Online Marketing Predictions For 2008

We have looked at some of the leading tech blogs and heard what search marketing professionals had to say on popular forums. Based on the collective brain power of all the professionals and contributors at ReadWriteWeb, ValleyWag, TechCrunch, SearchEngineWatch and WebProWorld we have compiled a list of our favourite predictions for 2008:

Search Engine Predictions

1. Google will continue to grow and play even tougher
2. Yahoo! will become the next AOL, suffer more layoffs, shut down more divisions but still stay independent
3. Microsoft will try rebranding and reorganizing its online brands again (to no avail)
4. Ask and AOL will continue being insignificant and border on the brink of becoming obsolete

Startup Predictions

1. Web services platforms will become the next battleground
2. Zoho, ThinkFree, Tumblr, Twitter and Digg will be acquired by larger companies
3. $27 billion of venture capital will be invested in startups and Mergers and Acquisitions will increase in volume but not as much in value
4. Consumer adoption of web office applications will grow

Advertising Predictions

1. Google AdWords will continue to grow and dominate the advertising market
2. Gadget Ads will present the area of greatest growth
3. Content networks will evolve and platforms will produce their own content (e.g. Google Knol)

Mobile Predictions

1. Mobile will finally happen!
2. Mobile web usage will grow
3. A second generation iPhone will be released to combat Google Phones (devices based on Android)

Social Media

1. Facebook will grow, but with a lot of bumps along the way
2. Privacy will become a greater concern
3. YouTube will announce HD video, ushering an era of ubiquity of online video
4. Facebook will forge independent deals with startups, making Google sweat!