Google recently announced a big update to their search engine ranking algorithm. Unlike the hundreds of small updates of the past, this is being touted as a brand new algorithm called “Hummingbird“. We haven’t seen such a big change to how Google works since 2001.
While the new version still tries to show search results based on the keywords entered into the search bar, Hummingbird is based on something called Semantic Search. It tries to figure out the intent of the search, and dish up search results that best fit what the use was really searching for.
Danny Sullivan over at Search Engine Land has a good FAQ that goes into the details, if you really want to dig deep.
But essentially, what it means to you, the website owner, is that you need to consider what phrases people are actually searching and be sure your content best matches that intention.
The example Danny gives in his FAQ is that today, especially with mobile searches, someone might ask their phone, “What’s the closest place to buy the iPhone 5s to my home?”. While in the past Google would have only heard “Buy iPhone 5s”, now it can take the entire phrase into account.
The full sentence tells us a lot more about what the person wants. They actually want to visit a physical store (not shop online), and Google will now adjust the search results accordingly.
This is another nail in the coffin for the old school spammy link building techniques such as buying hundreds of links, sending out dozens of copies of a slightly modified article to other websites, or heaven forbid, creating fake profiles on forums with a link back to your site.
Instead, you should be creating engaging content that people want to share with others.
In addition, there is a lot of indication that the larger number of Likes, Tweets, Pins and Shares your content gets, the better off your entire site will be in the rankings.
If you want higher rankings for your website, and you want to discuss your situation with a seasoned Search Engine Optimization specialist, give me a call or drop me an email.
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Best wishes on your online marketing adventures.
-Andy Commons
www.andycommons.com