Online marketing is a critical element for every business that hopes to thrive and grow in the long run. There are different techniques that you can utilize if you would like to increase the popularity of your company on online platforms. One of the most crucial techniques to consider using is content optimization. Content can be defined as the written material that people see when they visit specific websites or pages. Therefore, content optimization is the process through which you make the text on your website more attractive to search engines and your visitors.
When planning a marketing strategy, it is important to include content optimization in your plan. Good optimisation will ensure that your website content (and subsequently your business) are discovered by users with ease through Google and other search engines. In simple terms, you must present relevant data in order to be discovered and displayed on the top search results. Unfortunately, most companies are still using outdated SEO techniques in their content marketing efforts. This translates into unnecessary loss of human resources and finances.
Google Search Algorithms
The value of search engines lies in their ability to present relevant and high quality results to users. Typically, when an individual types a query into the search field, Google will use a special algorithm to find the best answer. The search engine will perform data processing and execute various calculations and automated reasoning tasks. Simply speaking, the engine will analyze the words, match the search with various websites and then rank the results. This will allow Google to present the results for the query in order, depending on their relevance and value.
In traditional SEO, content optimization was focused on specific target keywords. This practice was designed to allow pages in a website to be found by building content around one keyword which was most valuable for the website. Google would rank these pages higher because the algorithms used were simple. Since the engine could not reason like a human, some results presented were of low value to users. Also, the website owners were forced to develop separate pages for different keywords, even when the keywords had the same underlying meaning.
The Changes in Google Search Algorithms
Recently, Google technicians have performed numerous updates to their algorithms in order to improve the user experience. Consequently, the standards upheld by the search engine with regard to web results have become higher. The objective of the improvement is to understand the query presented by the user rather than simply matching up the typed words to the keywords used by website owners. Therefore, the current ranking is not only about the keywords and the links – It is about how well the results answer the question presented.
By leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence, the Google Search Engine has developed to the point where the intent of the user can be determined. This means that when users input their query, the engine can determine the connections between related topics, entities and words. The algorithm which has facilitated this technological advance is commonly known as Hummingbird. Hummingbird is a semantic algorithm which deviates from the traditional ‘exact keyword match’ when generating results. Also, it goes beyond recognizing synonyms; it has the ability to judge the context of the user. Basically, the algorithm will recognize the topic of the search and its connection to the content in the relevant websites. Consequently, users can get the right results even when they use natural language.
Therefore, if you would like to get better results through content optimization, you cannot afford to rely on traditional SEO practices. Relying on content creation around exact keywords will result in decline of your website ranking in search. For the best results, you must cover each topic in your website with depth. Google will recognize its significance in all related searches and rank you better, even if you have fewer links. This process of improving your search engine ranking is known as topical optimization.
