When the unprecedented growth of social media came about and social media platforms became a viable growth channel for businesses, a rumor about SEO being dead surfaced.
The earliest memory of the rumor is from 2014. The Beyond Exposure team came across an article that addressed the rumor.
Even though it’s been almost a decade since we first heard of it, the rumor still persists. As a result, you will find plenty of queries asking if SEO is a dead industry or if social media killed SEO.
Well, that’s precisely what we will address here today. At Beyond Exposure, we provide top-notch digital solutions to businesses so that they can get more out of their resources.
We have years of experience working in the digital marketing field and know all about the status of SEO, where it is right now, and where it is going.
In the following, we will talk about why people think SEO is dying, whether it is dying, and the evolution of SEO and what it has gone through in the years since it was first introduced. By the end, we hope you get the answer to whether or not SEO is a dying industry. So without any further delay, let’s begin!
Why Do People Think SEO Is Dying?
While SEO is still going strong in 2022, there are some lingering threats. Now, we all know that SEO is not the perfect strategy. Instead, it is a part of something larger that encompasses and glues together a comprehensive digital strategy.
To start, there is no guarantee of SEO growth, and it can be very tricky to implement. Even after proper implementation, it can take months or years before you see results.
Due to the long-term aspect of SEO and the fast nature of the digital landscape, threats have popped up. So let’s look at the threats that make people think that SEO is a dying industry!
The Popularity And Convenience Of Apps & Direct Services
Studies have found that around 93% of all online experiences begin with a search. However, that number has since gone down. Over the last decade or so, apps and direct services have become popular.
Users nowadays directly go to apps and look for the products and services directly rather than looking for them on a search engine. Most apps nowadays have an inbuilt search option so that users can find what they are looking for without using search engines.
The Rise Of Social Media
Data Portal released a report in July 2022 that found that 75% of people on the internet use social media to research products and services. The rise of social media as a hub of information has taken away some of the search traffic from search engines.
However, SEO has always worked best with a comprehensive social media strategy so businesses can take advantage of all the available, viable channels.
The Advent Of Digital Assistants
Digital assistants, rich snippets, and other search enhancements are the norms in 2022, making SEO tricky. Nowadays, users can be presented with an answer more directly than the traditional way of forwarding the user to specific content.
Also, the algorithms used in digital assistants are usually harder to decode, making SEO challenging even for veterans in the field.
Do-It-Yourself Optimization Options
SEO has always been popular, leading to an abundance of SEO-related content and powerful SEO optimization tools. This abundance has made DIY SEO optimization much easier and more accessible to people. While it doesn’t impact SEO strategy, it has made SEO a viable career option harder.
The Algorithms Keep Getting Smarter
Search engines are constantly upgrading their algorithms to satisfy user intent better. While it is overall a fantastic thing, there are some downsides.
It has become increasingly harder to create the best content and build the best backlink profile due to the constant change in the algorithm’s demands.
It’s one of the reasons why SEO is still nuanced, more time-consuming, and more expensive than most other digital marketing aspects.
Is SEO Dying?
SEO is not dying in 2022. On the contrary, a simple look at the budget and spending of businesses will tell you that people are investing in SEO more than ever.
Statista says SEO expenditure in 2020 for the US alone hit 79.27 billion dollars. So there is no empirical evidence, nor is there any indication that would suggest that the SEO industry is dying.
On the contrary, the evidence shows growth; in our eyes, we do not see any signs of slowing down. The reason for our belief lies in three different factors. Let’s check out what they are next!
Regular Algorithm Updates
Google is a large company that invests billions in apps, smarter algorithms, digital assistants, and other technologies. However, search has always been the company’s cornerstone, which holds everything together for them. Search is a vital part of the digital landscape and will always be there in some aspect, at least in our opinion.
The Convenience Of Search
Billions of people still use search engines to look for things because of how convenient it is. Even with so many threats, search is still the go-to source for users to find products, and until people stop using search engines, SEO is here to stay.
Influx Of New Audiences
More than 4.6 billion people use the internet worldwide, which is still growing. So even if the existing search engines wane in popularity, the constant influx of people and the surge of new audiences is more than enough to offset the balance. Meaning SEO will still be relevant as long as new people keep going online.
Is Social Media Killing The SEO Industry?
The simple answer is no. While everything you read about digital marketing can seem social media-focused, it isn’t the case. It is just the easiest platform to gain traction for a business.
SEO is search engine optimization, and the concept has evolved into a much bigger phenomenon than just traditional search engines.
Nowadays, you will find everything has a search tab meaning everything has a search engine. That means SEO can be implemented there too.
Search engine optimization’s primary goal isn’t to ensure people search on Google. Instead, it’s to provide people find what they are looking for, which can be anywhere on the internet.
SEO will always be necessary, and optimizing search engines like Google and Bing will always be relevant, as social media doesn’t always answer specific questions. However, SEO in 2022 is more about understanding and fulfilling user intent.
For your SEO efforts, you should move away from generalized keywords and focus on long-tail keywords that ask for specific things and clearly define user intent. That will be key to your SEO success in 2022. As you can see, the rise of social media isn’t killing the SEO industry.
However, the growth of social media platforms as a viable growth channel has made the industry evolve into a different thing. However, the basics of SEO services remain the same.
Our Verdict
So there you go, SEO is not dead and won’t be for some time, and that’s our verdict on the matter. SEO connects users to every aspect of the internet, so the SEO industry isn’t dying.
However, you should remember that SEO is not what it was 5,4 and one years ago due to regular changes in standards and practices related to SEO. And with technology developing fast, you can expect even more updates that” s going to shape the future of how people conduct business.
Now, if you have any questions or want to know more about search engines or social media, feel free to contact us. We will be answering all your questions without fail.
You can drop your questions in the comments below or hit us on our socials for more information. And with that being said, that’s about all we have for you today. We will come back with something new for you soon. Until then, see ya!