Google updates its algorithms regularly, but its latest shenanigans have really turned the world of SEO marketing on its head.
Google doesn’t like SEO. It undermines its true purpose: to provide users with the most relevant content for their searches. That’s why, over the years, Google has made every effort to thwart the common tactics of search engine optimizers. It started out small and obvious, such as blacklisting sites for using egregious black hat practices like backlink spamming, and has evolved to greater degrees of complexity.
Despite these updates, a few basic principles have remained consistent. (Keywords are still important to include and emphasize. Search engine research should be based around measurable traffic. Things like that). But Google’s latest updates have SEO marketers everywhere scratching their heads.
Some of the latest updates include:
· Keyword data is no longer being provided. This is a massive change. You will no longer be able to find out which keywords brought traffic to your site. You can still optimize for keywords, but you might be running blind.
· Conversational searches are far more important. Typing questions into Google brings up more relevant results than ever before—and Google favors the sites that can somehow answer them.
· Quality content is even more important. The colloquially known “BS filters” are even stronger now, making it more difficult for you to rank unless you have a steady stream of quality written content.
So how should you react to this?
· Instead of focusing on what keywords are bringing traffic to your site, focus on grouping your keywords in themes and using the data to estimate which keyword themes are bringing you the most traffic.
· Start optimizing for more long tail keywords and question-based content.
· Keep writing quality content! The more the better, and you have to be consistent with it.
Every time Google changes its algorithms, you’ll need to respond by adjusting your strategy. Fortunately, if you’ve been listening to us preach the power of content, you won’t have gotten hit too hard by Hummingbird. The rest can be addressed with simple changes.
