What are our predictions for 2012?

We have made some more predictions for the main trends we expect to see in 2012, in terms of web search and online marketing. The online market continues to develop at a fast rate and new websites or services can change the landscape in a short space of time, but these are our expectations for the next 12 months:

1) Google+ will be central to 2012: with the full launch of Google’s new social networking tool at the end of 2011, Google+ is likely to be a significant factor in 2012, but in what way is too early to tell yet. Initial reports of the growth in users was impressive, but take-up was linked to existing Google accounts and we’ve yet to see how Google+ is being used on a regular basis. The recent launch of business pages is important as a marketing tool, but the main issue for Google is to gain users, and usage, away from Facebook. There’s too much riding on this product for Google to allow it to fail, in the way that Wave and Buzz did, so there are likely to be new developments in 2012 to integrate the Google+ product across all Google services and to promote and incentivise users away from Facebook. At this stage there doesn’t appear to be enough of a ‘pull’ factor for social network users to make the move, but from a marketing point of view, the integration of Google+ (and the associated +1′s) may become a big enough factor in terms of search results for companies to push the service harder with customers.

2) Online shopping sees big growth this year: recent months have seen a further boom in online shopping, to the concern of traditional retailers. Increasing confidence of web users to buy online and find better bargains will continue to boost this sector and give UK retailers more opportunities – and incentives – to develop or improve their online presence. As the market grows it will also become more competitive around price, so the right business and marketing strategy will be vital. Google’s improving Shopping / Product Search service will help to boost this sector and provide new ways for retailers to get their products in front of potential customers.

3) Google Ads (AdWords) targets mobile marketing: as noted above, mobile marketing is becoming a notable sector for search activity now and this is likely to continue in 2012. As a result, we expect Google Ads (AdWords) to provide new ways for advertisers to make the most of this market, from data analysis, advert extensions and possibly new ad formats specifically for smartphones. In addition, the use of call tracking is expected to be enhanced over the coming year, to give advertisers more opportunities to get the most from their mobile marketing activity.

4) The new Google Analytics becomes a core marketing tool: the impressive Google Analytics service has become ubiquitous for business websites over the past year and this will now take another step forward with the full introduction of the new interface in 2012. Although Analytics is becoming more complex to use, the range of services and data being provided is getting even better and provides online businesses with one of their most important marketing tools. The issue for many companies is how to use the data effectively, to identify potential opportunities and to test changes to their marketing or website content. This may require training or consultancy help to get the most from the data, but however it’s done, Analytics can’t be ignored!

5) Social media marketing becomes more sophisticated: for many companies, using social media as a marketing tool remains a mystery or a frustrating use of resources. For many, now that the initial hype is starting to subside, the role of social media marketing will be to develop a suitable strategy that’s manageable and also effective. This means building a quality community of followers, not based on volume but relevancy. It will mean creating content that’s focused on these followers but is also part of an integrated marketing strategy with all other channels. And it will mean considering how social media and search can work together effectively to generate visibility, traffic, interaction and, ultimately, business!

We’ll keep track of these predictions during 2012 and review them again in 12 months time. But for now, what’s your view and do your predictions for the coming year differ? We’d love to hear from you!

Leave a Reply