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March 13, 2019

How Big Data Is Impacting SEO



Big Data may sound like a scary term, one you might envision as the core of some kind of massive government conspiracy to monitor every aspect of your life, but it's actually a relatively simple concept.  At its most basic level, Big Data refers merely to the process of collecting vast amounts of data and analyzing it to find ways to improve the ways we do things.



You're probably quite familiar with most of the big companies already doing this.  Google (News - Alert), for example, has developed an incredibly complex set of algorithms to index every piece of information it can get its hands on, and categorize it in ways to help you find whatever you’re looking for in a search.  Facebook and Twitter (News - Alert) do something similar, except with a focus on social circles and personal interests.

As this data has become more accessible with the increasing shift to an online-centric society, Big Data has become a significant driver of decision making at both the business and government levels.  That rolls down to the general public as well, and the impact Big Data has had on all our lives can be seen everywhere.

One of the most significant areas affected by the increasing influence of Big Data is SEO, because as more data is parsed about what people are interested in, the easier it becomes to find new and innovative ways to give it to them.  Let's look at some of the most significant ways that Big Data has impacted our approach to SEO and will continue to do so in the future.

Social Media has become a core component of search algorithms.

This probably won’t come as a shock to many people, but as more and more people have centered their social interactions on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and in many cases get their news from there as well, these platforms have become incredibly influential in the way SEO is structured.

Making it even easier is the fact that social media platforms have built-in importance flags such as likes and shares to determine what is essential to people and what isn't.  These metrics have been shown to have a substantial effect on search rankings.

Big Data provides essential information to marketers.

When you think of traditionally essential factors related to SEO, you probably think of things like keywords, backlinks, page optimization, ppc management services and the like.  These insights provide critical data that marketers can use to determine the best ways to approach their target audiences.

Content has become key.

Of course, the importance of factors like keywords has diminished over time as Google, Bing, and other search engines have developed different ways of rating the relevance and usefulness of content in quantifiable terms.  This is why practices like keyword stuffing, which worked in years gone by, don’t pack the same punch in 2019.  Modern analysis tools and artificial intelligence are able to provide much better results because of this.

Custom analytics tools are able to dig deeper into Big Data than ever before.

As great as all this data is, it doesn’t help a bit if there’s no increase in conversions.  Thankfully, tools like Google Analytics and Bing Webmaster Tools are able to dive deep into metrics like page views, bounce rate, and traffic, drawing correlations that allow you to determine what works, what doesn’t, and where you lose people during a marketing campaign.

Conclusion

Given the complexity and power of the SEO tools available today, and the powerful analytics provided by Big Data, it's easier than ever before for you to create top-notch content and use Big Data to run better and more effective advertising campaigns that at any point in the past.



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