Tweet

Personalization of Search and SEO: Lost in the Shuffle

Written by: Michael Marshall

Article Overview: Important components of search marketing have always been and will always be increasing quality traffic, increasing sales, and increasing profit. These are the ultimate indicators of success for any search marketing campaign. The introduction of personalized results for users does not change the importance of these indicators or goals in any way. Notwithstanding the above comments, what should not get lost in the cacophony of opinions about the personalization of search is the fact that something significant is different in this new era. What you have with personalized search results is not a totally different set of pages returned from user to user for the same search, but rather a shuffling of the results. If the former were the case, then search engines would need a different algorithm for each user.

Personalization of Search and SEO: Lost in the Shuffle

What is not lost with the personalization of search:

Important components of search marketing have always been and will always be increasing quality traffic, increasing sales, and increasing profit. These are the ultimate indicators of success for any search marketing campaign. The introduction of personalized results for users does not change the importance of these indicators or goals in any way.

Notwithstanding the above comments, what should not get lost in the cacophony of opinions about the personalization of search is the fact that something significant is different in this new era. What you have with personalized search results is not a totally different set of pages returned from user to user for the same search, but rather a shuffling of the results. If the former were the case, then search engines would need a different algorithm for each user.

What is lost with the personalization of search:

This shuffling is what poses the main challenge to search engine optimization. The challenge posed is that you won't have just one ranking anymore. The all important indicator upon which traditional rank checking depends is lost in the shuffle. Traditional rank checking is not connected directly to the important indicators of success first mentioned above. However, if you are not successful in getting the kind of traffic from natural search that you need, the solution is higher visibility which means higher positioning.

When you cannot tell where you are positioned (or if that notion becomes meaningless), you will need another means of determining your competitive strength for your target keyphrases. Typically, you achieve greater organic traffic from search engines by pursuing higher positioning in the results list. Traditionally, the pursuit of higher positioning relies on examining a number of competitors positioned above you, an attempt to discern from that examination important elements of the search engine's algorithm, and leveraging that information to improve the caliber of your pages.

If knowing who is positioned where gets lost in the shuffle, you can peruse your traffic analytics and sales driven from the organic search results all day long and that won't tell you what specific search engine optimization steps to implement that will improve the competitive strength of and increase the visibility of your pages. The analytics will only tell you if you are doing well or poorly at getting the right traffic, but not why you are doing poorly or how to do better at getting the right traffic. That has traditionally been the role of methods and tools that rely on rank checking. To the degree that the search results are shuffled by personalization, to that same degree those methods and tools are adversely affected.

The effectiveness of those methods and tools gets lost in the shuffle.

Related Articles
  Are Your Top Web Rankings True and Identical for the Entire World Audience?
  The Affect of Personalization in Search Engine Optimization
  The Evolution (Not Death) Of SEO
  Personalization of Search and its implications for SEO
  Part 2 - SEO Changes - Are Sales Dropping as Your SEO Rankings "Soar?"

Article Tags: indicators of success, natural search, organic search, personalization, personalization, quality traffic, search engine, search engine optimization, search engines, search marketing



Related Forum Posts
Re: SES Toronto Next Week - In that case, how about the following? Track: Get Me Up to Speed * State of Search Marketing in Canada Track: Practical & Actionable * Beyond Linkbait: Getting Authoritative Online Mentions Track: Advanced * User Search Behavior * Social Media Success * Web 2.0 & Search Engines * Giving Credit Where It’s Due: Which Campaign Sold What?
Re: Poll: How many search results do you analyze of competitors - Greeting to all, Excellent response on this from everyone. You need to examine a minimum of the top 30 results (but because of Personalization, you'll do better if you examine the top 100 results. Remember that someone who is visible at position #75 can easily move to position number 3 for the most readers, (if they discover those tiny changes that are keeping them apart.) The idea is to accurately recognize the best opportunities (while sometimes) you need to be aware of the threats too. Tiny changes can make a huge difference in your visibility.
What Do You Want To Be Taught? - Hi, My name is Jeff Foster, I will be moderating this new section. I want to get your opinion on topics you would like to discuss & be taught on. I see a great need for small business owners to learn how to perform basic Search Engine Marketing (SEM) which would include the basics about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). What do you want to be taught on? Jeff
Re: Search Engine Tips and Ideas - Share Yours - Hi there, I answer this post, to start off. I am still learning a lot on all these subjects. Moreover, we have a wonderful tool to find out from previous posts. On the top right corner, use 'Advanced Search' and write 'Search Engine Tips'. It brings up all the previous posts with that information. Check it out. You will be surprised all the inherent information stored.
Amazed! - Hi Takuya, Your info is phantastic. Would it be possible to have some sort of directory to find this info at a later date? Can one find it in the 'Search' section? If I understand it right, it covers only the Subject Titles. Is that correct? I started writing this post before checking the 'Search' and all its possibilities. Kindest Regards Beat "Unlock People's Potentials!"


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

The Importance of Master Data Management (MDM)

Life is a Balancing Act!

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.