Google is most of the world's go-to Internet search engine, so when it comes to SEO, it's important to stay on top of the changes the company makes to its much-vaunted search algorithm. The latest update, known as Hummingbird, took effect last August, but Google did not make its existence public until Sept. 26.
Though the company regularly updates the algorithms that run its searches, Hummingbird is a much bigger change. Past updates such as Panda and Penguin just changed parts of the old algorithm, while Hummingbird is a complete algorithm overhaul.
Hummingbird works to understand the meaning behind each word in a search to give users a better match the first time instead of asking them to sift through several pages of sites that might not be relevant. They chose the moniker Hummingbird for this update precisely because Google claims it is "precise and fast." For businesses on the web, this means making some adjustments to SEO strategies to get optimal results from Hummingbird.
Google's Hummingbird update is more in tune with conversational searches. With more people browsing the web from mobile devices, more and more searches come from users speaking, telling the phone what they need instead of typing it. They ask specific questions looking for detailed answers. This is where Hummingbird comes into play. These adjustments were created to understand the meaning of entire questions instead of just individual keywords. For example, whereas before a user might have searched for "sandwich shop," now they might ask their phone to find "inexpensive sandwich shop in Portland Oregon." The Hummingbird algorithm is designed to process this information and find the most relevant and specific results. The idea is that pages that match the meaning of a search will do better in their rankings than pages that just match the keywords.
So how is Hummingbird going to affect your business and its web presence? Past changes to the Google algorithm have caused less traffic for websites and forced them to rethink their entire strategy. It is best to be prepared by making your site as mobile-friendly as possible, if you do not already have a mobile version of your site. Use large fonts so that the text is easy to read on a small screen. Make your content specific and eye-catching by getting to the point and placing appropriate images on the page. Ensure that your site is built using responsive web design, which allows it to automatically adapt to whatever device it is being viewed on. The easier your site is to navigate, the more likely users are to return and stay on your pages, showing Google that your site is relevant.
The most important point to consider is whether your website has content that answers specific questions. Think about what users are looking for when they come to your site and adapt your content accordingly. One good strategy: Make a list of questions that someone might type into a search engine that relate to your business, and revise your content to match the answers. This will make Hummingbird work for you and help you continue to get plenty of hits. Google claims that Hummingbird will not have negative effects on your site if you continue to provide original, high-quality content, but it's always a good idea to optimize further if you can.
Overall, sites that are able to answer searchers' questions effectively will have the most success with Google's Hummingbird update. It is estimated that this new algorithm will affect billions of websites and be involved in 90 percent of all searches. If you want to keep your rankings high and get visitors to your site, make sure your website's content answers specific user questions in your field. Do your research, spend some time making your site mobile-friendly, and reap the benefits of Hummingbird with more hits and higher profits.
Contact Brady Chatfield at [email protected]
Though the company regularly updates the algorithms that run its searches, Hummingbird is a much bigger change. Past updates such as Panda and Penguin just changed parts of the old algorithm, while Hummingbird is a complete algorithm overhaul.
Hummingbird works to understand the meaning behind each word in a search to give users a better match the first time instead of asking them to sift through several pages of sites that might not be relevant. They chose the moniker Hummingbird for this update precisely because Google claims it is "precise and fast." For businesses on the web, this means making some adjustments to SEO strategies to get optimal results from Hummingbird.
Google's Hummingbird update is more in tune with conversational searches. With more people browsing the web from mobile devices, more and more searches come from users speaking, telling the phone what they need instead of typing it. They ask specific questions looking for detailed answers. This is where Hummingbird comes into play. These adjustments were created to understand the meaning of entire questions instead of just individual keywords. For example, whereas before a user might have searched for "sandwich shop," now they might ask their phone to find "inexpensive sandwich shop in Portland Oregon." The Hummingbird algorithm is designed to process this information and find the most relevant and specific results. The idea is that pages that match the meaning of a search will do better in their rankings than pages that just match the keywords.
So how is Hummingbird going to affect your business and its web presence? Past changes to the Google algorithm have caused less traffic for websites and forced them to rethink their entire strategy. It is best to be prepared by making your site as mobile-friendly as possible, if you do not already have a mobile version of your site. Use large fonts so that the text is easy to read on a small screen. Make your content specific and eye-catching by getting to the point and placing appropriate images on the page. Ensure that your site is built using responsive web design, which allows it to automatically adapt to whatever device it is being viewed on. The easier your site is to navigate, the more likely users are to return and stay on your pages, showing Google that your site is relevant.
The most important point to consider is whether your website has content that answers specific questions. Think about what users are looking for when they come to your site and adapt your content accordingly. One good strategy: Make a list of questions that someone might type into a search engine that relate to your business, and revise your content to match the answers. This will make Hummingbird work for you and help you continue to get plenty of hits. Google claims that Hummingbird will not have negative effects on your site if you continue to provide original, high-quality content, but it's always a good idea to optimize further if you can.
Overall, sites that are able to answer searchers' questions effectively will have the most success with Google's Hummingbird update. It is estimated that this new algorithm will affect billions of websites and be involved in 90 percent of all searches. If you want to keep your rankings high and get visitors to your site, make sure your website's content answers specific user questions in your field. Do your research, spend some time making your site mobile-friendly, and reap the benefits of Hummingbird with more hits and higher profits.
Contact Brady Chatfield at [email protected]