Augmented reality. The basic concepts of augmented reality Before we talk about the future of AR and how it will impact your SEO strategy, I want to make sure you really understand it works. That said, augmented reality and virtual reality are very different. Furthermore, these search engines themselves could employ augmented reality features to improve the search experiences of users. Right now, SEO marketers use all different types of visuals to improve their content and search ranking. You need to plan for potential changes that augmented reality could bring in the future. Rather than searching for the name of your business, they just open their mobile app that has AR features. These features will help your app grow in popularity and ultimately improve the ranking of your business mobile app. You don’t need to use social media or have a gaming app to use AR on your mobile app. It’s time for your business to start planning for the implementation of this technology in the future.
Augmented reality. It sounds like a term that should be used to describe a science fiction movie.
But augmented reality (AR) has become a force to be reckoned with in 2018.
By definition, AR uses technology to superimpose computer-generated visuals on the user’s view of their real-world surroundings, which creates a composite view.
It sounds a bit complicated, but as you’ll see shortly, it’s actually a pretty basic concept you might be familiar with.
Although this technology is seemingly still in its infant stages, as marketers, we need to keep a close eye on how augmented reality can affect our brands.
The most successful businesses stay informed on the top marketing trends each year. AR is a topic that needs to be on your radar.
You need to take AR into consideration when devising your search engine optimization strategy.
SEO and AR?
Yes, on the surface these two ideas may not seem to be related, but they are. I wanted to explain why. That was my inspiration for writing this guide.
If you aren’t familiar with augmented reality, I’ll explain where this technology is now and how it’s being used.
I’ll also show you some plans and predictions for the future and how you can apply this technology to your business.
The basic concepts of augmented reality
Before we talk about the future of AR and how it will impact your SEO strategy, I want to make sure you really understand it works.
In short, augmented reality uses technology to overlay visuals onto surroundings in the real world.
A great example of this technology used in popular culture is the Pokemon Go app. Users find fictional cartoon characters in real-world locations surrounding them.
Look at the image above.
Obviously, this character isn’t actually standing in the grass. If the phone wasn’t there, all you would see is the grass, road, water, and a bridge.
Furthermore, if the user turned and looked to their left or right, the character wouldn’t be there either.
It’s a really cool concept that helped Pokemon Go become one of the most popular and successful gaming apps of all time. But we’ll talk more about that later.
Augmented reality isn’t just used for games. Social media apps Snapchat and Instagram both have AR features.
This technology is increasing in popularity and users are growing to accept its application in their lives.
Understanding the differences between AR and VR
Augmented reality and virtual reality are two terms that often get confused. That’s because we don’t use either of them every day, at least not yet.
AR and VR are similar because they both allow you to experience something you normally wouldn’t see in your life without the use of technology.
That said, augmented reality and virtual reality are very different.
Virtual reality has a much deeper impact on the user experience. Basically, an entirely new world is created using VR technology.
New sounds, images, video, and senses are all part of the VR experience that gets generated by computers.
Virtual reality typically requires special headsets or goggles in addition to headphones if users are experiencing it on their own, such as a virtual reality game.
But games aren’t the only way to experience VR. It’s also used in movies, concerts, and education. Amusement parks have virtual reality rides. The military uses virtual reality to put soldiers in combat scenarios.
What else do AR and VR have in common? They both have a bright future.
As you can see from this graph, experts are predicting shipments of AR and VR equipment to astronomically skyrocket over the next few years.
This will result in high revenues for businesses in these industries.
Now, take a look at this graphic more carefully.
VR equipment is expected to ship more than double the units of AR equipment by the year 2021. However, the AR revenue is expected to be two and half times higher on those units.
That’s what makes augmented reality so appealing. You can get a high ROI on this technology because the equipment isn’t as cost-intensive and cumbersome as that of VR.
How augmented reality affects search engines
Now let’s dive into the SEO aspects of augmented reality.
All of the major search engines have algorithms for displaying search results. That’s how websites get ranked based on what terms people are searching for.
Many factors go into these algorithms so the content that gets displayed is relevant to the searcher. Search engines use bots, also known as crawlers, to analyze your website content so that your pages can be ranked accordingly based on searches.
With the growing popularity of augmented reality, we can expect these search engines to adjust their algorithms accordingly.
As you can see from the graph, augmented reality has been implemented in a wide variety of industries. Each year, the number of installed AR apps has been increasing.
I’m not expecting to see this trend slowing down in the near future. In fact, I’m expecting it to grow exponentially.
So offering AR content could potentially improve your search ranking.
Furthermore, these search engines themselves could employ augmented reality features to improve the search experiences of users….
COMMENTS