Web3 or Web 3.0 is the upcoming version of the World Wide Web that is supposedly going to revolutionize the internet. Web3 is the decentralized version of the web that runs on blockchain technology and employs a token-based economy. Many renowned brands in every industry are slowly making their way into the new iteration of the web. This technology is all the rage right now. However, many things will be affected as we leap into this new era of the internet. A major concern coming to surface circles around the future of SEO in Web3. Search engine optimization has helped many businesses to rank at the top of search engines and gain audiences.
But the question is, will Web3 even incorporate Web2 search engines like Google? Or would it be using a new decentralized search engine as technology progress? And if so, what will happen to SEO?
A Brief About Web3 and SEO
Before we discuss the future of SEO in Web3, we need to explain a little bit about what Web3 and SEO actually mean.
Web3
The history of the World Wide Web is a rollercoaster. We did not make it to Web3 easily. In fact, the first iteration of the internet is very different than what we see now. Before the emergence of Web3, the internet had two versions. The first version of the internet is known as Web 1.0 and consisted of read-only content. In this version, user interactions were absent. Around 2004, the internet made a big leap to normalize the new and improved version of the web, Web 2.0. This iteration is famous for its read-write content. Here is where social media, like Facebook and Instagram, made a BOOM and everyone was interacting with everyone. Things like search engines, social media, cloud storage, and mobile apps became the core of Web 2.0 technology.
On the other hand, the successor of Web2 is Web3. This technology offers high levels of security and direct ownership access thanks to its use of blockchain technology. Web 3.0 aims to remove the “gatekeepers,” such as major tech firms, search engines, and social media platforms, by giving users equitable access. In other words, Web3 prioritizes trust and ownership, enabling peer-to-peer networking, open access to stored data, and unrestricted access to content. The goal of Web3 is to move away from intermediaries and establish an open, secure, and accessible internet environment. The question remains, how will Web3 affect SEO?
SEO
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the act of optimizing a website in order to rank higher in search engines. When you type in a search into a search engine, let’s say Google, the engine will determine which website is more relevant to the query. SEO helps by showing the search engine that an article is relevant and valid for a specific keyword. According to Google, their search algorithms will look at many factors such as “the words of your query, relevance, and usability of pages, the expertise of sources, and your location and settings.” So how will that apply in Web3?
Search Engines in Web3
A good question to ask is that will there even be search engines in Web3. The answer is yes. In fact, they already exist and will play a major role in Web3. The first search engine to be built on blockchain technology was Cyber. This engine will link users to the global knowledge graph where peers exchange p2p information. Many other Web3 search engines exist today like Neeva.XYZ, Brave, and Etherscan.
The Reality of SEO in Web3
Web3 technology will definitely have an effect on SEO, but who said that it’s going to be in a negative way? Have you ever heard of the saying, “information is king”? Yeah, well it is and this lust for information will never fade as long as there are new things to learn. This is why SEO will remain, but it will be taking a different or upgraded form. Here’s what will happen to SEO in the Web3 era.
Data Personalization and Semantic Web
What does data personalization mean? Well in the current version of the web, major corporations and websites aim to give the user personalized content. How so? By ads of course. Everyone must have been annoyed by pointless ads at least once in their life. Data selling is a major problem in Web 2.0. Websites use your data in order to show you related and “personalized” ads. However, Web3 search results will be actually personalized by the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Therefore, SEO will try to optimize for more personalized content in order to rank higher in Web3 engines.
Web3 is known as the Semantic web, where the web focuses more on the actual meaning of words instead of dealing with them as numbers and keywords. Data will become more machine-readable and structured which implies the existence of decisions and judgments. This will be crucial for SEO which will allow users to connect more effectively.
Cluster Content Analysis
Content clusters are forms of SEO that use internal linking and topic modeling to improve user experiences. As discussed before, Web3 will be using artificial intelligence. Therefore, AI technology will improve content clusters by grouping similar objects and topics to make pillars more valuable. Subsequently, this will improve internal linking regarding SEO for the authorization of pillars.
Voice Search
SEO will focus on voice recognition searches in Web3. This will prioritize long keywords instead of very vague and broad words typed into the search bar. By using voice search, users can be more precise in their queries. For instance, instead of typing “NFTs 2022” into a search bar, you can say “Google, tell me about the latest NFT drops this month”, and that way your search intent will be extremely personalized and specific. Therefore, SEO will need to target these long keywords in order to rank on top results since voice search questions don’t have multiple pages.
The New Era is Coming Close!
The only thing we can do to get ready for Web3 is to monitor it carefully. Although these recent adjustments are unusual, they could simplify how customers and businesses engage with search. And hey, it’s getting close. The majority of experts think Web 3.0 will arrive soon due to our growing reliance on artificial intelligence.
We will learn new techniques for optimizing anything the internet throws at us, especially SEO, as we deepen our understanding of this tricky subject. Web 3.0 may not become widely used for another few more years. However, people and organizations need to get ready and comprehend how Web3 will affect their daily lives and businesses.