#saw the local game store posted it at like 4. it had the console the game and the box

[duskythesomething]

guess who just bought a pokemon white DSI !!! happy early birthday to meeeee

[glitchonline]

Fallout: New Vegas and the Value of Having Something to Reach For.

By Nirav Gandhi 

Fallout: New Vegas is no hidden gem. It reviewed well, earned accolades from the industry, and 10 years later is still considered one of the greatest RPGs of all time. This is not a review of New Vegas. This is a story of a young man who lost his purpose in the real world and found something new to work for in another. This is a story of the lowest point of my life. This is a story of how I, aided by my new friends from the Mojave Wasteland, rescued myself.

Five years ago, I moved to a small town in Kentucky right after finishing college. I left behind everyone and everything I knew to move hundreds of miles for a well-paying job that was not in my field. I have a science degree, and I was essentially hired to be a schedule manager for a large site. This is all to say that I very suddenly, right after finishing school, had to come to terms with the fact that life doesn’t always go the way we plan. Three months in, nothing had changed. The town I moved to was mostly retired people, and so despite my best efforts to be happy, here I stood with no friends, a job I hated in a field I didn’t care about, trapped halfway across the country from anyone I had ever cared about. I had been slowly gaining weight from stress eating, and I was always stressed. I spent my weekends alone in my giant apartment, slowly beginning to break. And then, a TV commercial.

Up to this point in my life, I had only ever owned Nintendo consoles. I played a lot of video games as a kid, more than I can count, but it was mostly restricted to Pokémon, Super Smash Bros., and various Mario games. I never paid much attention to shooters as a kid, and even as a teenage boy in the early 2000s huge franchises like Call of Duty, Halo, and DOOM completely missed me. One fateful day in October 2015, when I was visiting home back in South Carolina, I saw an ad for an upcoming game called Fallout 4. I don’t know what it was, but something about this place that I saw in front of me – a world decimated by a resource war, a planet of monsters mutated by mankind’s own greed, a place where allegiances became betrayals like day became night – this was a place I wanted to be. It was, for lack of a better word, fantastical. As the game wouldn’t release for another month, I did some research and quickly purchased Fallout 3 and New Vegas to play on my potato laptop. Just a few days later, I picked to play Fallout New Vegas first on a coin flip and booted it up, in all its medium settings/30 FPS glory.

Many of you have known the feeling of being sucked away into another world. I think it is part of human nature to want to escape the human condition, and whether by books, video games, or movies, we all indulge ourselves once in a while. This was my indulgence. I left behind a cold, sad, unfulfilling world where it felt like everything I had done up till now had been for nothing and went to a place where I got to reset myself. Make a new me. Make a new decision. I had a new lease on life, and although I was aware it was all just a game, I let myself indulge.

Fallout New Vegas had a lot to offer me right out of the gate. I had never played a shooter before, never played an RPG before (Pokémon excluded), never played an open world game before, never played a game with dialogue trees, never once had to face consequences for my actions in a game. I traveled to a whole new world several times over that night. After spending hours painstakingly creating my character, I wandered through the town of Goodsprings, timid and afraid. I had stepped into post-apocalyptic America, after all, and I wouldn’t make it 12 minutes out there. But do you know who would? Heartha, the charismatic, intelligent, nature-loving mail carrier that happened to be handed a bad job. She was strong, fierce, and spoke with confidence. She walked tall, carried that rifle on her hip proudly, and made her way through the wasteland to see what there was to see. And she wasn’t afraid of anything, even if I was.

I still remember climbing to the graveyard above Goodsprings that first evening. As I glanced over the horizon to survey the land, a tall, distant building lit up. I couldn’t tell what it was, but its splendor could only be described as a beacon. Come out here, it seemed to say. There is more to see. After speaking to the locals, I discerned my only way forward would be to brave the wastes outside the safety of the town. I stocked up at the general store, accidentally killing Chet in the process, and took a big gulp from my trusty Vault 13 canteen.

The agonizing trip through the valley, past the quarry, and through raider territory took me three real-life days, due to my limited time to play and cautious approach to braving the wastes. But those three nights, every night I could see that beacon in the distance light up, beckoning to me. There is more to see. I had something to work for. I had something to seek. Because there was a promise of something more, far away, something I couldn’t reach yet. But every day I got a little closer.

Fallout New Vegas had allowed me to become someone else, someone better, reaching for something greater than what I could. And that was all the motivation I needed to make my life better. Of course, I finally reached the Lucky 38, and the game only got better from there, but those three days changed my life. In a time when I felt sure it was over, that I had failed, that life had condemned me, I learned that there is always another light out there. Depression has continued to haunt me here and there over the last few years, but I have never felt helpless against it. I feel the same strengths my character had flow into me, because that character did not come from nowhere. She came from me. And I know, with certainty, that there is a light at the end. There is always a promise of something more over the horizon. There is something to walk towards. Even if the walk is tedious, dangerous, degrading, unfulfilling – there is a light at the end.

[magzoso-tech]

New Post has been published on https://magzoso.com/tech/10-best-and-worst-tech-trends-of-2019/

10 Best and Worst Tech Trends of 2019

2019 was a mixed bag in terms of technology trends. On one hand, the consumers finally started really worrying about their data and big tech made some big promises to safeguard it, on the other, deepfakes went mainstream and are surprisingly each to create, becoming an even bigger cause of concern in the era of fake news and misinformation campaigns. 5G and foldable smartphones also generated a lot of buzz this year but both technologies are yet to reach the masses. Cloud gaming, streaming wars, TikTok, virtual assistants, and electric cars were some of other tech trends in 2019. So, here’s a quick look at the 10 best and worst tech trends of this year.

1. Foldable smartphones

After years of rumours, leaks, and company promises, foldable phones finally became a reality in 2019. Samsung and Huawei were two of the mainstream smartphone makers to unveil the first foldable smartphones. Despite their expected arrival in the first half of the year, both phones were delayed over quality concerns. While Samsung’s Galaxy Fold saga was much more public and got widespread attention, Huawei quietly postponed the launch of Mate X to work out the kinks.

The most exciting foldable smartphone of the year came from Motorola. Dubbed simply as Motorola Razr, the phone took design cues from its eponymous feature phone predecessor lineup that had arrived in 2004. Motorola Razr (2019) sports a clamshell design that seems to be getting a better reception but given it is yet to reach the hands of reviewers and consumers, a lot remains to be seen.

Samsung, Huawei, and Lenovo-owned Motorola aren’t the only smartphone makers working on foldable smartphones though. Pretty much every major smartphone company is busy developing their own foldable phones. We are hoping to see these in the coming year.

2. 5G

5G finally became a reality this year as multiple telecom operators across Europe, South Korea, Australia, China, and the US began offering the next-generation telecom network. While 5G is yet to become as mass market technology and will take at least a few years to reach that level but just the anticipation of various avenues that it will open and things that it will make possible kept everyone excited. It is expected to continue as a trending tech topic next year as well.

India is yet to get in the 5G groove as we are far from getting the new telecom technology. The government is yet to even conduct the auction to sell airwaves for 5G but hopefully we will see that happen in 2020.

3. Cloud gaming

Cloud gaming has been the buzzword in the gaming industry this year, but the idea is nearly a decade old. So, what changed in 2019? The arrival of big names like Google and Microsoft, coupled with advancements in cloud gaming technology. Nvidia’s GeForce Now, Sony’s PlayStation Now, and Parsec have been in the game for a few years now, but the technology was not considered truly pathbreaking or seamless enough due to issues like latency and slow Internet speeds. However, Google’s Stadia and Microsoft Project xCloud made things better by offloading the duties to faster and more capable servers.

What else? Well, it is no surprise that AAA titles usually require a powerful (and pricey) hardware, or a console, to run at a respectable frame rate with decent graphics output. This is where Stadia and Project xCloud deliver in heaps. You no longer need all that brawn. All you need is decently powerful smartphone, and you can play games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider without a hitch. We tried Devil May Cry 5, Tekken 7, and Gears 5 on an Android phone with Microsoft’s Project xCloud, and the experience was surprisingly good without any issues that could qualify as a deal-breaker. And that too, after using a VPN. Neither Stadia, nor Project xCloud are available in India, but the latter will arrive next year. And given the increasing popularity of smartphone gaming in India, cloud gaming has a huge potential to change the landscape of the whole industry.

4. Streaming wars

Although the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video have been around for some time, 2019 was the year when seemingly everyone decide to bring their own streaming services. US, expectedly, was front and centre of this streaming re-revolution but 2020 will most likely take the streaming wars globally.

Apple and Disney were the two biggest names to launch their video streaming services this year, but the likes of AT&T and Comcast are getting ready to roll out their own services next year. AT&T will bring the HBO Max and Comcast will launch Peacock. It remains to be seen if HBO Max and Peacock will launch outside the US.

5. TikTok

TikTok, as you might know, is a video-sharing social media platform that has become the talk of the town. But the app is nothing short of a phenomenon and has exploded in popularity, especially in India. TikTok has clocked a mind-bending 1.5 billion downloads worldwide on the Apple App Store and Google Play. India alone accounted for 277.6 million downloads this year. From signing NFL deals and roping in big names in the entertainment industry to making social media stars out of an average joe, TikTok has done it all.

TikTok, which lets users make lip sync clips and post reaction videos, employs AI to analyse users’ interests and preferences, which means, once the app learns your taste, it is hard to stop scrolling the feed. No app in the recent memory has given users of all ages as much creative freedom to go out and express themselves as TikTok. Seeing teenagers shooting TikTok videos at a park or a mall has become a commonplace now and has even landed people in trouble for making videos at their workplace. Such is the madness around TikTok. There have been concerns regarding privacy and spread of distasteful content, something that even led to a temporary ban, the popularity of TikTok simply ceases to contain. As for the videos shared on TikTok, well, they are a mix of genuinely funny and creative to extremely cringeworthy.

6. Virtual assistants

Virtual Assistants have existed for quite some time, but recent advancements have made them way more productive. With smart home devices like Amazon Echo, Google Home, smartwatches, and earbuds becoming commonplace, AI assistants are finding their way in our homes and day-to-day life at a much faster pace. And thanks to the developments in the field of machine learning and big data crunching, assistants are no longer limited to keyword-laden commands that actually made users sound robotic. But how smarter AI assistants got this year? Here’s an example, Google Assistant now supports continued conversation, can filter spam calls, answer calls on your behalf, book an appointment by talking just like a human, and do a lot more.

Asking a puck-sized speaker to play your jam from Spotify? Just say so. TVs, cars, and wearables are among the class of products that have become smarter, thanks to virtual assistants, and will continue to improve over the years to come. And with Google and Amazon opening their AI assistants to other companies, the price of smart home products with virtual assistants has drastically come down, and consequently, more accessible. Support for more Indian languages opened a whole new market avenue for virtual assistants in India this year. Market trends also suggest an impressive growth of virtual assistant applications at both personal and commercial scale, while forecasts point to a big surge in the years to come.

7. Electric cars

Tesla almost single-handedly brought electric cars to the forefront and made them chic riding on top of the concerns regarding the environment. 2019 saw nearly all big names in the industry announcing their respective EV plans, with many EVs making their way to the market too. A massive surge has been recorded in the uptake of electric cars in the west. But what about India? Well, electric cars are still a niche, but things changed this year. 2019 witnessed the launch of Hyundai Kona EV and Tata Tigor EV for consumers in India. Audi, Jaguar, Nissan, and Renault are among the other names that have promised to bring their electric cars to India next year.

The Indian government also took a proactive approach this year, announcing incentives for owning an EV, and is also giving a big push to the nascent electric car industry in India. The move is commendable, and the shift towards a future with EVs has several advantages for consumers and the world as a whole. But there are multiple challenges as well, such as a nearly non-existent charging infrastructure, bridging the supply-demand gap, limitations to grid capacity, battery performance woes, cost of ownership, and above all, establishing a new consumer behaviour towards vehicles.

8. Deepfakes

Before we discuss the impact of deepfakes this year, let’s first get acquainted with what actually it is. Deepfakes can broadly be defined as media, especially videos, in which the real person is replaced by another person’s digital avatar. Sounds impressive? It indeed is. But in a world where fake news has become a huge issue, deepfakes make the future look even more terrifying. Remember the video in which comedian Bill Hader turned into Tom Cruise, the one where Mark Zuckerberg was talking frankly like an actual human being, or the one that saw Jordan Peele deliver a public service announcement as Barack Obama? Some say deepfakes will bring back deceased movie stars, but that sounds like a tiny positive against a sea of ill-intentioned use case scenarios.

Deepfakes have advanced to a level that one can visually alter what a person is saying in a video by just typing a few words. Literally, by just substituting words. India was amazed by deepfakes as much as the rest of the world, and local deepfakes (albeit of lower quality) have already made their way online, with a key example being pornographic content featuring Indian celebs. The problem has even been acknowledged by India’s Electronics and Information Technology Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, but the measures outlined by him to counter the threat are simply inadequate. In a country where lies and deceit forwarded by WhatsApp can lead to mob violence, and where fact-checking as a practice is next to nil, deepfakes will only worsen the situation and create havoc.

9. Fibre broadband rollout in India

Reliance Jio had disrupted the Indian telecom market when it arrived in 2016, and everyone was expecting Jio Fiber to do the same. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, largely because everyone was expecting the company to offer rock-bottom prices. Jio Fiber plan prices turned out to be similar to what other Internet service providers (ISP) are currently providing, so the consumers didn’t line up to get the connections.

Although Jio Fiber is seemingly offering decent service, its fibre roll out has been botched to say the least. There is still no clarity in exactly which locations the Jio Fiber service is live, and the customers don’t hear back for weeks and months after putting their details in the online registrations.

Jio Fiber wasn’t the only provider to bet big on fibre in India this year. Other major ISPs, including ACT, Hathway, Airtel, and You Broadband, also expanded their coverage and brought freebies to entice consumers to move from slower broadband plans to faster fibre connections.

