As we learned, the key factors to
successful SEO include the number and quality of links to one’s page as well as
keywords. Google, with their ever-evolving search algorithm, has been moving
closer to tie search results to the ultimate intent of specific searches. The
first move in this direction occurred in 2013 with Google’s Hummingbird update,
which prioritized key phrases over keywords, an advent made possible by the
increasing complexity of the terms that search engine users became comfortable
using.
Then in 2015, Google introduced
BrainRank, which added machine learning that incorporated users’ prior search
history key phrases and words to improve results that become personalized. With
BrainRank, Google began understand users on an individual level, incorporating
what they know to be of particular interest to a user in the results shown to
them.
Interestingly,
BrainRank has added a dimension to link importance. Rather than focusing on the
importance of backlinks, SEO now also considers number, quality and relational
structure of internal links, which is thought to be an indicator of relevance
around depth provided around a given searchable topic.
The below
HubSpot article provides a good intro to how SEO is incorporating these other
factors now. The challenge is how do marketers stand out with this new
approach? Part of the solution appears to be better organized internal pages,
so that Google is pushing content providers to improve the quality of their
messaging, which in turn makes all content better for end users.
It is interesting how Google makes
changes that benefit the entire internet ecosystem, understanding while not an
immediate profit to them in the long run destination quality impacts search’s
strength.
Separately, it is interesting just
how important location is to search results, which the below article
elucidates, driven in large part by the ubiquity of mobile search. I just
searched pizza on my phone, the first two results were ad spots for Pizza Hut
and Domino’s respectively, while right after displayed a map with a link to three
local pizza shops. From a user perspective this is appreciated while also
giving a great channel for local businesses to take advantage of.
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