To some, virtual reality (VR) is a revolutionary technology that will radically change the way we interact with each other and the world around us. To others, it’s just a fad that should be ignored. VR headsets, however, are selling like hot candies and early adoption is on the rise. According to a report by Forrester, the demand for VR equipment will reach 52 million units by 2020.
Don’t make the mistake of believing that virtual reality is just for gamers and tech enthusiasts. This technology has immense potential for almost every industry, from medicine to manufacturing. It’s the next big thing not only in technology but also business. Not to mention, the impact VR will have on our lives can be comparable to the creation of the World Wide Web or the smartphone.
Due to its ability to deliver out of the ordinary experiences, virtual reality will infiltrate every sector, and search engine optimization is no exception. Here’s what impact VR will have on SEO and how marketers can prepare for the transformation.
Links and Social Media Sharing
Forget about infographics and photos! Virtual reality content will be the social sharing bait of the future. Due to its ability to be repurposed as online video content or engaging graphics, VR will allow you to reach a wider audience base.
Fresh and creative VR content will generate more traffic and backlinks to your website, increasing your domain authority and search engine ranking.
Newsworthy Content
Love it or hate, but you can’t deny that virtual reality is a popular content in and of itself. Nowadays, almost any application of VR has the power to catch people’s attention. Take advantage of people’s interest regarding everything VR-related to draw more traffic to your site.
Integrate VR technology into your content marketing campaigns to generate buzz around your brand. For example, you could create virtual reality content that gives your audience a peek behind the scenes.
Reach out to New Audiences
It doesn’t matter what the latest trend in digital marketing is. Quality content will always remain one of the most important SEO ranking factors. And, VR is just a new content medium – a highly sophisticated one, sure, but a content medium nonetheless.
Just as with the use of video, you can create extraordinary experiences for your audience. Just imagine creating content that allows visitors to dive in the Great Barrier Reef or visit your virtual retail store as if they were actually there. This level of engagement is sure to attract new audiences to your brand.
Social Virtual Reality
You can expect for the next generation of social media platforms to be focused on virtual reality. Facebook is already experimenting with VR with their 360 video functions. Just think about it: one of the main reasons people use social media is to connect and interact with others, and VR can take this to a whole new level.
Due to the increased interest, search engines are already beginning to tap into VR data to index and rank it. Brands that implement VR into their SEO strategy will gain a massive advantage over their competitors.
If you’d like to learn more about the future of SEO in a VR-first world, then you should get in touch with us here at the Sprout Media Lab. We would love to discuss more with you about how you can integrate VR into your strategy. Call our team of professionals at (800) 617-6075 today.