10. Data privacy concerns

With people spending more and more time online and using countless services that claim to make it easier for them to do things, data privacy gave consumers a lot to worry about this year. 2019 showed that it is futile to hope that platforms will keep our data safe and private. Data leaks, hacks, unprotected databases on random servers, and spying apps, including from nation states, are an unfortunate reality of these tech-filled times, and the outlook just seems so hopeless. Thankfully, after years of Facebook’s data privacy missteps, the big tech – Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook (yes, even Facebook) – claims that it is trying harder than ever to safeguard user data. The likes of Apple and Microsoft even called privacy a fundamental human right. Maybe all is not lost just yet, 2020 will show if big tech can follow through.

[personsayinstuff-blog]

Pokemon Direct (6.6.2017) thoughts

What’s up, guys? Elemeno here…uh…

This is actually just a personal thingy. No need to do introductions. Well...it’s on tumblr. But hey…this might be posted on Wattpad after 3 months.

But hey…I’ll just pretend like it’s the good old Sun and Moon days wherein I had a reaction for every video or teaser than Pokemon released for their upcoming games.

So…yeah…I was an hour late, so I wasn’t able to watch Pokemon Direct. I saw bunch of posts like: “POKEMON ULTRA SUN AND ULTRA MOON”

And I was like…HELLO?!

Welp…no Pokemon Stars. No Diamond and Pearl remakes.

I don’t even why people are really predicting Pokemon Stars. I know that was already being talked about earlier this year, but I don’t think it’s ever been confirmed to be an actual game. It’s just like Pokemon Z all over again. (Although, I do admit that I was one of those people who kinda wanted a Pokemon Z.)

As for me, I was hoping for the remakes for Diamond and Pearl. It has been 10 years since its release (for North America), so maybe it was time to do a remake. That’d be kinda dope af…as the kids these days would say.

And Diamond and Pearl would always hold a special place in my heart. Sure, I never really tell anyone that Generation 4 was my favorite (it really isn’t, but it was still cool). However, it was Gen 4 that really got me more into the Pokemon games. Sure…I’ve gotten the chance to play older games, but DP, specifically Pokemon Pearl, was the very first Pokemon game wherein I had my own physical and legit copy of the game. I felt like I was really getting into the games, especially for someone who considers herself to have been a fan since 1999. Yes…it was because of the anime. I didn’t have a Game Boy, Game Boy Color or even a Game Boy Advance. Back then, I only dreamed of having the games.

ANYWAY…enough of the backstory no one was really asking for.

Let’s now talk about what were mentioned in Pokemon Direct.

The major part of that announcement was not the second games for Alola, but rather, it focused on Pokken Tournament DX for the Nintendo Switch.

Oh cool.

I’ve always wanted to play Pokken. Back in its original release, I was jealous of the people who had a Wii U.

I plan on buying my own Switch in the future. I’m kinda hoping that I would get one my birthday or for Christmas, but that seems farfetched.

Pokken Tournament DX looks cool. You could play with anyone anywhere. That’s fun.

Also, we’re gonna have Pokemon Gold and Silver on the Virtual Console…again…kinda dope.

So now…let’s focus on Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

Let’s feel the Ultra hype!

Eh…not that hyped myself. But hey, I wasn’t super hyped when Sun and Moon was first revealed. The hype came in when I saw the trailers.

So far, we were only given a title reveal and a focus on what looks to be new forms of Solgaleo and Lunala…or maybe new forms of Necrozma. All we know is that there is a fusion between Nebby and Necrozma.

Yes. Nebby Necrozma. Nebcrozma?

Fusion…fusion…where have we heard this before?

Oh right.

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2.

Although I found the designs of the Nebby Necrozma to be really cool, I was kinda disappointed because they’ve done the fusion thing for the cover legendaries with the third member of the trio.

But hey…it’s gonna be an alternate timeline, not a continuation.

I’m still looking forward to the game, though. We’ll probably get more hyped once more trailers come out.

Okay…as the title implies, there may be more focus on the Ultra Beasts. If you think about it, Ultra Beasts were a major part in the main storyline of Pokemon Sun and Moon, but it wasn’t until the postgame when we had to deal with them (other than the Nihilego we encountered back in the Aether Foundation). So…maybe the upcoming games will now have the Nebby story, the Ultra Beast story, and of course, the Necrozma story all in the main storyline.

Hopefully, that would make the main storyline longer because Sun and Moon was short. It’d be nice if it took me a week to finish a Pokemon game, not one weekend.

Will we have even more Ultra Beasts? I think so.

Will we have more Alolan Forms? I’m gonna say yes.

Putting it here now…I’m predicting Alolan Jigglypuff. Y’all with me on Alolan Jigglypuff?

I need to stop.

Okay…maybe there will be more Alolan forms of Pokemon from the other generations, not just Gen 1.

Maybe we won’t be getting the Mega Flygon that we wanted, but we could get Alolan Flygon.

Or you know…Alolan Pikachu.

Or…Alolan Togepi.

Or…Alolan Dialga and Palkia.

Okay…what.

So we’ll just have to wait for more info. For now, it’s all about predicting for fun.

And now the next question comes in, will I be getting Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon?

Back in Black 2 and White 2, I chose to play Pokemon Black 2 since I first played Pokemon Black. I did that for consistency since Pokemon Black 2 follows the timeline of Pokemon Black.

However, it’s gonna be an alternate timeline.

Maybe I’ll get Pokemon Ultra Sun just to shake things up…and so that I don’t have to struggle on looking for pink outfits around Festival Plaza.

But for now…

Me: U for Ultra Sun or U for Ultra Moon.

Also me: How about U get a job first?

YUP.

I can’t wait until I’m finally free to play all the new videos games I want. I have a few games lined up to play. The game that I really want to play is Fire Emblem Echoes. I know…I know…it’s out already, but I still haven’t bought the game.

I am also considering on buying Miitopia. I loved leading Miis to having a happy life in Tomodachi Life, so I feel that I’ll enjoy leading Miis engage in war against evil.

Fun.

GAH. I’m also planning on buying stuff from the Nintendo e-shop really soon.

Pokemon Bank (so that I don’t have to wait for my brother who only comes home once a year), Fire Emblem Fates Conquest and Revelations, and some virtual console games (Red and Blue; Gold and Silver).

I’m also planning on buying a new 3DS so that I can have a better playing experience. Maybe I could finally use my Pikachu amiibo.

Idk. What would be more affordable? A new 3DS, or a new SD card and an NFC reader?

I don’t even know if our local game store sells NFC readers….huh…

Welp…RIP my savings unless I manage to get a job.

As for now, allow me to focus on the things I need to focus on. These will be my rewards for doing a good job. Okay…rewards, birthday gift and Christmas gift. That’s kinda a lengthy and pricey list.

For now, let’s just all play Magikarp Jump. At least it’s free and loads with fun! YAY!

[ambitiouslyamanda-blog]

20 THINGS TO SELL FOR SOME QUICK CASH — 05.19.2017

As Spring is on it’s tail end, it’s finally time to do some Spring cleaning; cleaning the gutters, throwing out things you don’t need, and tending to the garden — but instead of the usual ritual of throwing things to the side of the road, let’s try to sell them for some extra, easy cash. Not only will this declutter your place, but also make you some good money to save or spend on something you’ve always wanted. Not sure what to sell? Read on for a list of 20 Things to Sell for Some Quick Cash…

1.       Last year’s textbooks

Have textbooks you no longer need for the present school year? Don’t let those suckers collect dust — sell them to younger students in your program for some quick, easy money. Join textbook selling groups on Facebook, advertise on Kijiji or Craigslist, or post on your social media pages to get the job done.

2.       Scrap materials.

In my post, Fifteen Ways To Make Money This Summer Without a Part Time Job, I stated that I had made $50 selling old bike frames and a skateboard. People everywhere are looking for scrap materials to make their own items, whether it’s bike tires or sheets of metal. Advertise your junk on Kijiji before you throw it out and let the surprise encompass you when you have some offers on your trash.

3.       Formal wear, like suits and prom dresses.

Let’s be honest — are you ever going to wear your prom dress again? If the answer was no, feel free to list it in your local buy and sell groups to get some easy cash.

4.       Video games.

Have a bunch of PS1 games you’re never going to play? Sell them. Gamers everywhere are looking for games to buy for cheap, new or old; so if you have something you haven’t played in a while, get over your nostalgia and sell it.

5.       Video game systems.

Speaking of video games, the consoles in your basement collecting dust aren’t doing much for you either. Some people shell out big cash for old systems like the NES and certain editions of the N64, so if you’re not playing them, get rid of them.

6.       Sporting goods.

If you have lightly used sporting goods that haven’t been touched in ages, list them on Kijiji for some decent cash.

7.       Vintage clothing.

Go thrifting and find some good name brands like Levis, Wrangler, Gucci, etc — and sell those items on Depop for a profit. Just make sure you know how to ship them out without getting shilled for your money.

8.       DVDs, CDs, Records, Cassettes, and VHS tapes

Collectors are everywhere, and some are scrambling to find certain CDs, VHS tapes, or records to complete their collections. Advertise these items in a collection for a quick, straightforward way to get rid of all your unused medias — or list one by one to make a bigger profit. If you have old Disney VHS tapes, search them online — some of them are worth a fortune. Always do your research!

9.       Handmade items.

If you have a penchant for creating things, why not turn your hobby into profit? Selling at local farmer’s markets, on Etsy, or local buy and sell groups can garner you a pretty penny from interested customers. Make jewellery, clothing, cool computer hard drives — whatever! Someone will probably love what you’re selling.

10.   Old computers or computer materials.

Lots of people are now into making their own motherboards by using different drives and materials than what their original computers came with. Some people are even working from the ground up and making computers from scratch! List these products on Craigslist to reach lots of people and allow the money to pour in for something you weren’t going to use anyway.

11.   Comic books!

Another collectors item, comic books are a popular sell on local sites like LetGo and Kijiji. Go through your old collection and sell the most valuable issues for some quick coin.

12.   Musical instruments.

Have a guitar in the corner of your room just gathering dust? Sell it. If you haven’t learned it after all this time, you’re probably not going to pick it up again, so you might as well sell it to someone who will actually use it.

13.   Cars or car related things.

Have a bunch of spare tires? Or an old hunk of junk car you’re never going to fix or drive again? Sell these items for a reasonable price and I’m sure someone will be more than happy to take it off your hands.

14.   Old electronics, like cell phones, DVD players, and stereos.

People are often enamoured with the past — especially past technology — so don’t be afraid to list these items in fear of no one buying them. Someone will take interest.

15.   Baby stuff, like clothing, strollers, and toys.

I don’t think any parent wants to pay full price for a shirt their kid is going to grow out of in a month — so don’t be wary of putting lightly used baby items online! Strollers, toys, car seats, shoes, and bottles can all sell for a decent price, garnering some extra cash in your pocket.

16.   Furniture.

If you’ve recently purchased a new couch or dining room table, sell the old one! If they’re in good condition, I’ve noticed these are the kind of things that sell quickly online and for fantastic prices. You can also thrift furniture pieces for cheap and sell them for a higher profit, if you don’t have any of your own furniture to spare.

17.   Power tools or building equipment.

Tools like hammers, saws, and drills are also big sellers on Kijiji and Craigslist. If you’re not in need of these items or have extras, sell them and use the money you make for things you’ll will use instead.

18.   Books.

Have books you’ve read a million times or some you’ll never read again? Sell them in a yard sale or online for some quick cash. Children’s books sell especially well.

19.   Sell your clothes!

Before you run off and donate them to your local thrift store, you can always try to sell them on apps like LetGo, Depop, and Etsy. What once was your favorite shirt may just be someone’s dream tee — so at least try to sell your clothes before running off to the Salvation Army to get rid of them.

20.   Glassware, dishes, picture frames, and other household things.

If you’re like my mom and have way too many dishes, sell them! The same goes for picture frames, vases, pots, pans, and glasses.

Excited to start making money this summer? Let me know down below what you’re planning on selling in the comments, and as always, thank you for reading.

Ambitiously,

Amanda

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[waqasblog2]

E-Commerce SEO Case Study: How to 4x Traffic and Double Revenue

Whether you’re an e-commerce manager or an SEO specialist, you’ve invested a considerable amount of time and energy into working out the best practice approach for tackling organic search for online stores.

An E-Commerce SEO Strategy Walk-Through

In this case study, I’ll be showing you my agency The Search Initiative was able to double revenue by building a custom strategy for one of our e-commerce clients who operates within a small b2b furniture niche.

My goal with this case study is to introduce you to a wide range of new ideas that will help you to expand and improve your e-commerce SEO game and better serve your customers.

You’ll learn the strategies we used to improve UX, technical stability, onsite optimization, content, and of course backlinks.

The approach that I will detail saw our e-commerce client grow their traffic by a massive 417% in 8 months.

It also earned them $48k in consistent additional monthly revenue. This took them from generating $43k a month to $91k a month, or a 112% increase in overall revenue.

The Challenge

Our client is in the b2b furniture and equipment business and they offer their products only within specific locations in the UK. As well as offering their products for sale to clients, they also offer their products for hire.

The client came to us with a solid foundation. They had an existing e-commerce business, a solid website, and a great brand. However, when setting up their company, SEO hadn’t been a top priority.

Establishing E-commerce E-A-T (Expertise-Authority-Trust) & Earning Backlinks

If you have a high-quality site and with a keen desire to establish your brand (like our client does), your approach needs to be particularly focused on sustainable, long-term growth. You need to create quality content that represents the brand well and earn backlinks naturally.

In addition, focus on signalling trust in the online store and the brand by demonstrating transparency and authority.

We’ll get to this later.

Despite several core algorithm changes occuring in Google Search along the journey, these goals for our client were indeed achieved.

Here’s how we did it…

Step 1 – E-commerce User Experience

To enjoy the benefits of some quick wins, first focus on the low-hanging fruit.

