Blue Global

Search engine optimization leader SEOmoz has released a Search Engine Rankings Factor report for the last six years. In 2011, the report came up with some awesome data that can really help affiliates, or anyone interested in SEO, see where the industry is going and how to prepare for future changes in algorithms and SEO trends.

You can read the entire report at SEOmoz, but here is a breakdown of the “future of search” according to more than 130 search engine marketing professionals that made up the SEOmoz survey panel. Factors that seemed to be increasing in importance include:

• A website’s perceived value to visitors
• Social media signals/metrics on a page and domain level
• Technical data, including CTR and bounce rate
• Content readability and design

Factors they believe tend to be decreasing in importance include:

• Ratio of advertisements vs. content (including design/placement)
• External link anchor text
• Paid links as an effective linkbuilding strategy
• Exact keyword match domains

Most of the information isn’t groundbreaking – Google’s tendency to favor brands over non-brands, Google downplaying the power of exact keyword match domains, etc. But SEOmoz does a great job of putting all the data together, giving SEO a cohesive look that’s often lacking in the industry. Although this data can’t say for certain this is exactly how SEO works, it’s a great map for affiliates looking to use SEO to get more organic visitors.