Rand on the future of SEO

One topic that doesn't get discussed often enough, in my opinion, is the future of SEO. While doing some research, I found an interesting video interview with Rand of SEOMoz. In the video are a couple topics I would like to highlight:

• Trends to Watch: Searches on search engines vs. searches in social network sites.
• Links: Still the trump card for gaining search engine rank for traditional SEO.
  
• Google Tags: Helping webmasters with technical issues.
  

Twitter and RSS Adoption Trends

Looking into some interesting Twitter search trends using Google Trends. It appears as though Twitter may be making some progress on the adoption of RSS. As you can see in the graphic above, RSS buzz had some real steam from 2000-2005. RSS began to drop off around 2006 and has been on a slide since.

One other interesting trend is the explosion of Twitter searches. It appears as though the increase in Twitter searches suggests that Twitter may be the magic bullet that RSS needed to reach a more broad audience. Perhaps having a brand rather than a technology behind the idea of RSS has helped fuel a user base. What are your thoughts on where RSS and Twitter are headed?

Where's the Gas?

My wife's friend who lives in North Carolina is having trouble finding gas and gas stations due to the recent shortage. I've found some interesting links and research I would like to share to chart the search engine activity on this topic. I hope everything settles down and gas supplies get back to normal soon. It must be very frustrating!

• BP Gas Station Locator
  
• Shell Stations
  
• Texaco Finder

Search Trends on Google for:

• "Gas Station Finder"
• "Gas Station Locator"
• "Find Gas Station"
• "Station with Gas"