User Experience

The client came to us with robust branding already established and a professional looking website, but we were able to identify a few small tweaks that created a significantly better experience for potential customers.

Visual Changes

Optimize visitor experience by adjusting color contrast (here’s a couple great tools for choosing brand colors and color contrast), adjust placement and selection of images, and add zooming and scaling images to product pages to further improve user experience and increase the likelihood of generating a conversion.

Mobile Optimization

The majority of Internet traffic now originates from mobile devices, so local and mobile optimization are now crucial for small businesses.

Make these small changes to your site that make a big difference to those viewing on mobile:

Making phone numbers clickable

Making emails addresses clickable.

Increasing the font-size to a minimum of 16px for mobile users, as you can see in the screenshot below.

These small tweaks contributed towards significantly increased conversions on mobile.

Step 2 – Technical Auditing

The foundation of any SEO strategy is technical optimization of the website, and since we were dealing with an e-commerce site with many functions and pages, there were plenty of opportunities to identify and resolve technical problems.

They are as follows…

Google Index Management

This included removing all traces of their old website from the Google index, removing duplication in their category pages, managing index bloat, adding their XML sitemap to the robots.txt, and removing now-defunct meta keywords from their site.

The result of these efforts allows Google to focus on the pages that you do want them to focus on ranking… not the extraneous pages you don’t want to rank.

For example, the client’s login pages were indexed. In some cases, this type of unnecessary indexing can cause more valuable pages to be pushed out of the search results, or skipped over in a routine crawl, thus diluting your message.

HTTP Pages and URL Parameters

We also found HTTP pages and URL parameters in the index.

URL parameters are parameters whose value is set dynamically in a page’s URL.

For example you may have a search bar on your website where customers can search your catalog.

Whenever customers do an internal search, new URL parameters will be created, which ends up bloating the index with a bunch of URLs like:  website.com/category/search?pink+scarf

In order to make it clear to Google’s Search algorithm what the different URL parameters do, specify them in Google Search Console.

Cleaning Up Legacy Strategies

Next, we looked at any technical issues caused by legacy strategies and began to clean them up.

One example of an issue was that the site included meta keywords on the pages, which have been considered defunct since Google confirmed that these self-defined keywords hold no weight in their algorithm.

Worse, competitors could look at your meta keywords and find a perfect list of keywords and niches that you’re targeting.

We then looked at how the client’s CMS might be causing issues without them even knowing it.

Managing Magento 2

Our client’s site is built on the popular Magento 2 ecommerce platform, which is notorious for not having a robots.txt and sitemap.xml configured out-of-the-box.

We created the sitemap ourselves using Screaming Frog web crawler, added it to robots.txt, submitted to Google Search Console, thus helping Google’s search algorithm to better understand the layout of our client’s site.

Finally, we dealt with a considerable site-wide issue. The site used canonical tags that were meant to be self-referencing, but were actually canonicalized different pages.

This is suboptimal because it confuses Google’s web crawler bots, making it a mess when trying to rank. We cleaned it all up, so that Google knew exactly which pages should rank.

Step 3 – Internal Link Building

Once you have done a technical audit, earned some quick wins and solved some user experience issues, start to think about improving the internal link structure.

Adding Internal Links To Existing Content

Quickly, we noticed that while the client did have a blog on their domain, there was very little content on it and much of it was out of date. Also, there weren’t many links between their blog and their category and product pages… a huge opportunity for spreading link juice and establishing topical relevance.

Our plan was to create more high-quality blog content and expand its scope, allowing us to build more internal links to relevant product and category pages.

We drew up a content strategy that involved producing a consistent number of new content pieces each month and went back through each old blog post, updating them with relevant links to product and category pages.

We’ll get to the content plan in more detail later, but for now, let’s really dig into internal linking.

E-commerce Topical Clustering

Create “topical clusters”, which can be thought of as groups of pages that talk about different elements of the same key topic.

For example, “protein powder” might be the topical cluster. It would be made up of a cornerstone article that you hope to rank for the keyword “protein powder”, as well as several other articles talking about sub-topics of “protein powder”.

Some examples could be “How to Make Pancakes from Protein Powder”, or “Can Protein Powder Help you Lose Weight?” or “10 Side Effects of Synthetic Protein”. You would then create a content piece for each of these sub-topics and have each linking to the cornerstone article using a close anchor text to “protein powder”.

Using this technique, you’re able to pass value from the smaller articles to the main piece and have a better chance of ranking the main piece for “protein powder” in Google Search.

From these cornerstone articles, we were then able to link back to category and product pages, increasing their perceived authority too.

Step 4 – Content Strategy

Before you can implement a solid external backlink building strategy, you need to create a bedrock of content to be used to support your outreach.

I suggest giving your writers the following guidelines for creating content:

Evergreen, Algorithmically Optimised Content

Focus on evergreen content, preferably creating linkable assets such as infographics, slideshows or documents containing industry insights.

An example of an evergreen topic, would be “why ergonomic chairs are good for your back”. Conversely, “the best chairs in 2019” would not be evergreen, as it will obviously lose its relevance at the end of the year.

In the same line of thought, avoid using dates in the page title, headings or URL.

Quality and depth of content is absolutely essential to analyze in this day and age. Each query (keyword) needs to be answered thoroughly.

Look at the people ranking on page 1.  Ask yourself:

How many words did they write? Find the average and add 20% more.

What sub-topics did they cover? When discussing “How to lose belly fat”, you’ll see that its necessary to talk about “avoiding trans fats”.  Do the same.

What kind of layout are they going for? Are they presenting in tables?  Do the same.

And don’t forget, write in an easy-to-read manner, and without any grammar mistakes.

E-A-T and E-commerce Content

Create content that referenced your products and services so that you can funnel users to your core landing pages.

This is good for both conversions, and for your rankings.

Google is becoming increasingly sophisticated, putting more and more weight on the importance of your website showing expertise, authority and trust (E-A-T).

By creating content that shows you have a deep knowledge of the products you sell, you are improving your chances of ranking higher for relevant keyword phrases.

E-commerce Content & User-Intent

Ensuring that the content matches the user-intent across the entire conversion funnel is a great way to build awareness of your brand as well as helping with link acquisition and visibility.

Since we already had a website full of bottom-of-the-funnel conversion-focused content – we needed to expand upwards. To handle comparison focused keywords, we helped provide users with answers to their much-sought questions around the products.

Instead of just having protein powder product pages, we’d have funnel pieces talking about “The Pros and Cons of Protein Powder vs Natural Foods.”

However, this still wasn’t the highest level of user-intent that we could target.

We began crafting content for customers that didn’t yet know they needed our client’s products and services – and in doing so were able to place them as the brand to help the user help during the research stage of the potential customer’s search.

An example of this might be “5 Ways to Maintain a Summer Body Throughout the Year.”

Step 5 – On-Page Optimization

Next, focus on detailed analysis and optimization of individual pages.

Page-by-Page Product & Category Page Analysis

Here, we analysed each page individually, comparing how many exact match and partial match keywords were on the page in comparison to the top 10 ranking pages for that keyword in Google.

For that, we used Surfer SEO.

We also used the tool to look at how many common backlinks the competitors had linking to their domain, how many keywords they had in their page titles and H1 tags and whether they were exact or partial match.

We also looked into other key metrics such as page loading speeds in comparison to the top ranking pages, the number of words in the content and the number of images.

Step 6 – E-Commerce Link Building Strategy

Spammy Backlink Disavow

Our client came to us with a fairly underdeveloped existing backlink profile, meaning there was little need to spend too much time removing undesirable links to the site.

E-commerce sites may naturally pick-up lots of links like this over time; because they have so many pages within the index to link to.

We quickly disavowed some of the lowest-quality backlinks using the Google disavow tool and then turned our attention to our client’s competitors.

E-Commerce Competitor Analysis

Use Ahrefs (or your favorite backlink tool) to review the backlink profiles of your top 3 competitors, who will offer similar products to the same target market.

E-commerce websites often have strong brand competitors. You can easily check out where these brands get their links and emulate their brand building link strategies.

As your first targets, look for publishers that link to your competitors and have high domain ratings and monthly traffic.

Here’s a solid guide on how to audit domains for link placements.

By following this strategy, we quickly found results.

A Natural Backlink Profile

It was essential to grow your domain’s backlink profile in a natural-looking way, especially if you have few existing backlinks, as was the case with our client.

With little previous history, there is a considerably higher risk of penalization by Google if your approach is not careful.

With this in mind, we spent two months building backlinks with safe branded anchor texts from overall medium quality domains (average DR, average traffic, etc).

In the third month, once these backlinks were established, we began to evolve the approach and slowly started gaining backlinks with targeted anchor text from increasingly higher-power domains.

Referral Traffic

Getting links from sites that pull traffic themselves can actually increase your own website’s traffic.

Yes, it’s actually a thing.

Comparing referral traffic figures from before and after the activity, we see that there’s been a 625% increase in revenue from referral sources (based on client data).

By targeting industry relevant websites with their own existing traffic we managed to both improve our client’s backlink profile in a natural-looking was as well as provided a welcome boost to another channel.

Infographic Outreach

Another strategy that we used that still sees great results is creating infographics.

Chose a popular topic and outreach the asset.

To find what would make for suitable infographics, we reviewed strategies that had worked for our competitors – an approach that will always be viable as long as SEO exists.

I wrote about this last year as part of my scalable white hat link building strategies.

Local Citations

We also made a push to gain backlinks and citations from local publishers.

This helps users and Google’s search algorithm to understand the business’ location – particularly important as our client operates within a limited geographic range.

Back-Linking Results

To summarize, winning in SEO these days requires you to match and then beat every competitor’s backlink profile.

Since working with The Search Initiative, our client has seen a huge growth in the number of referring domains and backlinks pointing to their website – from just a few hundred to more than 1,400.

VS

Campaign Results

Hope you’re sitting down.  These results are tasty.

Keywords

The core high-value keywords targeted for their revenue potential increased by 1467 positions according to Agency Analytics, our main everyday tracking tool.

And according to Ahrefs data, the overall keywords within the top 100 increased from 391 to 2,494, a 637.8% increase.

Organic Traffic & Revenue

Our content strategy directly benefited the blog traffic. The blog now acquires 222% more new users and 74% more returning users than it did previously, which obviously opened up a new pool of potential customers.

And in terms of traffic across the whole domain, we saw a very nice uplift. Compared with the same time last year (before the client started to work with The Search Initiative), organic traffic has seen an increase of 417.29% in sessions and an increase of 452.49% in users.

*Based on the client’s internal data these traffic increases directly impacted an increase in revenue by $48k extra in monthly orders.

All of this achieved within just 6 months.

This took them from generating $43k a month to $91k a month, or a 112% increase overall.

Conclusion

Through this testcase, I hope I’ve illustrated the point on just how incredibly important it is to build content and backlinks at a controlled pace, in a way that looks natural.

The right content allows your e-commerce brand to showcase expertise and communicate authority within your niche, which increases your chances of ranking for tons of relevant keywords, both at the bottom and top of the funnel..

We also touched on the importance of combining technical SEO, user-experience considerations and internal linking to gain the most from all the pages within your e-commerce site.

Make sure as an e-commerce business or SEO operator, you’re using a combination of each-and-every high-impact SEO strategy to maximize the potential of your domain, and your products.

If you need any help with that, you know where to find us: The Search Initiative.

This content was originally published here.

[gamerzcourt]

Microtransactions, Explained: Here's What You Need To KnowMicrotransactions, Explained: Here's What You Need To Knowvideo games

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerzcourt.com/microtransactions-explained-heres-what-you-need-to-knowmicrotransactions-explained-heres-what-you-need-to-knowvideo-games/

Microtransactions, Explained: Here's What You Need To KnowMicrotransactions, Explained: Here's What You Need To Knowvideo games

The topic of microtransactions dominated the headlines of video game news in the second half of 2017. EA’s Star Wars Battlefront II was a shining example of things going wrong, with a developer pushing too far and ultimately needing to apologise and reverse course. Battlefront II reignited the conversation around microtransactions, including loot boxes and other systems. But what are microtransactions, how do they work, and where are they going? To help make sense of the matter, we’ve put together a primer of sorts to help you understand the basic definitions, context, realities of why microtransactions exist, and more.

What Are Microtransactions?

There is no one catch-all definition for microtransactions that perfectly encapsulates and represents the term. But generally speaking, a microtransaction is anything you pay extra for in a video game outside of the initial purchase. For example, Activision’s Call of Duty series offers microtransactions in the form of in-game currency called Call of Duty Points for extra items like weapon camos. Overwatch sells Credits that you can use to purchase cosmetic items. The FIFA franchise sells FIFA Points for Ultimate Team.

The name derives from the fact that, oftentimes, a microtransaction purchase is small in price and function, typically no more than $ 10. Lower-priced microtransactions in the range of 99 cents to $ 10 may make up the bulk of sales, but it’s not the only option. Many games, on console, PC, and mobile, offer “micro” transactions that cost up to $ 100 or in some cases even more.

Microtransactions are extremely commonplace in video games today. In fact, it is often more newsworthy when a game does not have microtransactions. But not every game handles them the same way.

Why So Controversial?

The word “microtransaction” oftentimes conjures up memories of the worst, most player-unfriendly applications of the business practice. Just recently, EA found itself in hot water because Star Wars Battlefront II was set to allow you to purchase loot boxes with real money. These loot boxes can include items and abilities that actually affect gameplay, so some gamers saw this as a move towards a pay-to-win scenario.

The idea is that if you paid enough money, you could eventually acquire weapons and upgrades that would give you an advantage on the playing field. This was obviously met with a huge amount of criticism, and EA decided to pull the plug hours before launch. Microtransactions are coming back to Battlefront II, but it remains to be seen in what form.

