Start Preparing Your SEO for the 'Internet of Things' Google's recent acquisition has big implications for search. It's time to get ready for the coming changes.
Edited by Dan Bova
Get ready for an online marketing revolution that's coming in the form of smart home technology, or what's now evolved into a greater concept: the Internet of Things.
Smart home technology has been around as long as the Jetsons -- as early as the 1960s. Although it has generally been regarded as a luxury for wealthy homeowners, things have changed. Today, electronic devices ranging from thermostats to door locks are Wi-Fi enabled.
The term "Internet of Things" is a new name for an old concept many of us are already familiar with -- the smart home. Say hello to an entire world of interconnected smart residential devices designed to make our lives easier, more efficient and more connected to the internet.
The Internet of Things has recently been in the news since Google announced last month its agreement to purchase the burgeoning home control company Nest Inc. for $3.2 billion, making a gigantic leap into the smart home industry, as well as an interesting, albeit implied statement on the future of online search.
Related: The Real Reason Why Google Bought Nest for $3.2 Billion
If Google has any idea what its customers want, paid ads probably won't show up unsolicited on the company's smart devices. However, they will likely show up for the same reasons they always do -- people are either using free services that are paid for by ads, or they are performing Google searches. And this is where smart devices in the Internet of Things get interesting for SEO marketers.
SEO professionals are soon going to need to optimize for smart things, or the Internet of Things as a whole. Either way, a new crop of devices will be connected to the internet, and Google is going to be there.
Of course, search won't be the main function of a smart thermostat or refrigerator, but if you need to search for a recipe while you're in your kitchen, you may just tap into the most convenient web browser available, located on the fridge right near your stove.
Related: 8 Ways the 'Internet of Things' Will Impact Your Everyday Life
This changes SEO. Once enough people have smart devices in their homes, mobile and desktop will no longer be the only two SEO realms that marketers will need to worry about. Residential will become the third.
Predictions for residential SEO:
- Local search optimization will become even more important.
- Local search will split into two arenas: residential and mobile.
- Psychographic data will grow in value as residential marketing increases.
- Content marketing will dominate residential SEO efforts.
- Ecommerce SEO will continue to focus on mobile and desktop search.
Of course, only time can tell how the Internet of Things will really change SEO. The most important thing for marketers right now is to keep smart devices in mind. You may not see the explosion of residential SEO for a few years, but you can definitely start preparing for the inevitable, and that means preparing a mobile content strategy.
So start thinking residential, marketers! You can begin by investing in your mobile content marketing efforts. Residential will surely be similar to mobile, so there has never been a better time to start focusing on mobile SEO.
Related: The Key Ingredients to a Winning Mobile Content-Marketing Strategy
