An article published by PR Web on January 5, 2012 outlined the top 10 Internet marketing trends of 2012. Below is the summary of these trends and how they can potentially change the world on online marketing. These trends provide opportunities for companies to take advantage of their online market to increase leads, sales and profitability. Longer descriptions can be found at <http://news.yahoo.com/national-positions-names-top-internet-marketing-trends-2012-081046108.html>
Number 1: Value Based Marketing. Companies will demand an Internet marketing strategy that shows tangible results. It’s not just about rankings and traffic; it’s about leads, sales & measurable results that prove ROI.
Number 2: Rich Snippets. Google will provide more information about your website to searchers without them having to click to the site. This hurts your marketing efforts because it reduces page views and makes your sales funnel a bit smaller.
Number 3: Vanishing Data. Google will hide more information about your website in Google Analytics.
Number 4: Mobile Marketing Grows Up. Customers are now using mobile search to do their shopping, especially for local products and services.
Number 5: The Rise of Local Search Marketing. Google will continue to make local results a more crucial component of its search algorithm. As a result of so many mobile users looking for local products and services, mobile and local are intertwined. Thus, a new marketing strategy called “MoLo.”
Number 6: Social Media Merges With Search. Google+, the search giant’s new social network, will impact search engine rankings. As a result, Google+ is going to be a key part of your company’s SEO strategy in 2012.
Number 7: Video Content Matters. Video is more important as the web moves mobile and becomes more interactive.
Number 8: Don’t Let Others Tarnish Your Reputation. As the Internet becomes more valuable, so does your company’s online reputation.
Number 9: Nurture New Leads, Don’t Waste Them. As your online market becomes more competitive, leads are harder to come by and more valuable. Every lead must be nurtured via email marketing.
Number 10: Your Linking Strategy Must Evolve for SEO. Linking remains a pillar of your search engine exposure, but link diversity is now more crucial than ever. Simple anchor text links must be replaced with varied anchor text links to look more natural and gain the approval of the search engine crawlers.