Like all things in the online world, the face of search engine optimisation (SEO) continues to develop apace.

This was certainly the case in 2014. With January, 2015, now well and truly upon us, SEO professionals and Pressroom have been  appraising the marketplace last year.

Google’s gets sophisticated

A number of experts have highlighted Google’s continued sophistication, most particularly in presenting search results. This is likely to be seen as one of the big trends in 2014.

The search giant is now confident to summarise queries across many complicated areas, including finance, in its answer boxes. This will inevitably change the way searches are conducted.

Going forward, it further emphasises the need for companies to recognise and action on how their clientele and target audience will approach search queries in the future. Getting your enterprise’s information into these answer boxes could see stunning click-through rates.

Matt Cutts

The seemingly Google constant Matt Cutts took a leave of absence last year, which has already extended it into this one.

One of the biggest figures in how SEO has been shaped in recent years, many are wondering whether he will reprise his position.

Negative SEO

Last year saw a great deal of discussion over negative SEO, such as spurious tactics employed by firms trying to undermine their competitors. This renewed focus to root it out can only be a good thing.

Moving forward, it is imperative that all search engines, particularly Google and Bing, of course, tackle this harshly. Companies too need to help, both by regularly analysing what is being said about them and by ensuring that they only work with bona fide and reputable digital marketing providers.

Social

For yet another year, social has been the platform really making waves. This will continue in 2015 but, again, will increasingly need to be more polished.

John Murray

John is every inch the wordsmith and loves a game of Scrabble above all else. With experience writing for newspapers, John’s time at university was spent studying Creative Writing – something which comes across in his love of the pun.