the kitchen sink are appearing in search results. While YouTube can be the ultimate time waster, it's also a valuable resource for many people. So, unless your product is as easy to use as a seat belt, you might benefit from posting some simple "how to" videos. People love to learn how to do almost anything. Given that people don't seem to be getting any smarter, explaining how to use your product might just be your key to climbing to the top of the heap.
Pushing content has never been easier. If you are listening to what people want, you know how to interact with them. The cost of producing content continues to drop. A good example of building a business around crafting content can be found with the folks at Demand Media.
With all that has evolved in the search field, the relationship searchers have with relevant content continues on a steady path.