Blizzard’s popular hero shooter Overwatch allows players to purchase loot boxes with real money as well. But the big difference is that those loot boxes only contain cosmetic items–that is, items that do not affect gameplay in any manner. Another element at play is the difference between microtransactions in full-priced games versus free-to-play titles. For free-to-play games, the business model is entirely dependent on people spending money on microtransactions, so microtransactions are expected. That’s typically the only way they make money.

Epic’s new Battle Royale game Fortnite: Battle Royale is a free download, but you can spend money on all manner of cosmetic items such as emotes and skins to customise your character. None of these items affect gameplay. Some developers will make the argument that free-to-play, as a business model, is the most democratic because if the developer doesn’t create content that’s compelling enough, people won’t spend money and the game will fail.

Some say it is icky for big-budget, AAA games to ask for more money beyond the initial sale price, which can be $ 60 or more depending on where you live and what you’re after. Developers like Ubisoft and Activision will point out that microtransactions in games like Assassin’s Creed Origins and Call of Duty: WWII are completely optional, and because they do not impact gameplay–or, if they do, are limited to single-player–they don’t affect balance or the general integrity of the game. If you want armour for your horse, buy it. Want a weed camo skin for your gun? You can buy it. Being able to craft a character that is uniquely you is part of the appeal of many games today. The issue for some is that games now offer the ability to buy content that, in the past, might have been included right away. Publishers might counter that the price of games has not gone up, despite inflation and rising development costs.

Legislative Action

In the wake of the controversy around Star Wars Battlefront II, lawmakers and regulatory bodies from around the world are taking a closer look at loot boxes to decide if action should be taken. The principle directive among these people and groups is to determine if loot boxes–which offer up a random reward–constitute a form of gambling. And if they are deemed to be a form of gambling, that could mean they are subject to the same or similar restrictions as casinos and the lottery. The idea is that you would have to be a certain age to buy a game with loot box mechanics.

A state representative from Hawaii has already submitted multiple bills into his local legislature in which he voiced his concerns about loot boxes and proposed that a law be enacted that bans the sale of video games with “gambling-like mechanisms” to people under the age of 21. This could be a landmark piece of legislation. While if it became law it would only apply to games sold in Hawaii, it could set a precedent for other states and countries to follow. Indeed, lawmakers in Indiana and Washington have put forth bills with similar language, while US Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) has called on the ESRB to review its practices and policies surrounding games with loot boxes.

In response to this request, the ESRB just recently announced that it will introduce a new label on some games with microtransaction systems. The overall goal is to inform consumers–and in particular, parents–about which games offer a way to spend additional real-world money from right within the game itself, but whether it will be effective is unclear. The ESRB’s new label, which will read “In-Game Purchases,” will be located near the rating category (E for Everyone, M for Mature, etc.) but will not be housed inside the same box as content descriptors (Sexual Content, Comic Mischief, etc.). The ESRB expects games to begin arriving in stores with the new label in the “near future.” This will coincide with the launch of a new website intended to inform parents about the ESRB’s ratings system, how in-game purchases work, and how to use parental tools to control what and how children play games. The new label will offer no specifics about the type of in-game purchases available so as to avoid overwhelming parents with too much information, the ESRB says.

The Entertainment Software Association, which lobbies on behalf of the video game industry, has a different idea. It would rather see self-regulation by video game groups like the ESRB than the kind of government-mandated changes that the lawmakers are proposing. This reaction is understandable, as a law that would, even in some small way, limit the sale of video games is not something that the ESA would so easily or willingly get behind. It is important to note that while legislation motions are in action, it is in the very early stages, and statistics show that the overwhelming majority of bills never become law on a state and federal level. Still, there is a discussion to be had on the topic, and it is a healthy one. In China, regulators have mandated that games with loot boxes clearly and transparently disclose odds–and games like Overwatch are compliant.

What Analysts Are Saying

Microtransactions are a relatively new addition to the video game business model. Video game analysts, who analyse trends and report back to clients to help them make investment decisions, generally agree that microtransactions are here to stay. Daniel Ahmad, who works for Niko Partners, said as much earlier this month when commenting on Activision Blizzard’s $ 4 billion in microtransaction revenue in 2017. “It further goes to show that add on content such as DLC, Season Passes, Microtransactions, and other post-launch monetisation content is becoming increasingly accepted and desired across console and PC, just like it has been on mobile for some time,” he explained at the time.

Why Do Developers Use Microtransactions?

The first and most obvious reason is that microtransactions have proven to be hugely and consistently lucrative. Almost every major video game publisher now reports microtransaction revenue; Activision Blizzard reported $ 4 billion in revenue from microtransactions in 2017 alone. Ubisoft said in a recent earnings report that digital add-on content is highly attractive because it can be produced quickly and cheaply. Not only that, but any form of digital sale is highly attractive to publishers because the margin ratios–that is, the difference between what the item costs and how much it costs to produce relative to revenue and profit–are excellent. There is no physical box to sell for a microtransaction.

Even with platform holders like Sony and Microsoft taking their usual 30 percent cut, microtransactions make a lot of money for publishers. Almost every major publisher that discloses microtransaction revenue has reported year-over-year increases, so you can expect publishers to continue this effort going forward. Take-Two, whose labels include Rockstar and 2K Games, has said it wants to have some form of “recurrent consumer spending” in every game that it makes. And that would include this year’s highly anticipated western, Red Dead Redemption 2.

Microtransactions are also attractive to publishers because, as video games become more expensive to produce, revenue from microtransactions can help offset the development cost of the main game. The price of a full-priced game went up from $ 50 to $ 60 during the Xbox to Xbox 360 and PS2 to PS3 transition, but no such price hike happened in the next generation. Developers like Ubisoft are now releasing fewer games but supporting those titles for a longer period of time with new content, some of which is paid. As an example, Ubisoft shipped Rainbow Six Siege in 2015, and instead of making a sequel, the developer plans to use the games-as-a-service model to support the game. The developers of Rocket League and PUBG are following a similar trajectory, and you can expect other games and franchises to follow suit in the future.

What’s The Future For Microtransactions?

Every major publisher in video games is already investing in microtransaction systems, and as mentioned, they bring in lots of money and at a high margin. You can therefore expect microtransaction systems to continue to exist and grow in ubiquity. Some publishers are saying the right things, like EA, whose CEO Andrew Wilson is promising that microtransactions need to feel “right” and player-friendly. Ubisoft said the same thing recently when questioned about loot boxes and microtransactions in Rainbow Six Siege. The game’s brand director made the case that Ubisoft’s golden rule about loot boxes is that the items they contain should never impact gameplay in any way whatsoever. What happens in practice at EA, Ubisoft, and other publishers remains to be seen. But what is clear is that microtransactions are here to stay.

GameSpot News

[tainghekhongdaycomvn]

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

Posted by randfish

For the last decade, I've made predictions about how the year in SEO and web marketing would go. So far, my track record is pretty decent — the correct guesses outweigh the wrong ones. But today's the day of reckoning, to grade my performance from 2017 and, if the tally is high enough, share my list for the year ahead.

In keeping with tradition, my predictions will be graded on the following scale:

Nailed It (+2) – When a prediction is right on the money and the primary criteria are fulfilled

Partially Accurate (+1) – Predictions that are in the ballpark, but are somewhat different than reality

Not Completely Wrong (-1) – Those that got near the truth, but are more "incorrect" than "correct"

Way Off (-2) – Guesses which didn't come close

Breakeven or better means I make new predictions for the year ahead, and under that total means my predicting days are over. Let's see how this shakes out... I'm not nervous... You're nervous! This sweat on my brow... It's because... because it was raining outside. It's Seattle! Yeesh.

Grading Rand's 2017 Predictions

#1: Voice search will be more than 25% of all US Google searches within 12 months. Despite this, desktop volume will stay nearly flat and mobile (non-voice) will continue to grow.

+1 - We have data for desktop and mobile search volume via Jumpshot, showing that the former did indeed stay relatively flat and the other kept growing.

But, unfortunately, we don't know the percent of searches that are done with voice rather than keyboards or screens. My guess is 25% of all searches is too high, but until Google decides to share an updated number, all we have is the old 2016 stat that 20% of mobile searches happened via voice input.

#2: Google will remain the top referrer of website traffic by 5X+. Neither Facebook, nor any other source, will make a dent.

+2 - Nailed it! Although, to be fair, there's no serious challenger. The social networks and e-commerce leaders of the web want people to stay on their site, not leave and go elsewhere. No surprise Google's the only big traffic referrer left.

#3: The Marketing Technology space will not have much consolidation (fewer exits and acquisitions, by percentage, than 2015 or 2016), but there will be at least one major exit or IPO among the major SEO software providers.

+2 - As best I can tell from Index.co's thorough database (which, BTW, deserves more attention than Crunchbase, whose data I've found to be of far lower quality), Martech as a whole had nearly half the number of acquisitions in 2017 (22) versus 2016 (39). 2017 did, however, see the Yext IPO, so I'm taking full credit on this one.

#4: Google will offer paid search ads in featured snippets, knowledge graph, and/or carousels.

0 - Turns out, Google had actually done a little of this prior to 2017, which I think invalidates the prediction. Thus I'm giving myself no credit either way, though Google did expand their testing and ad types in this direction last year.

#5: Amazon search will have 4% or more of Google's web search volume by end of year.

-2 - Way off, Rand. From the Jumpshot data, it looks like Amazon's not even at 1% of Google's search volume yet. I was either way too early on this one, or Amazon searches may never compete, volume-wise, with how Google's users employ their search system.

#6: Twitter will remain independent, and remain the most valuable and popular network for publishers and influencers.

+2 - I'm actually shocked that I made this prediction given the upheaval Twitter has faced in the last few years. Still, it's good to see a real competitor (despite their much smaller size) to Facebook stay independent.

#7: The top 10 mobile apps will remain nearly static for the year ahead, with, at most, one new entrant and 4 or fewer position changes.

+1 - I was slighly aggressive on wording this prediction, though the reality is pretty accurate. The dominance of a few companies in the mobile app world remains unchallenged. Here's 2016's top apps, and here's 2017's. The only real change was Apple Music and Amazon falling a couple spots and Pandora and Snapchat sneaking into the latter half of the list.

#8: 2017 will be the year Google admits publicly they use engagement data as an input to their ranking systems, not just for training/learning

-2 - I should have realized Google will continue to use engagement data for rankings, but they're not gonna talk about it. They have nothing to gain from being open, and a reasonable degree of risk if they invite spammers and manipulators to mimic searchers and click for rankings (a practice that, sadly, has popped up in the gray hat SEO world, and does sometimes, unfortunately, work).

Final Score: +4 — not too shabby, so let's continue this tradition and see what 2018 holds. I'm going to be a little more cavalier with this year's predictions, just to keep things exciting :-)

Rand's 9 Predictions for 2018

#1: The total number of organic clicks Google refers will drop by ~5% by the end of the year

In 2017, we saw the start of a concerning trend — fewer clicks being generated by Google search on desktop and mobile. I don't think that was a blip. In my estimation, Google's actions around featured snippets, knowledge panels, and better instant answers in the SERPs overall, combined with more aggressive ads and slowing search growth (at least in the United States), will lead to there being slightly less SEO opportunity in 2018 than what we had in 2017.

I don't think this trend will accelerate much long term (i.e. it's certainly not the end for SEO, just a time of greater competition for slightly fewer click opportunities).

#2: Twitter and LinkedIn will both take active steps to reduce the amount of traffic they refer out to other sites

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had success algorithmically or structurally limiting clicks off their platforms and growing as a result. I think in 2018, Twitter and LinkedIn are gonna take their own steps to limit content with links from doing as well, to limit the visibility of external links in their platform, and to better reward content that keeps people on their sites.

#3: One or more major SEO software providers will shutter as a result of increased pressure from Google and heavy competition

Google Search Console is, slowly but surely, getting better. Google's getting a lot more aggressive about making rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm friendly with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), and the SEO software field is way, way more densely packed with competitors than ever before. I estimate at least ten SEO software firms are over $10 million US in annual revenue (Deepcrawl, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs, Conductor, Brightedge, SISTRIX, GinzaMetrics, SEOClarity, and Moz), and I'm probably underestimating at least 4 or 5 others (in local SEO, Yext is obviously huge, and 3–4 of their competitors are also above $10mm).

I predict this combination of factors will mean that 2018 sees one or more casualties (possibly through a less-than-rewarding acquisition rather than straight-out bankruptcy) in the SEO software space.

#4: Alexa will start to take market share away from Google, especially via devices with screens like the Echo Show

Voice search devices are useful, but somewhat limited by virtue of missing a screen. The Echo Show was the first stab at solving this, and I think in 2018 we're going to see more and better devices as well as vastly better functionality. Even just the "Alexa, show me a photo of Rodney Dangerfield from 1965." (see, Rand, I told you he used to be handsome!) will take away a lot of the more simplistic searches that today happen on Google and Google Images (the latter of which is a silent giant in the US search world).

#5: One of the non-Google tech giants will start on a more serious competitor to YouTube

Amazon's feud with Google and the resulting loss of YouTube on certain devices isn't going unnoticed in major tech company discussions. I think in 2018, that turns into a full-blown decision to invest in a competitor to the hosted video platform. There's too much money, time, attention, and opportunity for some of the big players not to at least dip a toe in the water.

Side note: If I were an investor, I'd be pouring meetings and dollars into startups that might become this. I think acquisitions are a key way for a Facebook, an Amazon, or a Microsoft to reduce their risk here.

#6: Facebook Audience Network (that lets publishers run FB ads on their own sites) will get the investment it needs and become a serious website adtech player

Facebook ads on the web should be as big or bigger than anything Google does in this realm, mostly because the web functions more like Facebook than it does like search results pages, and FB's got the data to make those ads high quality and relevant. Unfortunately, they've underinvested in Audience Network the last couple years, but I think with Facebook usage in developed countries leveling out and the company seeking ways to grow their ad reach and effectiveness, it's time.

