It is believed that in 2018 many companies will be incorporating Augmented Reality (AR) into their social media. When discussing technologies, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are often mentioned simultaneously. And quite often they are discussed interchangeably, despite all of their differences.

What is Augmented Reality (AR)?

AR adds digital elements to a live view often by utilizing a camera on a smartphone. It transforms your existing environment by enhancing digital information to your line of sight. AR is integrated and developed into applications and used on smartphones to blend digital components into the real world in such a way that they enhance each other. AR technology is gradually becoming quite common now and soon it will become mainstream. It is used to display score overlays on telecasted sporting events, 3D emails, text messages, photos on smartphones.

What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

Whereas, VR is an artificial, computer generated simulation or recreation of a real life situation or environment. VR uses a 360-degree video to move from your current environment to a new digital world. The VR experience submerges the user by making them feel like they are experiencing the simulated reality firsthand, by simulating their hearing and vision. VR is achieved by using a headset like device such as Oculus Rift, Sony PlayStation VR and HTC VIVE.

AR is predicted to result in more spending by 2022; it is picking up the pace quite rapidly. More companies and brands are showing importance in incorporating the technology, while others are already setting precedence in the industry.

So what does this mean for companies and social media?

Since many people globally rely on social media, companies use social media to advertise products and services, and use it a way of communication and feedback with their customers. Many brands are continuing to utilize social media in its traditional ways, however companies such as L’Oréal, Apple and Google have been experimenting with AR and investing heavily into the technology to stay ahead of the curve. The rise of AR will have a huge impact on SEO as well, as the SEO industry always vary according to trends and latest technology.

In the middle of all of this, a completely new market is being generated. Since consumers always want quick and convenient processes, companies are introducing AR ads and methods to bring the actual products to social media consumers. With this new technology, prospect customers can experiment with various products before making the purchase. This will result in more knowledgeable decisions, increase in sales and loyal customers.

Beauty giant L’Oréal has partnered with Perfect Corp, which integrates makeup collections from L’Oréal brands worldwide in the YouCam Makeupp app. This allows the customers to virtually experience makeup collections from L’Oréal brands, learn about the products and shop through the app in-store. This app makes the customer more aware about the product; it allows them to see if this product will suit them before making the purchase. If they like the product, they can purchase the product with a click of a button. This also plays a huge increase in impulse purchases. This is the beauty of combining technology with your business.

Google is hands down the biggest search engine in use today. There are others, like Bing, but who even uses them? Google is available on computers, smartphones, and other devices that consumers regularly use. If your customer finds his or her way to your website online, that person was certainly sent your way by Google. Therefore, if you want your business website to attract visitors and customers, you must optimise it for Google search.

You may wonder why you should optimise your site for Google when it is already optimised for search engines. Here’s the truth: not all search engines function using the same algorithms. Each search engine algorithm has its own unique way of indexing web pages. Basically, the optimisation that works well for Bing might not do so well for Google. So, you must tailor your optimisation efforts to each of these algorithms.

Obviously companies and marketers may not have the mathematical expertise to understand the technical aspects of the Google algorithm. But everyone involved in the campaign should ideally have a basic understanding of how Google Search works. This is important for any business, from an ecommerce store to an online casino site. If your business is solely lacking in this level of knowledge, don’t hesitate to hire a SEO consultant, for example, who will surely know the Google algorithm.

Even without a consultant, there are steps you can take in-house to make your site more Google Search-friendly. Here are some tips:

Google Search Prefers All-Natural Content

Several years ago, marketers used to embed hidden text in web content to get better search results. That tactic will work no more. The Google algorithms have significantly evolved over the years. The engine can now identify sites that use embedded text in this manner. If it does find hidden marketing text, Google will ignore these sites. The sites that rank high on Google now are the ones with natural text. So, if you want good Google search rankings, strip your web content of all such underhanded tactics.

Google Search Isn’t Dependent on Keywords Anymore

Google uses keywords to index web pages. However, keywords are not the only component the search engine looks for. Google algorithm can also evaluate the popularity and credibility of your site as well. So, the more popular and credible your site is, the better your PageRank will be. Therefore, do not cram your website with keywords. Of course, keywords are still important. But they should be used in a more nuanced manner.

The Bounce Rate Matters

The bounce rate is the number of customers who visit your site, find it difficult to browse, and leave. Google does not like sites with high bounce rates. If your site has an 80 percent or higher bounce rate that means it’s difficult to navigate. It’s possible there are too many ads on your site that are keeping the customers away. You must identify such potential problems with your site and fix them immediately. Get your bounce rate down to keep your Google ranking up.

Google Search Considers Your Site’s Reputation

As mentioned above, the credibility of your site matters to the Google algorithms. One way it determines the credibility of a site is by looking at other sites linking to your own. These links, known as backlinks, tell a lot to Google. If your backlinks are bad, your site will be determined to be bad as well. So, improve your backlinks. Instead of having spam sites linking back to you, make some effort to have legitimate and popular sites link back to yours.

There are many other ways to optimise your site for Google Search, the most important search engine for online businesses. For now, however, start with the tips above.