Did I really have to say it? No.
We all know Google runs SEO, and how we live our lives on the internet. They staff over 20,000 people and make billions of dollars in revenue each quarter. They own Motorola, YouTube, and spent almost a billion dollars alone on an app called Waze (Google it). Their interns average $6,000 a month, and their Googleplex looks more like a college campus than your average company headquarters.
Well over 2/3rds of all online search queries are done on Google. This makes them by far one of the most influential companies as well. Whether we like it or not.
This became even more so when Google somewhat quietly introduced their new search algorithm last month, entitled Hummingbird.
If Google was a newspaper, articles about the gold iPhone 5, the NSA leaks and even the new Grand Theft Auto would be making the headlines. But for many companies, Google’s Hummingbird is making them as unnoticeable as classified ads.
Typically when someone Google’s something, it is along the lines of “When did Larry Bird retire from basketball?” rather than “Larry Bird retire year.” Why? Because most people Google how they think and talk. And Google is trying to make the answers to your questions as personable and as human-like as possible.
Now, Google will not eliminate the “when,” “did,” and “from’s” in your search. They will blast through the billions of pages on the internet to answer your question in about .38 seconds. Google already tries to know what you’re thinking (just type in “What is” … Miley Cyrus would be proud). But they don’t want to just finish your sentence based on keywords. They want to help understand the concepts and meanings of your searches as fast and as precise as well… a hummingbird.
Gone are the days where you can cram keywords and videos on you page and think that that is considered content. For the better, or for the worse, Google is making companies work for it. To provide deep, meaningful content. To give something of value rather than volume.
What can small business do to survive?
Think CONVERSATION. Think QUALITY. And think NATURAL LANGUAGE.
If you were looking for your product or service, what would you type in to Google? “Women’s shoes” or “What are the comfiest running shoes for women?” “Law Firm” or “Personal injury attorney in Buffalo?” or the perfect example HubSpot used:
“… ‘How do I fix the chain on my Trek mountain bike?’ Google now understands that you’re neither shopping for a bike nor a bike chain, but you're looking to fix said chain. They are now prioritizing the context of the query as much as the content…”
Have you ever tried to impress Google? Didn’t think so. And neither does anyone else. Use simple words in your content. Hop on hot topics. Are you an environmentally conscious company? Give your opinion on the next BP oil spill on your blog. Own a restaurant and trying to sell your sauces online? Write a post on your favorite BBQ or pie recipe. These types of posts will attract people, increase your page views and in the long run, create a new potential customer.
COME BACK LATER FOR PART 2!
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