Towards the end of last year, Google marked its 15th birthday with the release of a new search algorithm called “Hummingbird”. It’s extremely likely that you won’t have even noticed a change (Google didn’t reveal the update until after it had been rolled out), but it’s estimated that nine out of 10 searches will be affected.
So, what does this mean for your business?
According to the Content Marketing Institute, in terms of website content, “the difference between what people are looking for and why they are looking for it is the heart of the Hummingbird issue.”
Because of this, Google has advised website owners that the best way to improve their website ranking is to create high-quality content which users will want to share and use.
It can often be difficult to know where to begin when it comes to content marketing, so here are a few tips to help break through Google’s new algorithm and drive potential customers to your website:
- Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. What would drive you to search for something? What are you looking for? What would incite you to click on one site but not the other?
- Use tools like Google analytics. These tools allow you a detailed insight into your website’s audience, how long they stayed and what pages they visited and how they ended up there. Use this information to find out what needs to be improved (e.g., if a person was on one page for 40 seconds and on another for 10 minutes, what drove them to stay?)
- Content should more than just facts and figures. If you get bored while reading plain text and numbers, chances are your customers do too. Think of ways to convey your message in an engaging, unique way. Infodec Communications are Infographic experts! Contact us if you’d like a customised Infographic for your website or blog.
- Make sure social media is integrated into your website. People are much more likely to share something if there’s a button right there, encouraging them.
- There’s more to content marketing than just blog posts. The Content Marketing Institute suggests video clips, graphics, eBooks and white papers to add some variety.
Still confused? These websites have some great information and tips on embracing Hummingbird. Check them out here:
- http://searchengineland.com/google-hummingbird-172816
- http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/keep-website-content-ranking-google-hummingbird/
- http://blog.kissmetrics.com/google-hummingbird/
- http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229926
Contact Infodec Communications today if you’re stuck about creating content – let us do the hard work for you!