Search Engine Optimisation in 2009

We are currently riding through tough economic times, and online marketing and SEO companies will need to prove their value and worth even more in 2009.

So what will we see from SEO in 2009? In the eyes of many, Search Engine Optimisation is already dead and has been replaced by Online Marketing. Same thing right? Well, yes and no. Search Engine Optimisation could be said to be a part of Online Marketing.

In 2009 it is forcasted that search will become more personalised. We have already seen this with the introduction of Google's new personalised search results tool - Google Wiki - towards the end of 2008.

2009 should be focused on five Search Engine Metrics:

1. Non-Branded Search Engine (Organic) Referrals - that is search engine results and click throughs from organic search results. Sure, this is where SEO as we know it comes into play - getting the positions that people can find.

2. Bounce Rate - a metric that we all love. Lowering bounce rate should be of huge significance in 2009. Make your content more appealing and let them find it fast.

3. Time Spent on Site - closely related to bounce rate is the amount of time spent on your site. This metric helps you to find out what is working on your site and what isn't.

4. Subscribers to Your Content - personalisation is becoming more and more popular with the average searcher. As a result, rankings in this sense are irrelevant. However one area that you will need to monitor as personalisation and blended search become more common is tracking the users that are subscribing to your content. For example, your RSS feed subscribers to your blog(s), the number of followers that you have on Twitter, the number of people subscribing to your YouTube channel. These social subscribers can provide a lot of insight into how people are engaging with your web properties and with your brand online.

5. Site Search - how users are engaging with your site's search functionality. Besides Google, you would think that internal site search is a popular activity when users land on your site. This engagement metric provides you with additional insight into what keywords and topics people are looking for when they arrive on your site. The fact that they are using your internal site search may also be an indication that they are not finding the information that they are looking for when arriving on your site. In 2009, engagement metrics such as site search will become even more important in understanding the searching habits of your site visitors. Are they looking for demos? Perhaps they are looking for video content. Whatever the case may be, look for this metric to become more important in 2009.