#7: Mobile apps will fade as the default for how brands, organizations, and startups of all sizes invest in the mobile web; PWAs and mobile-first websites will largely take their place

I'm calling it. Mobile apps, for 95% of companies and organizations who want to do well on the web, are the wrong decision. Not only that, most everyone now realizes and agrees on it. PWAs (and straightforward mobile websites) are there to pick up the slack. That's not to say the app stores won't continue to generate downloads or make money — they will. But those installs and dollars will flow to a very few number of apps and app developers at the very top of the charts, while the long tail of apps (which never really took off), fades into obscurity.

Side note: games are probably an exception (though even there, Nintendo Switch proved in 2017 that mobile isn't the only or best platform for games).

#8: Wordpress will continue its dominance over all other CMS', growing its use from ~25% to 35%+ of the top few million sites on the web

While it depends what you consider "the web" to be, there's no doubt Wordpress has dominated every other CMS in the market among the most popular few million sites on it. I think 2018 will be a year when Wordpress extends their lead, mostly because they're getting more aggressive about investments in growth and marketing, and secondarily because no one is stepping up to be a suitable (free) alternative.

35%+ might sound like a bold step, but I'm seeing more and more folks moving off of other platforms for a host of reasons, and migrating to Wordpress for its flexibility, its cost structure, its extensibility, and its strong ecosystem of plugins, hosting providers, security options, and developers.

#9: The United States will start to feel the pain of net neutrality's end with worse Internet connectivity, more limitations, and a less free-and-open web

Tragically, we lost the battle to maintain Title II protections on net neutrality here in the US, and the news is a steady drumbeat of awfulness around this topic. Just recently, Trump's FCC announced that they'd be treating far slower connections as "broadband," thus lessening requirements for what's considered "penetration" and "access," all the way down to mobile connection speeds.

It's hard to notice what this means right now, but by the end of 2018, I predict we'll be feeling the pain through even slower average speeds, restrictions on web usage (like what we saw before Title II protections with Verizon and T-Mobile blocking services and favoring sites). In fact, my guess is that some enterprising ISP is gonna try to block cryptocurrency mining, trading, or usage as an early step.

Over time, I suspect this will lead to a tiered Internet access world here in the US, where the top 10% of American earners (and those in a few cities and states that implement their own net neutrality laws) have vastly better and free-er access (probably with more competitive pricing, too).

Now it's time for your feedback! I want to know:

Which of these predictions do you find most likely?

Which do you find most outlandish?

What obvious predictions do you think I've shamefully missed? ;-)

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

http://ift.tt/2q13Myy xem thêm tại: http://ift.tt/2mb4VST để biết thêm về địa chỉ bán tai nghe không dây giá rẻ 9 Predictions for SEO in 2018 http://ift.tt/2CSZcp6 xem thêm tại: http://ift.tt/2mb4VST để biết thêm về địa chỉ bán tai nghe không dây giá rẻ 9 Predictions for SEO in 2018 http://ift.tt/2CSZcp6 xem thêm tại: http://ift.tt/2mb4VST để biết thêm về địa chỉ bán tai nghe không dây giá rẻ 9 Predictions for SEO in 2018 http://ift.tt/2CSZcp6 xem thêm tại: http://ift.tt/2mb4VST để biết thêm về địa chỉ bán tai nghe không dây giá rẻ 9 Predictions for SEO in 2018 http://ift.tt/2CSZcp6 xem thêm tại: http://ift.tt/2mb4VST để biết thêm về địa chỉ bán tai nghe không dây giá rẻ 9 Predictions for SEO in 2018 http://ift.tt/2CSZcp6 xem thêm tại: http://ift.tt/2mb4VST để biết thêm về địa chỉ bán tai nghe không dây giá rẻ 9 Predictions for SEO in 2018 http://ift.tt/2CSZcp6 xem thêm tại: http://ift.tt/2mb4VST để biết thêm về địa chỉ bán tai nghe không dây giá rẻ 9 Predictions for SEO in 2018 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[kraussoutene]

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

Posted by randfish

For the last decade, I've made predictions about how the year in SEO and web marketing would go. So far, my track record is pretty decent — the correct guesses outweigh the wrong ones. But today's the day of reckoning, to grade my performance from 2017 and, if the tally is high enough, share my list for the year ahead.

In keeping with tradition, my predictions will be graded on the following scale:

Nailed It (+2) – When a prediction is right on the money and the primary criteria are fulfilled

Partially Accurate (+1) – Predictions that are in the ballpark, but are somewhat different than reality

Not Completely Wrong (-1) – Those that got near the truth, but are more "incorrect" than "correct"

Way Off (-2) – Guesses which didn't come close

Breakeven or better means I make new predictions for the year ahead, and under that total means my predicting days are over. Let's see how this shakes out... I'm not nervous... You're nervous! This sweat on my brow... It's because... because it was raining outside. It's Seattle! Yeesh.

Grading Rand's 2017 Predictions

#1: Voice search will be more than 25% of all US Google searches within 12 months. Despite this, desktop volume will stay nearly flat and mobile (non-voice) will continue to grow.

+1 - We have data for desktop and mobile search volume via Jumpshot, showing that the former did indeed stay relatively flat and the other kept growing.

I don't think this trend will accelerate much long term (i.e. it's certainly not the end for SEO, just a time of greater competition for slightly fewer click opportunities).

#2: Twitter and LinkedIn will both take active steps to reduce the amount of traffic they refer out to other sites

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had success algorithmically or structurally limiting clicks off their platforms and growing as a result. I think in 2018, Twitter and LinkedIn are gonna take their own steps to limit content with links from doing as well, to limit the visibility of external links in their platform, and to better reward content that keeps people on their sites.

#3: One or more major SEO software providers will shutter as a result of increased pressure from Google and heavy competition

Google Search Console is, slowly but surely, getting better. Google's getting a lot more aggressive about making rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm friendly with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), and the SEO software field is way, way more densely packed with competitors than ever before. I estimate at least ten SEO software firms are over $10 million US in annual revenue (Deepcrawl, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs, Conductor, Brightedge, SISTRIX, GinzaMetrics, SEOClarity, and Moz), and I'm probably underestimating at least 4 or 5 others (in local SEO, Yext is obviously huge, and 3–4 of their competitors are also above $10mm).

I predict this combination of factors will mean that 2018 sees one or more casualties (possibly through a less-than-rewarding acquisition rather than straight-out bankruptcy) in the SEO software space.

#4: Alexa will start to take market share away from Google, especially via devices with screens like the Echo Show

Voice search devices are useful, but somewhat limited by virtue of missing a screen. The Echo Show was the first stab at solving this, and I think in 2018 we're going to see more and better devices as well as vastly better functionality. Even just the "Alexa, show me a photo of Rodney Dangerfield from 1965." (see, Rand, I told you he used to be handsome!) will take away a lot of the more simplistic searches that today happen on Google and Google Images (the latter of which is a silent giant in the US search world).

#5: One of the non-Google tech giants will start on a more serious competitor to YouTube

Amazon's feud with Google and the resulting loss of YouTube on certain devices isn't going unnoticed in major tech company discussions. I think in 2018, that turns into a full-blown decision to invest in a competitor to the hosted video platform. There's too much money, time, attention, and opportunity for some of the big players not to at least dip a toe in the water.

Side note: If I were an investor, I'd be pouring meetings and dollars into startups that might become this. I think acquisitions are a key way for a Facebook, an Amazon, or a Microsoft to reduce their risk here.

#6: Facebook Audience Network (that lets publishers run FB ads on their own sites) will get the investment it needs and become a serious website adtech player

Facebook ads on the web should be as big or bigger than anything Google does in this realm, mostly because the web functions more like Facebook than it does like search results pages, and FB's got the data to make those ads high quality and relevant. Unfortunately, they've underinvested in Audience Network the last couple years, but I think with Facebook usage in developed countries leveling out and the company seeking ways to grow their ad reach and effectiveness, it's time.

#7: Mobile apps will fade as the default for how brands, organizations, and startups of all sizes invest in the mobile web; PWAs and mobile-first websites will largely take their place

I'm calling it. Mobile apps, for 95% of companies and organizations who want to do well on the web, are the wrong decision. Not only that, most everyone now realizes and agrees on it. PWAs (and straightforward mobile websites) are there to pick up the slack. That's not to say the app stores won't continue to generate downloads or make money — they will. But those installs and dollars will flow to a very few number of apps and app developers at the very top of the charts, while the long tail of apps (which never really took off), fades into obscurity.

Side note: games are probably an exception (though even there, Nintendo Switch proved in 2017 that mobile isn't the only or best platform for games).

#8: Wordpress will continue its dominance over all other CMS', growing its use from ~25% to 35%+ of the top few million sites on the web

While it depends what you consider "the web" to be, there's no doubt Wordpress has dominated every other CMS in the market among the most popular few million sites on it. I think 2018 will be a year when Wordpress extends their lead, mostly because they're getting more aggressive about investments in growth and marketing, and secondarily because no one is stepping up to be a suitable (free) alternative.

35%+ might sound like a bold step, but I'm seeing more and more folks moving off of other platforms for a host of reasons, and migrating to Wordpress for its flexibility, its cost structure, its extensibility, and its strong ecosystem of plugins, hosting providers, security options, and developers.

#9: The United States will start to feel the pain of net neutrality's end with worse Internet connectivity, more limitations, and a less free-and-open web

Tragically, we lost the battle to maintain Title II protections on net neutrality here in the US, and the news is a steady drumbeat of awfulness around this topic. Just recently, Trump's FCC announced that they'd be treating far slower connections as "broadband," thus lessening requirements for what's considered "penetration" and "access," all the way down to mobile connection speeds.

It's hard to notice what this means right now, but by the end of 2018, I predict we'll be feeling the pain through even slower average speeds, restrictions on web usage (like what we saw before Title II protections with Verizon and T-Mobile blocking services and favoring sites). In fact, my guess is that some enterprising ISP is gonna try to block cryptocurrency mining, trading, or usage as an early step.

Over time, I suspect this will lead to a tiered Internet access world here in the US, where the top 10% of American earners (and those in a few cities and states that implement their own net neutrality laws) have vastly better and free-er access (probably with more competitive pricing, too).

Now it's time for your feedback! I want to know:

Which of these predictions do you find most likely?

Which do you find most outlandish?

What obvious predictions do you think I've shamefully missed? ;-)

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

http://ift.tt/2APYLd0

[mercedessharonwo1]

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

Posted by randfish

For the last decade, I've made predictions about how the year in SEO and web marketing would go. So far, my track record is pretty decent — the correct guesses outweigh the wrong ones. But today's the day of reckoning, to grade my performance from 2017 and, if the tally is high enough, share my list for the year ahead.

In keeping with tradition, my predictions will be graded on the following scale:

Nailed It (+2) – When a prediction is right on the money and the primary criteria are fulfilled

Partially Accurate (+1) – Predictions that are in the ballpark, but are somewhat different than reality

Not Completely Wrong (-1) – Those that got near the truth, but are more "incorrect" than "correct"

Way Off (-2) – Guesses which didn't come close

Breakeven or better means I make new predictions for the year ahead, and under that total means my predicting days are over. Let's see how this shakes out... I'm not nervous... You're nervous! This sweat on my brow... It's because... because it was raining outside. It's Seattle! Yeesh.

Grading Rand's 2017 Predictions

#1: Voice search will be more than 25% of all US Google searches within 12 months. Despite this, desktop volume will stay nearly flat and mobile (non-voice) will continue to grow.

+1 - We have data for desktop and mobile search volume via Jumpshot, showing that the former did indeed stay relatively flat and the other kept growing.

I don't think this trend will accelerate much long term (i.e. it's certainly not the end for SEO, just a time of greater competition for slightly fewer click opportunities).

#2: Twitter and LinkedIn will both take active steps to reduce the amount of traffic they refer out to other sites

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had success algorithmically or structurally limiting clicks off their platforms and growing as a result. I think in 2018, Twitter and LinkedIn are gonna take their own steps to limit content with links from doing as well, to limit the visibility of external links in their platform, and to better reward content that keeps people on their sites.

#3: One or more major SEO software providers will shutter as a result of increased pressure from Google and heavy competition

Google Search Console is, slowly but surely, getting better. Google's getting a lot more aggressive about making rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm friendly with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), and the SEO software field is way, way more densely packed with competitors than ever before. I estimate at least ten SEO software firms are over $10 million US in annual revenue (Deepcrawl, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs, Conductor, Brightedge, SISTRIX, GinzaMetrics, SEOClarity, and Moz), and I'm probably underestimating at least 4 or 5 others (in local SEO, Yext is obviously huge, and 3–4 of their competitors are also above $10mm).

I predict this combination of factors will mean that 2018 sees one or more casualties (possibly through a less-than-rewarding acquisition rather than straight-out bankruptcy) in the SEO software space.

#4: Alexa will start to take market share away from Google, especially via devices with screens like the Echo Show

Voice search devices are useful, but somewhat limited by virtue of missing a screen. The Echo Show was the first stab at solving this, and I think in 2018 we're going to see more and better devices as well as vastly better functionality. Even just the "Alexa, show me a photo of Rodney Dangerfield from 1965." (see, Rand, I told you he used to be handsome!) will take away a lot of the more simplistic searches that today happen on Google and Google Images (the latter of which is a silent giant in the US search world).

#5: One of the non-Google tech giants will start on a more serious competitor to YouTube

Amazon's feud with Google and the resulting loss of YouTube on certain devices isn't going unnoticed in major tech company discussions. I think in 2018, that turns into a full-blown decision to invest in a competitor to the hosted video platform. There's too much money, time, attention, and opportunity for some of the big players not to at least dip a toe in the water.

Side note: If I were an investor, I'd be pouring meetings and dollars into startups that might become this. I think acquisitions are a key way for a Facebook, an Amazon, or a Microsoft to reduce their risk here.

