Dear Web3 Academy DOers!
For a lot of people, Web3 is still full of mystery. Even if they’re already familiar with cryptocurrencies and NFTs, the concept of Web3 may not make sense to them.
One issue that raises our interest is the fate of SEO, and how Web3 will affect it. Is it possible that SEO will die thanks to Web3, or will SEO be able to change with the times?
After all, the Google algorithm depends on being able to gather massive amounts of user data.
Since Web3 gives control over data to the users, though, that won’t necessarily be possible for Google to do in the future. On the surface, Web3 doesn’t seem to be compatible with SEO; this has a lot of people worrying that SEO is on its way out.
Is that really what’s going to happen, though?
Josien Nation, expert in SEO For Crypto, Blockchain, and Web3 will help us find out 🤔
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Will SEO Die In Web3?
According to numerous experts, the answer is “no” – and here’s why. If you looked back to the humble beginnings of the internet in the 80s, you’d see a clunky UX, limited functionality…and a ton of potential.
Fast-forward to the present day, and we’ve used the power of the internet to accomplish more than anyone could have dreamed a few decades ago. To make that possible, though, we had to develop various technologies along the way, like search engines.
Even though Web3 and SEO don’t currently seem to be all that compatible, it could be that Web3 will use a new search engine with a different kind of algorithm. Alternatively, Google could adjust its strategy and keep going in a different form.
Decentralized Search Engines Of Web3
A lot of the focus has been on Google’s algorithm so far, which is understandable since it has a huge influence on how SEO works. However, it would be shortsighted of us to focus exclusively on one search engine in web2 to predict the future of SEO.
Presearch is one example of a decentralized search engine that does its own indexing while also protecting user privacy. Another decentralized search engine that stands for free and unbiased information while protecting your own data is Timpi.
Both offer very interesting ways to get involved and earn tokens along the way. Even though Google is also focused on Web3 (rumor has it they have a whole department working on Web3), they might not be the biggest search engine in the future.
The point is that the story is far from over. If it looks like Web3 and SEO are incompatible now, just give it time – it probably won’t be that way forever. Google’s algorithm might have to make some big adjustments, but that’s just a matter of adapting to survive.
What Do Other Specialists Say About SEO In Web3
I asked other Web3 DOers and SEO specialists to contribute their thoughts on the matter – read all about them below.
Amanda Thomas – Managing Partner @ Konstruct Digital
“For businesses, my prediction is that the transition from Web2 to Web3 will be as fundamental in nature as the transition from services like the YellowPages to Web2. Although the transition didn’t happen overnight, the businesses that adopted early definitely had an advantage.
Search & optimization will always be a core component of discovery, it just might look different than it does today. For example, if you think back to the YellowPages era, this was a tool that consumers used to find (search) businesses or services they were looking for. Categorization mattered, just like topical authority matters today.
Don’t forget - just like with search engines today there were both organic and paid placement opportunities in the YellowPages. With the YellowPages you could buy varying ad sizes and placements, while others opted for a more organic approach. Organic rankings were approached by savvy business owners with their name - AAA Locksmith, AAA Plumbers, etc. The algorithm in the YellowPages was the alphabet. Some businesses wisely used that to their advantage.
Will SEO die or become obsolete with Web3? Probably not. The platforms, the algorithms, and how customers search might change. The requirement for the discovery of content/businesses and the ranking of content/businesses will not go away.
Inherent benefits exist to consumers in Web3 world when it comes to search. There will be more mechanisms in place for determining legitimateness, authority, longevity, and originality - all things that Google currently tries to algorithmically determine. My hope is that there will be less ability to game the system. But as long as there is an algorithm or a ranking, people will try to optimize for it.”
Nicolas Straut – SEO Lead @ NorthOne
"If Web3 is accepted as the new internet, or even achieves far larger mass adoption, I could see new applications being built which improve on existing Web2 functions like podcasting, search, and video, and still require search functionality. In this new ecosystem, SEO would still be relevant to optimize creators or sites so consumers could find information and content.
As Web3 gains more adoption, SEO is still very relevant for creators and sites who want their information and content to be found. For example, crypto experts who use SEO best practices can increase their visibility in Google, YouTube, and podcast search for relevant keywords.
At its heart, SEO is just optimizing content and data for the popular terms people are searching for so it will likely have use far into the future. Just as crypto is routinely declared dead, SEO has also been declared dead regularly despite its longevity and usefulness."
James Angel – CO-founder of DYL
“I assume that a Blockchain-based algorithm might include the precise weight of each "SEO aspect" to respond to a user's query rather than having a dark box of algorithms, like Google has now. In order to meet the demands of that particular set of individuals, the community might vote on how their search engine should operate.
The primary distinction is that users of the search engine may choose how it operates, is managed, is monetized, and how updates are made (instead of trusting a company that makes changes without warning and with zero accountability).
Additionally, they might choose to ignore links entirely as a signal or attempt to index only a portion of the internet. Other metrics based on the Blockchain might be used in place of links as an authority signal (like having a specific NFT or token).”
Sam Browne – Founder of HARO SEO
“A precise answer is no, SEO will not die, since search engines will continue to exist in Web 3.0. As of the moment, there is no substitute for search engines yet, which implies that SEO will continue to dominate platforms.
People will continue to use YouTube and Google in the metaverse. The technical aspects of your work will change, but the overall goal of SEO will remain the same, although with new tools and techniques. Learning keywords, syntax, search engines, and semantics will become increasingly important, especially in today's thriving of innovation.
