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What Effect Will Personalisation Have On Search Engine Optimisation

Personalisation is one area that Google is very keen to pursue and it does raise questions when it comes to search engine optimisation. The latest from Google is the use of stars. Searchers will see blank stars alongside each search result or map reference and by clicking on that star effectively bookmark that individual result. The next time the user enters the same search criteria, starred results will appear first.

This has ramifications for search engine optimisation strategies on two fronts. The first, quite simply, is you cannot get around it since these personalised results are for each individual. The second ramification is that organic listings will get bumped down the page. If the user has two starred results then organic results will start in third place on the page.

The only option website owners have is to ensure their search engine optimisation strategies are first rate. In fact, if your business has the potential to generate high sales then a professional SEO strategy could be well worth the money. It is becoming highly competitive in some sectors now with search results displaying much more than just organic listings.

A professional search engine optimisation consultant can help your site make use of every possible option on those search result pages. This may include optimising images for image search, videos for video search, products for product search and, where appropriate, local businesses for local search. Why? Google search results could include any or all of these on the one page.  Having at least one of these search areas optimised for a front page listing is a must for a business to succeed.

Personalisation is not used widely at present and if any of Google’s other features are any indication, the pick up rate will be slow. However, it is just one more feature on the front page that search engine optimisation strategies have to work with.  Websites no longer have only each other to compete with for a coveted front page listing, they have other search results to compete with as well.  If your business is also featured in those ‘other’ search results, you will have all areas covered. You will at least have some chance of securing that valuable click through.