Our predictions for 2008

What do we predict will be some of the main trends this year? Here are our 5 thoughts for 2008.

1. “Universal search” becomes a significant optimisation issue: the introduction of “universal search” results by Google – where images, videos or maps are displayed within the main search listings for a relevant search – followed the earlier move by Ask and were then followed by similar changes at Yahoo! and MSN. The quality and extent of these universal search results will really be noticeable in 2008, which will produce a greater need for more flexible search engine optimisation techniques, as well as make companies review the way that all of their online content could be used to generate search engine traffic. A greater flexibility within PPC advertising may also follow and provide new opportunities to display text or images within the main search listings.
2. Personalisation gains ground: the “opt-in” use of personalisation has yet to be adopted by most web users, particularly within search results. However, the opportunities to adapt the web to your own needs will become more widespread and accepted, with the BBC now offering this option to users and iGoogle also gaining ground. The impact of this trend will mean more detail on web usage being available to companies and new services being introduced in response to dominant trends. Within search results the importance of attracting clickthroughs from PPC and “natural” search listings will become more important, as will the underlying visitor trends and site usability.
3. Behavioural advertising becomes the next “big thing”: this is quite closely linked to the personalisation trend although other data can be used by large networks to identify market segments for more targeted advertising, whether through search or by display advertising. Google’s long drawn out acquisition of DoubleClick should be finalized soon and this is expected to yield new services and techniques for advertisers to compete with services being introduced by Yahoo! and MSN. As Facebook discovered recently however, behavioural advertising needs to be handled carefully to avoid too much intrusion of privacy, but for advertisers this could become the best way of improving ROI over the next 12 months.
4. Content targeted advertising becomes the new PPC battleground: Google remains the only one of the main PPC tools to really offer a powerful third-party advertising network where adverts are generated by page content matches. The improvements made by Google to the content-targeted tools in 2007 has made this a much more open and manageable PPC option and there are signs that as the main AdWords network becomes more competitive and costly, content targeted can be a more cost-effective way of generating business. More testing needs to be done here but the potential reach of this network now makes it an important part of any online marketing strategy.
5. Mobile search finally becomes serious: after many false dawns with mobile marketing, 2008 could finally be the year when this really takes off. The adoption of the 3G mobile broadband network, the worldwide launch of the Apple iPhone, the development of Google’s mobile phone software and the massive use of mobile phones in China, could mark the tipping point where many more companies need to start considering how they could take advantage of this market and what needs to be done, either with their websites or their use of search.

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