The document outlines the evolution of search engines, emphasizing the importance of optimized content, user intent, and social signals. It discusses key developments such as Google Caffeine and the integration of social media, highlighting the shift towards more personalized and relevant search experiences. Additionally, it addresses challenges in current search paradigms, particularly regarding user privacy and the rising dominance of mobile and app-focused searches.

1. EVOLUTION OF SEARCHDoug Platts, Head of Natural SearchiCrossing UK1

2. THE ORIGINAL PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESS2Can search engines access the site and pagesIs there search term rich, optimised on-page contentIs the site a reputable resource, based on references from other sitesFUNDAMENTALS

3. evolutiondeveloping signals of Search

4. vinceThe Big brand update4

5. caffeineincreased speed of google’s infrastructure5

6. May dayIt’s about quality links6

7. personalisationIntegration of past site visits7

8. Social signalsPersonalisation: integration of the social graph8

9. pandaUser data based judgment of the quality of content 9

10. +1 buttonUser Votes on the quality of content10

11. THE OUTCOMEWhat does good search look like?Universal Search – more than 10 web pages. A richer, more relevant experience of video, review and image content

12. Google Instant – being visible through the user journey

13. Google Preview – clear creative message. An extension of your listing/ad

14. Meta Descriptions – your elevator pitch

15. Google +1 – your social graph recommending sites11

16. Established blendTHE typical shape of seo for brands12Factor strengthHigh Low

17. The new approachsearch visibility as an outcome of a connected brand13Factor strengthHigh Low

18. Just announcedBing / Facebook tie-inTrusted Friends “Liked” Results, Answers & Sites

19. Personalized Results

20. Collective IQ

21. Popular Site Content

22. Integration of Social Messages

23. Conversational Search

24. Expanded Facebook Profile Search

25. Travel Wish List & Friends Who Live Here

26. Flight Deals

27. Shared Shopping Listshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPYVqHZKF2g

28. Your social graphSearch & social: two converging trendsRealtimeSearch & Social Signals15A better understanding of who we are and what we’re trying to accomplish and a web that is much more dynamic and timely.Together, these two things demand that search becomes more temporally relevant, in addition to just being semantically relevant.Search is moving from being “stateless” to being very much in the here and now.For example, conversations in social media happen very much in real time. As we begin to apply what’s happening in the social graph as an additional ranking criterion to the information indexed in a search engine, interesting things begin to happen.

29. User intentWhat are you really looking forWhen we use a search engine for a specific task, it’s actually part of a much bigger and more complex task These life events (and they don’t all have to be this momentous) bring with them a myriad of needs for specific information. We plug in the pieces as we gather them, but the heavy lifting is all done by us. But what if search knew our “master intent” and offered a much higher level of assistance, going out and gathering all the information, filtering it based on our requirements and guiding us through the entire process?Search focussed around our intent16

30. Language barrierMore than words can sayLooking beyond the limitations of language17There is a challenge in our current paradigm of search, built on the concept of relevancy. It depends heavily on the ability of a machine to understand human language.Search engines reliance on parsing language isn’t as critical as it was before. As we do more things online, we leave more signals to help a search engine determine our intent.Search engines now gather more information about the current situation of the user: location, their current activity, their place in the social grid. All these things can augment a query, allowing for a more useful experience.

31. Being usefulBeing useful to meUsefulness depends on the ability to know who we are, what we’re doing and what we hope to accomplishThe EU have recently ruled on the use of cookies and new regulations which will mean that companies will need a user's permission to store a cookie on their devicesAudit the use of all cookies on your website Assess and rank the privacy implications of these Decide on an appropriate solution with which to gain user consent18Search & User Privacy

32. Mobile searchBut not as we know itMobile search will not be search as we currently understand itAn explosion of tablets and mobile products, and appsiPhone and iPad apps, which have passed 200,000 and are growing by 20,000 per weekWeb-browsing, particularly on mobile devices is becoming mostly App-focused, not Web focusedApple's new search engine will not compete with Google, Microsoft, or Yahoo! in indexing Web pages, but it will index Appshttp://blip.tv/file/370980619

33. THANK YOU20@dougplatts