The State of SEO in 2012

In 2012, search engine optimization (SEO) reached a major turning point. Google, the world’s largest search engine, rolled out its Penguin algorithm update, which heavily penalized websites and webmasters for trying to manipulate rankings with spammy link building tactics. This update was part of an overall trend in SEO towards rewarding quality content and penalizing tactics that attempted to game the system.

As a result of this shift, SEO in 2012 focused heavily on creating content that was optimized for search engine users, rather than trying to manipulate search engine algorithms. This meant that websites had to pay attention to the quality and relevance of their content, as well as the types of keywords and phrases they were using. It also became important to provide useful and helpful information to visitors, since Google and other search engines began to reward websites with the best user experiences.

Social media also began to play a more important role in SEO in 2012. Search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo all began to pay more attention to how websites were being discussed on social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. This meant that businesses had to start actively engaging with their audiences on these networks in order to gain additional visibility.

In 2012, link building also remained an important part of SEO, but the emphasis shifted from quantity to quality. Many link building tactics that used to be effective, such as directory submissions and reciprocal link exchanges, were no longer as powerful. Instead, SEOs had to focus on creating linkable content and building relationships with other websites and webmasters in order to gain quality links.

Finally, mobile SEO also began to emerge as an important factor in 2012. As more and more users began to access the web from their mobile devices, search engines had to begin to take into account the unique characteristics of these devices. This meant that websites had to pay attention to the usability of their sites on mobile devices and make sure their content was properly optimized for these devices.

Overall, the state of SEO in 2012 was one of transition and flux. As Google and other search engines began to reward quality content and user experiences, SEOs had to adjust their strategies to keep up with the ever-changing landscape. As a result, SEO in 2012 was often a matter of experimentation, as webmasters tried to figure out which tactics worked best and which ones were less effective. With the evolution of SEO continuing, the tactics that were used in 2012 will likely become obsolete in the years to come.