Google’s recent launch of Hummingbird continues to prove that content is king in internet marketing.
Hummingbird is the name of Google’s latest improvement to their search algorithm and it will change the way many marketers produce and promote content. The past two named Google enhancements, Penguin and Panda, were additions to the existing algorithm. Hummingbird is a complete replacement and a major update like this hasn’t happened in over a decade. With the latest iteration is should not come as a surprise that quality content is still a vital necessity to rank well.
Search Engine Land reports that the new algorithm is less dependent on keywords and continues to encourage quality content that “helps people solve problems, or better yet, teaches them something.”
A big change in the algorithm is the conversational search. Google gives the example of “What’s the closest place to buy the iPhone 5s to my home?” Other search engines may look for matches for words like “buy” or “iPhone 5s,” whereas Google focuses on the entire search term. While this existed before, Hummingbird better focuses on the meaning behind each word to give better results. This will ensure that the entire query is taken into account, rather than particular words. Moreover, Google applies the meaning technology to billions of pages across the web.
Because Google can now better distinguish a user’s intent when searching, it can provide more relevant results. This is a huge benefit for B2B companies, which Applied Interactive works with. It can distinguish between those seeking editorial content around a keyword and those who want products or services.
Google claims that SEO is not dead, and that guidance remains the same: Produce original, high-quality content. Hummingbird enables Google to process keywords in new and hopefully better ways. Steven Rothschild, CEO of Applied Interactive summed it up, “If your business practiced White Hat SEO tactics, Hummingbird shouldn’t make a significant impact. If you used spammy content or black hat methods to game SEO, you may have a rude awakening. Quality content is king. Publish or perish.”
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