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The Evolution of SEO

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The Evolution of SEO

IntroductionThe growth of artificial intelligence and virtual assistants indicates a highly technological future—one where the next generation of consumers can get anything they want without lifting a finger. However, high costs combined with a necessary period of trial and error render AI and machine learning unable to become mainstream. Instead, the immediate future of technology is emerging in the form of consumer trends, voice search, and even local advertising.

SEO is ChangingNot long ago, search engine optimization (SEO) was the pinnacle of advertising tactics. Getting to the first page of Google search results with the help of strategically placed keywords was a priority for most businesses—but things have changed. In fact, keywords became so central that Google got smarter about which ones could actually trigger hits in search results. The Hummingbird update from Google, which launched in 2013, allowed Google’s algorithm to analyze not just keywords, but context.1 Understanding user intent became critical to scoring high in Google’s rankings.

After the Hummingbird update, companies that used a certain word too many times would be blacklisted, which prevented them from showing up in search results at all. Businesses now have to prioritize customers’ intent, rather than just their actions—and even then, high rankings are not always enough to garner website clicks. Google includes more than just links to other sites on its main results page today. The search process is simpler than it has ever been, and with so few steps between the query and the answer, businesses need to step up their game to be noticed.

People don’t even need keyboards to get their answers anymore—they can just ask their devices to do a search for them. The ease of voice search limits a user’s need to visit a company website to retrieve desired information. For example, people looking for good restaurants nearby can simply ask their voice assistant for options. The voice assistant will pull up several recommendations—along with locations and phone numbers—based on reviews and distance from the user, thereby eliminating the need for a website visit.

The Rise of Featured SnippetsWhen people search the web without using a voice assistant, they rarely need to click through to another page. The implementation of Google’s featured snippets has changed the value of SEO. While businesses used to be able to optimize for search results in an effort to show up on the coveted first page, featured snippets now draw clicks away from the first-ranked search results.2

Google includes more than just links to other sites on its main results page today. The search process is simpler than it has ever been, and with so few steps between the query and the answer,

businesses need to step up their game to be noticed.

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The Evolution of SEO

There is no tried-and-true, one-size-fits-all way to guarantee your position in featured snippets; instead, you must focus on data-driven, relevant content. If users search a popular location, current topic, or trending TV show, they will get a variety of recommendations such as the latest news stories, other search suggestions, and ways to watch the television show. Will your content be able to break through all the noise? Understanding your buyer is key. What are they searching for? What kind of information might they be missing? You can only be successful if you put in the effort to find the gaps and fill them.

Featured snippets come in four categories: paragraph, video, list, and table.3 Paragraphs offer short explanations in answer to a question. Similarly, videos appear in the snippet section in response to queries for footage. Lists provide step-by-step instructions, such as how to make a recipe, or they can simply be bullets with relevant information, such as a list of recent Oscar winners. Tables can organize data to provide users with a snapshot of content. For example, if someone is searching for population sizes across counties in a certain state, Google will find a site that offers that data and automatically format it into a table on its featured snippet. All these snippets show up before search results—which means people are more likely to pursue those links than any others that come later.

While each type of featured snippet is unique, the best practices for optimization remain similar for all of them. Here are a few tips to maximize your content’s relevance:

• Be concise: If your main information is too long, it won’t stand a chance of showing up in featured snippets. Consider the main idea of your page or article. What is the core concept you want to communicate? Try to sum that up in a few sentences.

• Consider search intent: Go beyond keywords. Think about the motivation behind your audience’s queries and try to use language that might go with your keywords organically.

• Use quality images: When people are looking for something specific, Google will often pull a picture of it. If you want your image to beat out the rest, make sure it’s an accurate photo—with descriptive alt tags that summarize its subject effectively.

If you spend time optimizing your content for featured snippets, it will pay off in the long term. More than 50% of clicks originate from featured snippets.4 Relevant content will win your audience’s attention and increase your engagement. Stop worrying about getting to the top of Google’s results page—because not all featured snippets come from the number-one search results. Even if your company is not the first-ranked position on Google, you can still drive clicks if you manage to get your website linked to featured snippets.

Optimizing for Voice SearchMore than any other trend, voice search is changing the way people acquire information. Up to 50% of all search activity is done vocally, and that number will only grow as technology expands and evolves.5 While the right combination of keywords used to be the primary goal for businesses that wanted to make the top list of Google search results, today the best way to draw attention online is to phrase your content as if you were answering a question.

