Just when you think you have search engine optimization figured out for your website, along comes a whole new paradigm that has you rethinking your strategies. SEO is a highly volatile business – the practices that worked yesterday won’t scratch the surface of first page Google results now. In order to keep up with your competition on the Web, you have to keep improving your site for high rankings, and right now that means embracing blended search optimization.

What is Blended Search?

Used to be when you entered a keyword into a search engine a list of static URLs resulted. Gradually, as search engines – Google in particular – grew, Web users could access navigation bars to find results for the same keyword in weblogs, image search, news wires, and video. With blended search, all findings are mixed on the same. Do a search in Google on “Barack Obama” or “The Dark Night” film and you may find links to YouTube videos, media blogs, products for sales on auction sites, and images in addition to actual websites. This is blended search, where all aspects of the Internet and social media are brought together to give the Web user a well-rounded view of what is available on the Internet.

As search engines gravitate more toward this paradigm, it is apparent that website owners need to keep up with the times. It is more important now than ever before to take advantage of social media options for your Web business so you can maximize your exposure on the Internet. The more you blend in with the tools available to you, the better your chances of being found among the mixed results when somebody searches a relevant keyword.

Blending In with the Internet

At last count, Google announced that it has indexed approximately one trillion URLs, and more websites are created daily! If you can imagine how much information is out there on a variety of topics, you might wonder how you can stay on top in search results on any keyword. By adjusting your website and overall Internet presence to offer a variety of interactive information, you increase your chances of relevancy in search.

Do you have videos of your products and services? Set up a YouTube account and host them, then embed the videos into your website for further enhancement. Attach a blog and make regular posts about sales, products, and services. Import your blog into various social networks with that capability (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) for increased exposure. As we move forward with Internet technology, and as larger Internet entities like Google absorb smaller ones, as they have done with Blogger, the information on those sites will be blended into search. In order to rank high, your site must blend in as well.

The more you build your site using the tools at your disposal, the better your chances become in search. Socialize, interact, and rise above the trillion and be seen.