That would be the Hummingbird algorithm from Google and chances are you have been seeing the effects of this change over the past month. Google's latest algorithm modification is its most comprehensive since Caffeine. There are many who are reluctant to accept Google's latest update, but like all the rest of the algorithm changes Google's boss and we just have to go with the flow. So grab on to our little raft and see what these Hummingbird changes mean for your blog.
For the searcher Google hopes not to deliver results to queries but answers. This means if I asked Google , what's better for my health Butter or Olive Oil Google, it would deliver an answer to your question, not pages of results that might answer your question ( Olive Oil obviously) . This does beg the question , where did Google get this information from and what does that do for my site ? The answer is , no one really knows yet. We've seen recently Google's preference for long tail keywords and keyword phrases. Those that target shorter keywords may see decrease in traffic because the term is too generic . If I was trying to place well for the keyword "diet" I would probably notice a decrease in traffic whereas a more specific keyword phrase like "What is the 5 and 2 Diet " would be helped by these algorithm changes. as from where Google's answers come, many only assume it is data harvested from Google's bots but it's still unknown.
So what can you do to improve your search engine position in light of Google's recent algorithm changes ?
1. Still deliver good , authoritative content for your readers. Just like in business loyal readers are easier to acquire than new ones. Keep delivering good stuff . Even if Google becomes the answer engine , other search engines are not likely ( at least immediately) to follow suit.
2. Focus on Keyword phrases. Google wants search to become more natural. research longtail keywords and add them to your fantastic content Always think about what someone would have to ask to find a particular piece of content.
3. Social Media. Focus on social media outlets for generating new visitors and as a resource for search as well. People are using Facebook's search feature more and more and if / when Google becomes less of a search engine alternate sources will become more popular.
4. Maybe a good time to look at what other search engines are looking for. Even though Google has a stranglehold on 2/3 of search in the US it behooves you to try to make nice with the other search engines. Largely overlooked , Bing fares well in side by side comparisons with Google and if Google becomes an answer engine there will still be a need for search engines and Bing is more than prepared to meet the search demands .
5. Top Secret . The biggest complaint about Google's recent changes is not this algorithm change but it is the Secret Search, meaning no more data on Google searches in adwords. That's right, the only way to know what keyword is getting clicked on in Google search is by paying for it with adsense. Sure this makes life harder but not impossible there are ways around this data blackhole.
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