#6: Facebook Audience Network (that lets publishers run FB ads on their own sites) will get the investment it needs and become a serious website adtech player

Facebook ads on the web should be as big or bigger than anything Google does in this realm, mostly because the web functions more like Facebook than it does like search results pages, and FB's got the data to make those ads high quality and relevant. Unfortunately, they've underinvested in Audience Network the last couple years, but I think with Facebook usage in developed countries leveling out and the company seeking ways to grow their ad reach and effectiveness, it's time.

#7: Mobile apps will fade as the default for how brands, organizations, and startups of all sizes invest in the mobile web; PWAs and mobile-first websites will largely take their place

I'm calling it. Mobile apps, for 95% of companies and organizations who want to do well on the web, are the wrong decision. Not only that, most everyone now realizes and agrees on it. PWAs (and straightforward mobile websites) are there to pick up the slack. That's not to say the app stores won't continue to generate downloads or make money — they will. But those installs and dollars will flow to a very few number of apps and app developers at the very top of the charts, while the long tail of apps (which never really took off), fades into obscurity.

Side note: games are probably an exception (though even there, Nintendo Switch proved in 2017 that mobile isn't the only or best platform for games).

#8: Wordpress will continue its dominance over all other CMS', growing its use from ~25% to 35%+ of the top few million sites on the web

While it depends what you consider "the web" to be, there's no doubt Wordpress has dominated every other CMS in the market among the most popular few million sites on it. I think 2018 will be a year when Wordpress extends their lead, mostly because they're getting more aggressive about investments in growth and marketing, and secondarily because no one is stepping up to be a suitable (free) alternative.

35%+ might sound like a bold step, but I'm seeing more and more folks moving off of other platforms for a host of reasons, and migrating to Wordpress for its flexibility, its cost structure, its extensibility, and its strong ecosystem of plugins, hosting providers, security options, and developers.

#9: The United States will start to feel the pain of net neutrality's end with worse Internet connectivity, more limitations, and a less free-and-open web

Tragically, we lost the battle to maintain Title II protections on net neutrality here in the US, and the news is a steady drumbeat of awfulness around this topic. Just recently, Trump's FCC announced that they'd be treating far slower connections as "broadband," thus lessening requirements for what's considered "penetration" and "access," all the way down to mobile connection speeds.

It's hard to notice what this means right now, but by the end of 2018, I predict we'll be feeling the pain through even slower average speeds, restrictions on web usage (like what we saw before Title II protections with Verizon and T-Mobile blocking services and favoring sites). In fact, my guess is that some enterprising ISP is gonna try to block cryptocurrency mining, trading, or usage as an early step.

Over time, I suspect this will lead to a tiered Internet access world here in the US, where the top 10% of American earners (and those in a few cities and states that implement their own net neutrality laws) have vastly better and free-er access (probably with more competitive pricing, too).

Now it's time for your feedback! I want to know:

Which of these predictions do you find most likely?

Which do you find most outlandish?

What obvious predictions do you think I've shamefully missed? ;-)

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

http://ift.tt/2APYLd0

[christinesumpmg1]

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

Posted by randfish

For the last decade, I've made predictions about how the year in SEO and web marketing would go. So far, my track record is pretty decent — the correct guesses outweigh the wrong ones. But today's the day of reckoning, to grade my performance from 2017 and, if the tally is high enough, share my list for the year ahead.

In keeping with tradition, my predictions will be graded on the following scale:

Nailed It (+2) – When a prediction is right on the money and the primary criteria are fulfilled

Partially Accurate (+1) – Predictions that are in the ballpark, but are somewhat different than reality

Not Completely Wrong (-1) – Those that got near the truth, but are more "incorrect" than "correct"

Way Off (-2) – Guesses which didn't come close

Breakeven or better means I make new predictions for the year ahead, and under that total means my predicting days are over. Let's see how this shakes out... I'm not nervous... You're nervous! This sweat on my brow... It's because... because it was raining outside. It's Seattle! Yeesh.

Grading Rand's 2017 Predictions

#1: Voice search will be more than 25% of all US Google searches within 12 months. Despite this, desktop volume will stay nearly flat and mobile (non-voice) will continue to grow.

+1 - We have data for desktop and mobile search volume via Jumpshot, showing that the former did indeed stay relatively flat and the other kept growing.

I don't think this trend will accelerate much long term (i.e. it's certainly not the end for SEO, just a time of greater competition for slightly fewer click opportunities).

#2: Twitter and LinkedIn will both take active steps to reduce the amount of traffic they refer out to other sites

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had success algorithmically or structurally limiting clicks off their platforms and growing as a result. I think in 2018, Twitter and LinkedIn are gonna take their own steps to limit content with links from doing as well, to limit the visibility of external links in their platform, and to better reward content that keeps people on their sites.

#3: One or more major SEO software providers will shutter as a result of increased pressure from Google and heavy competition

Google Search Console is, slowly but surely, getting better. Google's getting a lot more aggressive about making rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm friendly with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), and the SEO software field is way, way more densely packed with competitors than ever before. I estimate at least ten SEO software firms are over $10 million US in annual revenue (Deepcrawl, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs, Conductor, Brightedge, SISTRIX, GinzaMetrics, SEOClarity, and Moz), and I'm probably underestimating at least 4 or 5 others (in local SEO, Yext is obviously huge, and 3–4 of their competitors are also above $10mm).

I predict this combination of factors will mean that 2018 sees one or more casualties (possibly through a less-than-rewarding acquisition rather than straight-out bankruptcy) in the SEO software space.

#4: Alexa will start to take market share away from Google, especially via devices with screens like the Echo Show

Voice search devices are useful, but somewhat limited by virtue of missing a screen. The Echo Show was the first stab at solving this, and I think in 2018 we're going to see more and better devices as well as vastly better functionality. Even just the "Alexa, show me a photo of Rodney Dangerfield from 1965." (see, Rand, I told you he used to be handsome!) will take away a lot of the more simplistic searches that today happen on Google and Google Images (the latter of which is a silent giant in the US search world).

#5: One of the non-Google tech giants will start on a more serious competitor to YouTube

Amazon's feud with Google and the resulting loss of YouTube on certain devices isn't going unnoticed in major tech company discussions. I think in 2018, that turns into a full-blown decision to invest in a competitor to the hosted video platform. There's too much money, time, attention, and opportunity for some of the big players not to at least dip a toe in the water.

Side note: If I were an investor, I'd be pouring meetings and dollars into startups that might become this. I think acquisitions are a key way for a Facebook, an Amazon, or a Microsoft to reduce their risk here.

#6: Facebook Audience Network (that lets publishers run FB ads on their own sites) will get the investment it needs and become a serious website adtech player

Facebook ads on the web should be as big or bigger than anything Google does in this realm, mostly because the web functions more like Facebook than it does like search results pages, and FB's got the data to make those ads high quality and relevant. Unfortunately, they've underinvested in Audience Network the last couple years, but I think with Facebook usage in developed countries leveling out and the company seeking ways to grow their ad reach and effectiveness, it's time.

#7: Mobile apps will fade as the default for how brands, organizations, and startups of all sizes invest in the mobile web; PWAs and mobile-first websites will largely take their place

I'm calling it. Mobile apps, for 95% of companies and organizations who want to do well on the web, are the wrong decision. Not only that, most everyone now realizes and agrees on it. PWAs (and straightforward mobile websites) are there to pick up the slack. That's not to say the app stores won't continue to generate downloads or make money — they will. But those installs and dollars will flow to a very few number of apps and app developers at the very top of the charts, while the long tail of apps (which never really took off), fades into obscurity.

Side note: games are probably an exception (though even there, Nintendo Switch proved in 2017 that mobile isn't the only or best platform for games).

#8: Wordpress will continue its dominance over all other CMS', growing its use from ~25% to 35%+ of the top few million sites on the web

While it depends what you consider "the web" to be, there's no doubt Wordpress has dominated every other CMS in the market among the most popular few million sites on it. I think 2018 will be a year when Wordpress extends their lead, mostly because they're getting more aggressive about investments in growth and marketing, and secondarily because no one is stepping up to be a suitable (free) alternative.

35%+ might sound like a bold step, but I'm seeing more and more folks moving off of other platforms for a host of reasons, and migrating to Wordpress for its flexibility, its cost structure, its extensibility, and its strong ecosystem of plugins, hosting providers, security options, and developers.

#9: The United States will start to feel the pain of net neutrality's end with worse Internet connectivity, more limitations, and a less free-and-open web

Tragically, we lost the battle to maintain Title II protections on net neutrality here in the US, and the news is a steady drumbeat of awfulness around this topic. Just recently, Trump's FCC announced that they'd be treating far slower connections as "broadband," thus lessening requirements for what's considered "penetration" and "access," all the way down to mobile connection speeds.

It's hard to notice what this means right now, but by the end of 2018, I predict we'll be feeling the pain through even slower average speeds, restrictions on web usage (like what we saw before Title II protections with Verizon and T-Mobile blocking services and favoring sites). In fact, my guess is that some enterprising ISP is gonna try to block cryptocurrency mining, trading, or usage as an early step.

Over time, I suspect this will lead to a tiered Internet access world here in the US, where the top 10% of American earners (and those in a few cities and states that implement their own net neutrality laws) have vastly better and free-er access (probably with more competitive pricing, too).

Now it's time for your feedback! I want to know:

Which of these predictions do you find most likely?

Which do you find most outlandish?

What obvious predictions do you think I've shamefully missed? ;-)

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

http://ift.tt/2APYLd0

[conniecogeie]

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

Posted by randfish

For the last decade, I've made predictions about how the year in SEO and web marketing would go. So far, my track record is pretty decent — the correct guesses outweigh the wrong ones. But today's the day of reckoning, to grade my performance from 2017 and, if the tally is high enough, share my list for the year ahead.

In keeping with tradition, my predictions will be graded on the following scale:

Nailed It (+2) – When a prediction is right on the money and the primary criteria are fulfilled

Partially Accurate (+1) – Predictions that are in the ballpark, but are somewhat different than reality

Not Completely Wrong (-1) – Those that got near the truth, but are more "incorrect" than "correct"

Way Off (-2) – Guesses which didn't come close

Breakeven or better means I make new predictions for the year ahead, and under that total means my predicting days are over. Let's see how this shakes out... I'm not nervous... You're nervous! This sweat on my brow... It's because... because it was raining outside. It's Seattle! Yeesh.

Grading Rand's 2017 Predictions

#1: Voice search will be more than 25% of all US Google searches within 12 months. Despite this, desktop volume will stay nearly flat and mobile (non-voice) will continue to grow.

+1 - We have data for desktop and mobile search volume via Jumpshot, showing that the former did indeed stay relatively flat and the other kept growing.

I don't think this trend will accelerate much long term (i.e. it's certainly not the end for SEO, just a time of greater competition for slightly fewer click opportunities).

#2: Twitter and LinkedIn will both take active steps to reduce the amount of traffic they refer out to other sites

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had success algorithmically or structurally limiting clicks off their platforms and growing as a result. I think in 2018, Twitter and LinkedIn are gonna take their own steps to limit content with links from doing as well, to limit the visibility of external links in their platform, and to better reward content that keeps people on their sites.

#3: One or more major SEO software providers will shutter as a result of increased pressure from Google and heavy competition

Google Search Console is, slowly but surely, getting better. Google's getting a lot more aggressive about making rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm friendly with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), and the SEO software field is way, way more densely packed with competitors than ever before. I estimate at least ten SEO software firms are over $10 million US in annual revenue (Deepcrawl, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs, Conductor, Brightedge, SISTRIX, GinzaMetrics, SEOClarity, and Moz), and I'm probably underestimating at least 4 or 5 others (in local SEO, Yext is obviously huge, and 3–4 of their competitors are also above $10mm).

I predict this combination of factors will mean that 2018 sees one or more casualties (possibly through a less-than-rewarding acquisition rather than straight-out bankruptcy) in the SEO software space.

#4: Alexa will start to take market share away from Google, especially via devices with screens like the Echo Show

Voice search devices are useful, but somewhat limited by virtue of missing a screen. The Echo Show was the first stab at solving this, and I think in 2018 we're going to see more and better devices as well as vastly better functionality. Even just the "Alexa, show me a photo of Rodney Dangerfield from 1965." (see, Rand, I told you he used to be handsome!) will take away a lot of the more simplistic searches that today happen on Google and Google Images (the latter of which is a silent giant in the US search world).

#5: One of the non-Google tech giants will start on a more serious competitor to YouTube

Amazon's feud with Google and the resulting loss of YouTube on certain devices isn't going unnoticed in major tech company discussions. I think in 2018, that turns into a full-blown decision to invest in a competitor to the hosted video platform. There's too much money, time, attention, and opportunity for some of the big players not to at least dip a toe in the water.

Side note: If I were an investor, I'd be pouring meetings and dollars into startups that might become this. I think acquisitions are a key way for a Facebook, an Amazon, or a Microsoft to reduce their risk here.

#6: Facebook Audience Network (that lets publishers run FB ads on their own sites) will get the investment it needs and become a serious website adtech player

Facebook ads on the web should be as big or bigger than anything Google does in this realm, mostly because the web functions more like Facebook than it does like search results pages, and FB's got the data to make those ads high quality and relevant. Unfortunately, they've underinvested in Audience Network the last couple years, but I think with Facebook usage in developed countries leveling out and the company seeking ways to grow their ad reach and effectiveness, it's time.

#7: Mobile apps will fade as the default for how brands, organizations, and startups of all sizes invest in the mobile web; PWAs and mobile-first websites will largely take their place

I'm calling it. Mobile apps, for 95% of companies and organizations who want to do well on the web, are the wrong decision. Not only that, most everyone now realizes and agrees on it. PWAs (and straightforward mobile websites) are there to pick up the slack. That's not to say the app stores won't continue to generate downloads or make money — they will. But those installs and dollars will flow to a very few number of apps and app developers at the very top of the charts, while the long tail of apps (which never really took off), fades into obscurity.

Side note: games are probably an exception (though even there, Nintendo Switch proved in 2017 that mobile isn't the only or best platform for games).