Search engines will continue to dominate such platforms because even Web 3.0 will rely on search engines. Changes are inevitable, but SEO is and will still continue to evolve due to the current demands of marketing platforms.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence technology will enhance cluster content analysis. It will have an impact on SEO by applying powerful cluster content analysis to aggregate things. It will be possible to audit landing and other website pages more quickly.
It’s crucial to note that prior to Web 3.0, Google was collecting important information about individual search histories. However, the next Web version will extend this notion a step further, but still significantly improves SEO. Ultimately, because the World Wide Web aspires to serve as a receptionist, you will begin to notice increasingly tailored inquiries.”
Thomas Niemczewski – Web Developer & SEO @ Neighborhood Loans
“The future of SEO is looking bright with the increasing adoption of Web3. Web3 is a new internet that uses blockchain technology to create an ecosystem that shares data and content in a peer-to-peer manner. With this new system, we can put our skill sets to use in a more efficient way by focusing on what we are best at - creativity and emotions.
With the introduction of Web3, SEO will become more important than ever because there are now more ways to search for information on the internet. The future of SEO will be about finding content that is relevant to what people are searching for on the internet and connecting with them through social media or email marketing campaigns.
As we are moving towards a decentralized internet, I think it is important to keep in mind that there will always be some sort of need for SEO services.”
Christian Velitchkov – Co-Founder of Twiz LLC
“Future developments resulting from Web 3.0 will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the web's search and social components. A game-changer in the world of technology and digital marketing, Web 3.0 is prepared to improve the SEO platform through the use of voice search. Therefore, it is wise to use voice search technology because it can improve SEO and modify how searches are conducted strategically..
The Semantic Web, which functions like that of the human body and brain, is a component of Web 3.0. This web can be integrated with web technologies, enabling users to simply create links, produce material, and share it through analysis and search.
This version focuses on acting as a bridge between various platforms and data formats. This web is crucial for expanding SEO platforms because it allows consumers to connect and share data online more effectively than ever before.”
Kenny Kline – Co-founder of BarBend
“SEO will not die. Expertly speaking, I feel that search engines will continue to be utilised on Web 3.0. Everything now utilised on the Internet will exist on Web 3.0. This is because there is currently no alternative to search engines. People will continue to use YouTube and Google in the metaverse.
I compare web 3.0 to voice search in that it will be a pleasant addition, but will initially have little impact on SEO. SEO will continue to be valuable on the market as long as people have a need to search and search engines exist to meet those demands.
I believe that these possibilities are for the distant future, and while I don't see any reason for SEOs to panic about near-term changes, that doesn't mean that changes in the distant future won't have a significant impact on how search is facilitated on the web in the future, especially if we're talking about decades from now.”
John Lincoln – CEO @ Ignite Visibility
“The future of SEO in the Web3 world will look much different than today.
The big difference is there will be much more reliance on algorithms that categorize media, communities, people, resources and have a better understanding of intent, as well as much stronger abilities to anticipate what the user will want.
With the power of the algorithms being developed by Google, TikTok, YouTube shorts, and the experiences and multimedia being returned, the next evolution could be a bit scary. When it was just a search and blue links delivered, the user had much more control of the information and what they are exposed to. That will change.
The TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Apple search engines will grow in popularity. While DuckDuck Go and Brave are a good response now to privacy issues, they won't last. These larger platforms will address the consumer needs and cause these to go away.
SEO will continue to be important. On the social media search engines, research and corresponding content creation will drive brand growth. On the Google side, we will see a greater focus on research by intent, media and code need to deploy for the Google features.”
Rylee Armond – Founder of Omni Cake & NFT Artist
“The internet changes over time, from the beginning stages (or web1) to the rise of web2 offered completely different experiences of the internet. In a similar vein, web3 is different from web2 in that it is built with different experiences in mind. Web3 offers the possibilities of creating token gated softwares, where only web3 holders can access these specific applications of the internet.
In the focus of SEO, they will never be found by any non-holder online regardless of search engine. But this is only a small fraction of the overall web3 movement, and many of the more visible parts of the space rely on social media and web2 related industries.
SEO has continued to innovate overtime, and web3 consumers will still need access to search engines to gain information about web3 projects (ie. Does the project have a website? social media accounts? All of these relate to SEO strategies).”
Will SEO Survive In Web3?
“SEO will survive, the organic community building that is present in web3 also feeds into SEO algorithms. If people are posting pictures of NFTs on Twitter for example, that is both an SEO related event and a web3 community member.
The two are very integrated together, however it is important to always be learning as frequently SEO is based on code and that has the ability to change and be rewritten, as has often been seen in the social media industry. New formats, new tools on the app, most apps are constantly being developed so no one SEO strategy will likely work forever.”
Curious to know the future of Web3 social media? Check out our conversation with Brad from Lens Protocol.
Will there be other search engines to use?
“There have been other search engines to use, but thus far none as popular as Google. I think certain web3 companies definitely have the resources to build a search engine but time will tell if more web3 related search engines are released.
Even if they are released, I think that competition within the search engine space is undoubtedly challenging and in many current web3 companies brand awareness outside the crypto space is still very low.”
What do you think will happen?
“I think that paid advertisement within the web3 space will eventually happen and SEO knowledge will be incredibly valued for visibility. Worldwide many people use Google everyday, and understanding SEO for startups will help in many ways whether it's in hopes of securing funding or more clients.
Eventually there will be more trusted experts within the space and it is highly likely that SEO plays a major role in who becomes a widely known expert in the web3 space as well.”
Will SEO die in Web3?
“As long as the internet is still widely used, I think some forms of SEO strategy will always continue. It may become more "common knowledge" but I don't see SEO dying out completely.”
Josien NationSEO Consultant for Web3, Crypto and Blockchain.Twitter
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