If you are optimizing for featured snippets, you are already on your way to showing up in voice-search results too, since more than 40% of voice-search answers are pulled from featured snippets.6 This makes it even more important to ensure that your content is not just relevant but also easily understandable. People want

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The Evolution of SEO

answers in layman’s terms—they don’t want highly technical paragraphs. Yet, the use of short, strategic keywords does not necessarily optimize for search results anymore. Search topics are conversational. People use phrases like “What is…” and “Where can I find…” When using Google in its early years, it wasn’t uncommon to find people searching by putting a bunch of words together with little to no structure. For example, to find a toy for a child’s birthday, a parent might have searched, “kids toys birthday” to get results. Today, people ask their devices a fully formed question, such as, “What are popular toys for six-year-olds?” This illustrates why keywords are losing effectiveness.

As voice assistants grow in popularity, consumers expect to easily access more information from brands. One Google survey indicated that people want to be able to learn about companies’ deals, promotions, tips, upcoming events, and standard business information from their voice assistants.7 While this might mean less immediate hits to your website, it can go a long way toward building goodwill with your customers. By making your latest deals easily accessible, you provide your audience with the information they need to make purchases, demonstrating that you prioritize customers’ needs and desires.

Voice search is the way of the future—but to be successful at it, you need to consider the big picture. Is your website user-friendly? Is all your content relevant? Do your pages load quickly and efficiently? The average page that shows up in a voice search loads in 4.6 seconds—which is 52% faster than the typical page, according to Social Media Today.8 If these basic features are not in place, you will miss the rich opportunities that voice search offers.

Whether your potential customers are using mobile phones or smart speakers, all of them have access to voice search. It is not enough to hope your business gets results; you must know where and how to optimize your content.

Going LocalMany voice-search queries are for local information, since people often want to search for stores and restaurants in their immediate location. This presents a significant opportunity to communicate. One study by BrightLocal uncovered these statistics about voice search:

• 46% of voice search users search for a local business daily, with a further 28% searching once a week.

• 74% of smartphone voice search users search for local businesses at least once per week.

• 76% use smart speakers for local search at least weekly—with 53% searching every day.9

The door to becoming a top search result is open for organizations that want to get the attention from their communities. Ensure that your best deals and basic information are front-and-center on your website. You can also add “near me” in title tags, meta descriptions, and anchor text to optimize your content for more local searches.

Whether your potential customers are using mobile phones or smart speakers, all of them have access to voice search. It is not enough to hope your business gets results; you must know where and how to optimize your content.

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The Evolution of SEO

Voice search is not just about how your content stands up to an algorithm—you must follow your excellent search results with excellent buyer engagement and interaction. Your staff needs to be ready to answer questions and direct consumers toward any information that voice search does not cover. After a voice search, 28% of consumers are likely to interact with a local business via phone call.10 If your team isn’t prepared to engage consumers, invest in customer-service training to avoid losing business. Intrigued buyers will want to keep the conversation going with your company—so don’t just win search results; win your customers’ trust and respect, too.

ConclusionNavigating the ups and downs of SEO is difficult, especially as Google continually updates its algorithm to prioritize only the most data-driven, relevant content. If you do not play your cards right, you will end up at the bottom of Google’s results list, rather than the top. To take out the guesswork, contact us at 212 Media Studios. As an experienced marketing agency, we’re no strangers to the ever-changing rules of Google—and we will keep your website updated and optimized. Reach out to our team here.

References:

1. https://neilpatel.com/blog/seo-for-voice-search/

2. https://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/googles-featured-snippets-roundup-recent-stats-studies.html

3. https://optinmonster.com/optimize-content-for-featured-snippets/

4. https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/blog/12-seo-trends-for-2020-that-you-need-to-know/

5. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/seo-in-2020-how-to-perfectly-optimize-your-website-for-google-infographic/564061/

6. Ibid.

7. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/voice-assistance-consumer-experience/

8. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/seo-in-2020-how-to-perfectly-optimize-your-website-for-google-infographic/564061/

9. https://www.brightlocal.com/research/voice-search-for-local-business-study/

10. https://www.dialogtech.com/blog/voice-search-statistics/

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