#8: Wordpress will continue its dominance over all other CMS', growing its use from ~25% to 35%+ of the top few million sites on the web

While it depends what you consider "the web" to be, there's no doubt Wordpress has dominated every other CMS in the market among the most popular few million sites on it. I think 2018 will be a year when Wordpress extends their lead, mostly because they're getting more aggressive about investments in growth and marketing, and secondarily because no one is stepping up to be a suitable (free) alternative.

35%+ might sound like a bold step, but I'm seeing more and more folks moving off of other platforms for a host of reasons, and migrating to Wordpress for its flexibility, its cost structure, its extensibility, and its strong ecosystem of plugins, hosting providers, security options, and developers.

#9: The United States will start to feel the pain of net neutrality's end with worse Internet connectivity, more limitations, and a less free-and-open web

Tragically, we lost the battle to maintain Title II protections on net neutrality here in the US, and the news is a steady drumbeat of awfulness around this topic. Just recently, Trump's FCC announced that they'd be treating far slower connections as "broadband," thus lessening requirements for what's considered "penetration" and "access," all the way down to mobile connection speeds.

It's hard to notice what this means right now, but by the end of 2018, I predict we'll be feeling the pain through even slower average speeds, restrictions on web usage (like what we saw before Title II protections with Verizon and T-Mobile blocking services and favoring sites). In fact, my guess is that some enterprising ISP is gonna try to block cryptocurrency mining, trading, or usage as an early step.

Over time, I suspect this will lead to a tiered Internet access world here in the US, where the top 10% of American earners (and those in a few cities and states that implement their own net neutrality laws) have vastly better and free-er access (probably with more competitive pricing, too).

Now it's time for your feedback! I want to know:

Which of these predictions do you find most likely?

Which do you find most outlandish?

What obvious predictions do you think I've shamefully missed? ;-)

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

http://ift.tt/2APYLd0

[dainiaolivahm]

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

Posted by randfish

For the last decade, I've made predictions about how the year in SEO and web marketing would go. So far, my track record is pretty decent — the correct guesses outweigh the wrong ones. But today's the day of reckoning, to grade my performance from 2017 and, if the tally is high enough, share my list for the year ahead.

In keeping with tradition, my predictions will be graded on the following scale:

Nailed It (+2) – When a prediction is right on the money and the primary criteria are fulfilled

Partially Accurate (+1) – Predictions that are in the ballpark, but are somewhat different than reality

Not Completely Wrong (-1) – Those that got near the truth, but are more "incorrect" than "correct"

Way Off (-2) – Guesses which didn't come close

Breakeven or better means I make new predictions for the year ahead, and under that total means my predicting days are over. Let's see how this shakes out... I'm not nervous... You're nervous! This sweat on my brow... It's because... because it was raining outside. It's Seattle! Yeesh.

Grading Rand's 2017 Predictions

#1: Voice search will be more than 25% of all US Google searches within 12 months. Despite this, desktop volume will stay nearly flat and mobile (non-voice) will continue to grow.

+1 - We have data for desktop and mobile search volume via Jumpshot, showing that the former did indeed stay relatively flat and the other kept growing.

I don't think this trend will accelerate much long term (i.e. it's certainly not the end for SEO, just a time of greater competition for slightly fewer click opportunities).

#2: Twitter and LinkedIn will both take active steps to reduce the amount of traffic they refer out to other sites

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had success algorithmically or structurally limiting clicks off their platforms and growing as a result. I think in 2018, Twitter and LinkedIn are gonna take their own steps to limit content with links from doing as well, to limit the visibility of external links in their platform, and to better reward content that keeps people on their sites.

#3: One or more major SEO software providers will shutter as a result of increased pressure from Google and heavy competition

Google Search Console is, slowly but surely, getting better. Google's getting a lot more aggressive about making rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm friendly with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), and the SEO software field is way, way more densely packed with competitors than ever before. I estimate at least ten SEO software firms are over $10 million US in annual revenue (Deepcrawl, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs, Conductor, Brightedge, SISTRIX, GinzaMetrics, SEOClarity, and Moz), and I'm probably underestimating at least 4 or 5 others (in local SEO, Yext is obviously huge, and 3–4 of their competitors are also above $10mm).

I predict this combination of factors will mean that 2018 sees one or more casualties (possibly through a less-than-rewarding acquisition rather than straight-out bankruptcy) in the SEO software space.

#4: Alexa will start to take market share away from Google, especially via devices with screens like the Echo Show

Voice search devices are useful, but somewhat limited by virtue of missing a screen. The Echo Show was the first stab at solving this, and I think in 2018 we're going to see more and better devices as well as vastly better functionality. Even just the "Alexa, show me a photo of Rodney Dangerfield from 1965." (see, Rand, I told you he used to be handsome!) will take away a lot of the more simplistic searches that today happen on Google and Google Images (the latter of which is a silent giant in the US search world).

#5: One of the non-Google tech giants will start on a more serious competitor to YouTube

Amazon's feud with Google and the resulting loss of YouTube on certain devices isn't going unnoticed in major tech company discussions. I think in 2018, that turns into a full-blown decision to invest in a competitor to the hosted video platform. There's too much money, time, attention, and opportunity for some of the big players not to at least dip a toe in the water.

Side note: If I were an investor, I'd be pouring meetings and dollars into startups that might become this. I think acquisitions are a key way for a Facebook, an Amazon, or a Microsoft to reduce their risk here.

#6: Facebook Audience Network (that lets publishers run FB ads on their own sites) will get the investment it needs and become a serious website adtech player

Facebook ads on the web should be as big or bigger than anything Google does in this realm, mostly because the web functions more like Facebook than it does like search results pages, and FB's got the data to make those ads high quality and relevant. Unfortunately, they've underinvested in Audience Network the last couple years, but I think with Facebook usage in developed countries leveling out and the company seeking ways to grow their ad reach and effectiveness, it's time.

#7: Mobile apps will fade as the default for how brands, organizations, and startups of all sizes invest in the mobile web; PWAs and mobile-first websites will largely take their place

I'm calling it. Mobile apps, for 95% of companies and organizations who want to do well on the web, are the wrong decision. Not only that, most everyone now realizes and agrees on it. PWAs (and straightforward mobile websites) are there to pick up the slack. That's not to say the app stores won't continue to generate downloads or make money — they will. But those installs and dollars will flow to a very few number of apps and app developers at the very top of the charts, while the long tail of apps (which never really took off), fades into obscurity.

Side note: games are probably an exception (though even there, Nintendo Switch proved in 2017 that mobile isn't the only or best platform for games).

#8: Wordpress will continue its dominance over all other CMS', growing its use from ~25% to 35%+ of the top few million sites on the web

While it depends what you consider "the web" to be, there's no doubt Wordpress has dominated every other CMS in the market among the most popular few million sites on it. I think 2018 will be a year when Wordpress extends their lead, mostly because they're getting more aggressive about investments in growth and marketing, and secondarily because no one is stepping up to be a suitable (free) alternative.

35%+ might sound like a bold step, but I'm seeing more and more folks moving off of other platforms for a host of reasons, and migrating to Wordpress for its flexibility, its cost structure, its extensibility, and its strong ecosystem of plugins, hosting providers, security options, and developers.

#9: The United States will start to feel the pain of net neutrality's end with worse Internet connectivity, more limitations, and a less free-and-open web

Tragically, we lost the battle to maintain Title II protections on net neutrality here in the US, and the news is a steady drumbeat of awfulness around this topic. Just recently, Trump's FCC announced that they'd be treating far slower connections as "broadband," thus lessening requirements for what's considered "penetration" and "access," all the way down to mobile connection speeds.

It's hard to notice what this means right now, but by the end of 2018, I predict we'll be feeling the pain through even slower average speeds, restrictions on web usage (like what we saw before Title II protections with Verizon and T-Mobile blocking services and favoring sites). In fact, my guess is that some enterprising ISP is gonna try to block cryptocurrency mining, trading, or usage as an early step.

Over time, I suspect this will lead to a tiered Internet access world here in the US, where the top 10% of American earners (and those in a few cities and states that implement their own net neutrality laws) have vastly better and free-er access (probably with more competitive pricing, too).

Now it's time for your feedback! I want to know:

Which of these predictions do you find most likely?

Which do you find most outlandish?

What obvious predictions do you think I've shamefully missed? ;-)

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

http://ift.tt/2APYLd0

[christinesumpmg]

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

Posted by randfish

For the last decade, I've made predictions about how the year in SEO and web marketing would go. So far, my track record is pretty decent — the correct guesses outweigh the wrong ones. But today's the day of reckoning, to grade my performance from 2017 and, if the tally is high enough, share my list for the year ahead.

In keeping with tradition, my predictions will be graded on the following scale:

Nailed It (+2) – When a prediction is right on the money and the primary criteria are fulfilled

Partially Accurate (+1) – Predictions that are in the ballpark, but are somewhat different than reality

Not Completely Wrong (-1) – Those that got near the truth, but are more "incorrect" than "correct"

Way Off (-2) – Guesses which didn't come close

Breakeven or better means I make new predictions for the year ahead, and under that total means my predicting days are over. Let's see how this shakes out... I'm not nervous... You're nervous! This sweat on my brow... It's because... because it was raining outside. It's Seattle! Yeesh.

Grading Rand's 2017 Predictions

#1: Voice search will be more than 25% of all US Google searches within 12 months. Despite this, desktop volume will stay nearly flat and mobile (non-voice) will continue to grow.

+1 - We have data for desktop and mobile search volume via Jumpshot, showing that the former did indeed stay relatively flat and the other kept growing.

I don't think this trend will accelerate much long term (i.e. it's certainly not the end for SEO, just a time of greater competition for slightly fewer click opportunities).

#2: Twitter and LinkedIn will both take active steps to reduce the amount of traffic they refer out to other sites

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had success algorithmically or structurally limiting clicks off their platforms and growing as a result. I think in 2018, Twitter and LinkedIn are gonna take their own steps to limit content with links from doing as well, to limit the visibility of external links in their platform, and to better reward content that keeps people on their sites.

#3: One or more major SEO software providers will shutter as a result of increased pressure from Google and heavy competition

Google Search Console is, slowly but surely, getting better. Google's getting a lot more aggressive about making rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm friendly with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), and the SEO software field is way, way more densely packed with competitors than ever before. I estimate at least ten SEO software firms are over $10 million US in annual revenue (Deepcrawl, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs, Conductor, Brightedge, SISTRIX, GinzaMetrics, SEOClarity, and Moz), and I'm probably underestimating at least 4 or 5 others (in local SEO, Yext is obviously huge, and 3–4 of their competitors are also above $10mm).

I predict this combination of factors will mean that 2018 sees one or more casualties (possibly through a less-than-rewarding acquisition rather than straight-out bankruptcy) in the SEO software space.

#4: Alexa will start to take market share away from Google, especially via devices with screens like the Echo Show

Voice search devices are useful, but somewhat limited by virtue of missing a screen. The Echo Show was the first stab at solving this, and I think in 2018 we're going to see more and better devices as well as vastly better functionality. Even just the "Alexa, show me a photo of Rodney Dangerfield from 1965." (see, Rand, I told you he used to be handsome!) will take away a lot of the more simplistic searches that today happen on Google and Google Images (the latter of which is a silent giant in the US search world).

#5: One of the non-Google tech giants will start on a more serious competitor to YouTube

Amazon's feud with Google and the resulting loss of YouTube on certain devices isn't going unnoticed in major tech company discussions. I think in 2018, that turns into a full-blown decision to invest in a competitor to the hosted video platform. There's too much money, time, attention, and opportunity for some of the big players not to at least dip a toe in the water.

Side note: If I were an investor, I'd be pouring meetings and dollars into startups that might become this. I think acquisitions are a key way for a Facebook, an Amazon, or a Microsoft to reduce their risk here.

#6: Facebook Audience Network (that lets publishers run FB ads on their own sites) will get the investment it needs and become a serious website adtech player

Facebook ads on the web should be as big or bigger than anything Google does in this realm, mostly because the web functions more like Facebook than it does like search results pages, and FB's got the data to make those ads high quality and relevant. Unfortunately, they've underinvested in Audience Network the last couple years, but I think with Facebook usage in developed countries leveling out and the company seeking ways to grow their ad reach and effectiveness, it's time.

#7: Mobile apps will fade as the default for how brands, organizations, and startups of all sizes invest in the mobile web; PWAs and mobile-first websites will largely take their place

I'm calling it. Mobile apps, for 95% of companies and organizations who want to do well on the web, are the wrong decision. Not only that, most everyone now realizes and agrees on it. PWAs (and straightforward mobile websites) are there to pick up the slack. That's not to say the app stores won't continue to generate downloads or make money — they will. But those installs and dollars will flow to a very few number of apps and app developers at the very top of the charts, while the long tail of apps (which never really took off), fades into obscurity.

Side note: games are probably an exception (though even there, Nintendo Switch proved in 2017 that mobile isn't the only or best platform for games).

#8: Wordpress will continue its dominance over all other CMS', growing its use from ~25% to 35%+ of the top few million sites on the web

While it depends what you consider "the web" to be, there's no doubt Wordpress has dominated every other CMS in the market among the most popular few million sites on it. I think 2018 will be a year when Wordpress extends their lead, mostly because they're getting more aggressive about investments in growth and marketing, and secondarily because no one is stepping up to be a suitable (free) alternative.

35%+ might sound like a bold step, but I'm seeing more and more folks moving off of other platforms for a host of reasons, and migrating to Wordpress for its flexibility, its cost structure, its extensibility, and its strong ecosystem of plugins, hosting providers, security options, and developers.

#9: The United States will start to feel the pain of net neutrality's end with worse Internet connectivity, more limitations, and a less free-and-open web

Tragically, we lost the battle to maintain Title II protections on net neutrality here in the US, and the news is a steady drumbeat of awfulness around this topic. Just recently, Trump's FCC announced that they'd be treating far slower connections as "broadband," thus lessening requirements for what's considered "penetration" and "access," all the way down to mobile connection speeds.

