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The search engine marketing community has been abuzz over the last week analyzing signs that a potentially game-changing update to Google’s algorithm is about to take place. No one knows exactly when the new version of Penguin will be implemented, or how it will affect SEM efforts, but Google has made it clear that this isn’t just another minor change – it’s the next step for Google in search engine marketing.

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Recently, BIA/Kelsey released its U.S. mobile local advertising forecast, which revealed that search is the largest mobile local revenue component and will be through the forecast period of 2016. It is also estimated that U.S. mobile local advertising will grow 54% from 2011 to 2016.

These results speak to the rapid changes we have recently seen within the local search space, most notably in mobile. Google reported that “50% of mobile searches have local intent,” up 10% from 12 months ago. Not only do we see local results on the SERP take up more than one-fourth of the page (depending on the searches), but a large amount of advertising is currently focused on targeting ads to users based on their location.

Without a doubt 2012 was a big year for digital marketing. There were several new advances to search alone, including the ability to get facts quicker with Google’s Knowledge Graph and the implementation of Google’s “Search Plus Your World,” which brought social into search results. Bing kept up by adding a social sidebar and their Snapshot feature, similar to the Knowledge Graph. The introduction of high-impact algorithms with cute animal names are also on a mission to improve the quality of Google’s search results.

While these items have had a significant impact on the evolution of search, one of the biggest changes to search in 2012 was the increased focus on local search. Local search will be a huge focus for every digital marketer in 2013. In order to get a head start on local search this year, here are some key things you need to know.

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Over the last several months, Twitter has been beefing up its focus on search engine optimization (SEO) in an effort to provide searchers with easier access to information. While Twitter is showing much more dedication to improving its search features and online visibility than many of its top rivals, how effective are these changes actually going to be?

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Do you target both B2B and B2C audiences? If so, you already know your B2B customers have different needs and buying cycles than your B2C customers, and maybe you’ve taken steps to address both customer types with your online presence. What you might not have realized is your SEO strategy will also need to be different for each group. All parts of your SEO plan should be optimized separately for B2B and B2C, including your keywords, landing pages and metrics.