It's hard to notice what this means right now, but by the end of 2018, I predict we'll be feeling the pain through even slower average speeds, restrictions on web usage (like what we saw before Title II protections with Verizon and T-Mobile blocking services and favoring sites). In fact, my guess is that some enterprising ISP is gonna try to block cryptocurrency mining, trading, or usage as an early step.

Over time, I suspect this will lead to a tiered Internet access world here in the US, where the top 10% of American earners (and those in a few cities and states that implement their own net neutrality laws) have vastly better and free-er access (probably with more competitive pricing, too).

Now it's time for your feedback! I want to know:

Which of these predictions do you find most likely?

Which do you find most outlandish?

What obvious predictions do you think I've shamefully missed? ;-)

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

http://ift.tt/2APYLd0

[rodneyevesuarywk]

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

Posted by randfish

For the last decade, I've made predictions about how the year in SEO and web marketing would go. So far, my track record is pretty decent — the correct guesses outweigh the wrong ones. But today's the day of reckoning, to grade my performance from 2017 and, if the tally is high enough, share my list for the year ahead.

In keeping with tradition, my predictions will be graded on the following scale:

Nailed It (+2) – When a prediction is right on the money and the primary criteria are fulfilled

Partially Accurate (+1) – Predictions that are in the ballpark, but are somewhat different than reality

Not Completely Wrong (-1) – Those that got near the truth, but are more "incorrect" than "correct"

Way Off (-2) – Guesses which didn't come close

Breakeven or better means I make new predictions for the year ahead, and under that total means my predicting days are over. Let's see how this shakes out... I'm not nervous... You're nervous! This sweat on my brow... It's because... because it was raining outside. It's Seattle! Yeesh.

Grading Rand's 2017 Predictions

#1: Voice search will be more than 25% of all US Google searches within 12 months. Despite this, desktop volume will stay nearly flat and mobile (non-voice) will continue to grow.

+1 - We have data for desktop and mobile search volume via Jumpshot, showing that the former did indeed stay relatively flat and the other kept growing.

I don't think this trend will accelerate much long term (i.e. it's certainly not the end for SEO, just a time of greater competition for slightly fewer click opportunities).

#2: Twitter and LinkedIn will both take active steps to reduce the amount of traffic they refer out to other sites

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had success algorithmically or structurally limiting clicks off their platforms and growing as a result. I think in 2018, Twitter and LinkedIn are gonna take their own steps to limit content with links from doing as well, to limit the visibility of external links in their platform, and to better reward content that keeps people on their sites.

#3: One or more major SEO software providers will shutter as a result of increased pressure from Google and heavy competition

Google Search Console is, slowly but surely, getting better. Google's getting a lot more aggressive about making rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm friendly with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), and the SEO software field is way, way more densely packed with competitors than ever before. I estimate at least ten SEO software firms are over $10 million US in annual revenue (Deepcrawl, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs, Conductor, Brightedge, SISTRIX, GinzaMetrics, SEOClarity, and Moz), and I'm probably underestimating at least 4 or 5 others (in local SEO, Yext is obviously huge, and 3–4 of their competitors are also above $10mm).

I predict this combination of factors will mean that 2018 sees one or more casualties (possibly through a less-than-rewarding acquisition rather than straight-out bankruptcy) in the SEO software space.

#4: Alexa will start to take market share away from Google, especially via devices with screens like the Echo Show

Voice search devices are useful, but somewhat limited by virtue of missing a screen. The Echo Show was the first stab at solving this, and I think in 2018 we're going to see more and better devices as well as vastly better functionality. Even just the "Alexa, show me a photo of Rodney Dangerfield from 1965." (see, Rand, I told you he used to be handsome!) will take away a lot of the more simplistic searches that today happen on Google and Google Images (the latter of which is a silent giant in the US search world).

#5: One of the non-Google tech giants will start on a more serious competitor to YouTube

Amazon's feud with Google and the resulting loss of YouTube on certain devices isn't going unnoticed in major tech company discussions. I think in 2018, that turns into a full-blown decision to invest in a competitor to the hosted video platform. There's too much money, time, attention, and opportunity for some of the big players not to at least dip a toe in the water.

Side note: If I were an investor, I'd be pouring meetings and dollars into startups that might become this. I think acquisitions are a key way for a Facebook, an Amazon, or a Microsoft to reduce their risk here.

#6: Facebook Audience Network (that lets publishers run FB ads on their own sites) will get the investment it needs and become a serious website adtech player

Facebook ads on the web should be as big or bigger than anything Google does in this realm, mostly because the web functions more like Facebook than it does like search results pages, and FB's got the data to make those ads high quality and relevant. Unfortunately, they've underinvested in Audience Network the last couple years, but I think with Facebook usage in developed countries leveling out and the company seeking ways to grow their ad reach and effectiveness, it's time.

#7: Mobile apps will fade as the default for how brands, organizations, and startups of all sizes invest in the mobile web; PWAs and mobile-first websites will largely take their place

I'm calling it. Mobile apps, for 95% of companies and organizations who want to do well on the web, are the wrong decision. Not only that, most everyone now realizes and agrees on it. PWAs (and straightforward mobile websites) are there to pick up the slack. That's not to say the app stores won't continue to generate downloads or make money — they will. But those installs and dollars will flow to a very few number of apps and app developers at the very top of the charts, while the long tail of apps (which never really took off), fades into obscurity.

Side note: games are probably an exception (though even there, Nintendo Switch proved in 2017 that mobile isn't the only or best platform for games).

#8: Wordpress will continue its dominance over all other CMS', growing its use from ~25% to 35%+ of the top few million sites on the web

While it depends what you consider "the web" to be, there's no doubt Wordpress has dominated every other CMS in the market among the most popular few million sites on it. I think 2018 will be a year when Wordpress extends their lead, mostly because they're getting more aggressive about investments in growth and marketing, and secondarily because no one is stepping up to be a suitable (free) alternative.

35%+ might sound like a bold step, but I'm seeing more and more folks moving off of other platforms for a host of reasons, and migrating to Wordpress for its flexibility, its cost structure, its extensibility, and its strong ecosystem of plugins, hosting providers, security options, and developers.

#9: The United States will start to feel the pain of net neutrality's end with worse Internet connectivity, more limitations, and a less free-and-open web

Tragically, we lost the battle to maintain Title II protections on net neutrality here in the US, and the news is a steady drumbeat of awfulness around this topic. Just recently, Trump's FCC announced that they'd be treating far slower connections as "broadband," thus lessening requirements for what's considered "penetration" and "access," all the way down to mobile connection speeds.

It's hard to notice what this means right now, but by the end of 2018, I predict we'll be feeling the pain through even slower average speeds, restrictions on web usage (like what we saw before Title II protections with Verizon and T-Mobile blocking services and favoring sites). In fact, my guess is that some enterprising ISP is gonna try to block cryptocurrency mining, trading, or usage as an early step.

Over time, I suspect this will lead to a tiered Internet access world here in the US, where the top 10% of American earners (and those in a few cities and states that implement their own net neutrality laws) have vastly better and free-er access (probably with more competitive pricing, too).

Now it's time for your feedback! I want to know:

Which of these predictions do you find most likely?

Which do you find most outlandish?

What obvious predictions do you think I've shamefully missed? ;-)

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

http://ift.tt/2APYLd0

[fairchildlingpo1]

9 Predictions for SEO in 2018

Posted by randfish

For the last decade, I've made predictions about how the year in SEO and web marketing would go. So far, my track record is pretty decent — the correct guesses outweigh the wrong ones. But today's the day of reckoning, to grade my performance from 2017 and, if the tally is high enough, share my list for the year ahead.

In keeping with tradition, my predictions will be graded on the following scale:

Nailed It (+2) – When a prediction is right on the money and the primary criteria are fulfilled

Partially Accurate (+1) – Predictions that are in the ballpark, but are somewhat different than reality

Not Completely Wrong (-1) – Those that got near the truth, but are more "incorrect" than "correct"

Way Off (-2) – Guesses which didn't come close

Breakeven or better means I make new predictions for the year ahead, and under that total means my predicting days are over. Let's see how this shakes out... I'm not nervous... You're nervous! This sweat on my brow... It's because... because it was raining outside. It's Seattle! Yeesh.

Grading Rand's 2017 Predictions

#1: Voice search will be more than 25% of all US Google searches within 12 months. Despite this, desktop volume will stay nearly flat and mobile (non-voice) will continue to grow.

+1 - We have data for desktop and mobile search volume via Jumpshot, showing that the former did indeed stay relatively flat and the other kept growing.

I don't think this trend will accelerate much long term (i.e. it's certainly not the end for SEO, just a time of greater competition for slightly fewer click opportunities).

#2: Twitter and LinkedIn will both take active steps to reduce the amount of traffic they refer out to other sites

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had success algorithmically or structurally limiting clicks off their platforms and growing as a result. I think in 2018, Twitter and LinkedIn are gonna take their own steps to limit content with links from doing as well, to limit the visibility of external links in their platform, and to better reward content that keeps people on their sites.

#3: One or more major SEO software providers will shutter as a result of increased pressure from Google and heavy competition

Google Search Console is, slowly but surely, getting better. Google's getting a lot more aggressive about making rank tracking more difficult (some rank tracking folks I'm friendly with told me that Q4 2017 was particularly gut-punching), and the SEO software field is way, way more densely packed with competitors than ever before. I estimate at least ten SEO software firms are over $10 million US in annual revenue (Deepcrawl, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs, Conductor, Brightedge, SISTRIX, GinzaMetrics, SEOClarity, and Moz), and I'm probably underestimating at least 4 or 5 others (in local SEO, Yext is obviously huge, and 3–4 of their competitors are also above $10mm).

I predict this combination of factors will mean that 2018 sees one or more casualties (possibly through a less-than-rewarding acquisition rather than straight-out bankruptcy) in the SEO software space.

#4: Alexa will start to take market share away from Google, especially via devices with screens like the Echo Show

Voice search devices are useful, but somewhat limited by virtue of missing a screen. The Echo Show was the first stab at solving this, and I think in 2018 we're going to see more and better devices as well as vastly better functionality. Even just the "Alexa, show me a photo of Rodney Dangerfield from 1965." (see, Rand, I told you he used to be handsome!) will take away a lot of the more simplistic searches that today happen on Google and Google Images (the latter of which is a silent giant in the US search world).

#5: One of the non-Google tech giants will start on a more serious competitor to YouTube

Amazon's feud with Google and the resulting loss of YouTube on certain devices isn't going unnoticed in major tech company discussions. I think in 2018, that turns into a full-blown decision to invest in a competitor to the hosted video platform. There's too much money, time, attention, and opportunity for some of the big players not to at least dip a toe in the water.

Side note: If I were an investor, I'd be pouring meetings and dollars into startups that might become this. I think acquisitions are a key way for a Facebook, an Amazon, or a Microsoft to reduce their risk here.

#6: Facebook Audience Network (that lets publishers run FB ads on their own sites) will get the investment it needs and become a serious website adtech player

Facebook ads on the web should be as big or bigger than anything Google does in this realm, mostly because the web functions more like Facebook than it does like search results pages, and FB's got the data to make those ads high quality and relevant. Unfortunately, they've underinvested in Audience Network the last couple years, but I think with Facebook usage in developed countries leveling out and the company seeking ways to grow their ad reach and effectiveness, it's time.

#7: Mobile apps will fade as the default for how brands, organizations, and startups of all sizes invest in the mobile web; PWAs and mobile-first websites will largely take their place

I'm calling it. Mobile apps, for 95% of companies and organizations who want to do well on the web, are the wrong decision. Not only that, most everyone now realizes and agrees on it. PWAs (and straightforward mobile websites) are there to pick up the slack. That's not to say the app stores won't continue to generate downloads or make money — they will. But those installs and dollars will flow to a very few number of apps and app developers at the very top of the charts, while the long tail of apps (which never really took off), fades into obscurity.

Side note: games are probably an exception (though even there, Nintendo Switch proved in 2017 that mobile isn't the only or best platform for games).

#8: Wordpress will continue its dominance over all other CMS', growing its use from ~25% to 35%+ of the top few million sites on the web

While it depends what you consider "the web" to be, there's no doubt Wordpress has dominated every other CMS in the market among the most popular few million sites on it. I think 2018 will be a year when Wordpress extends their lead, mostly because they're getting more aggressive about investments in growth and marketing, and secondarily because no one is stepping up to be a suitable (free) alternative.

35%+ might sound like a bold step, but I'm seeing more and more folks moving off of other platforms for a host of reasons, and migrating to Wordpress for its flexibility, its cost structure, its extensibility, and its strong ecosystem of plugins, hosting providers, security options, and developers.

#9: The United States will start to feel the pain of net neutrality's end with worse Internet connectivity, more limitations, and a less free-and-open web

Tragically, we lost the battle to maintain Title II protections on net neutrality here in the US, and the news is a steady drumbeat of awfulness around this topic. Just recently, Trump's FCC announced that they'd be treating far slower connections as "broadband," thus lessening requirements for what's considered "penetration" and "access," all the way down to mobile connection speeds.

It's hard to notice what this means right now, but by the end of 2018, I predict we'll be feeling the pain through even slower average speeds, restrictions on web usage (like what we saw before Title II protections with Verizon and T-Mobile blocking services and favoring sites). In fact, my guess is that some enterprising ISP is gonna try to block cryptocurrency mining, trading, or usage as an early step.

Over time, I suspect this will lead to a tiered Internet access world here in the US, where the top 10% of American earners (and those in a few cities and states that implement their own net neutrality laws) have vastly better and free-er access (probably with more competitive pricing, too).

Now it's time for your feedback! I want to know:

Which of these predictions do you find most likely?

Which do you find most outlandish?

What obvious predictions do you think I've shamefully missed? ;-)

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

http://ift.tt/2APYLd0