How to prepare for SEO 2.0
January 31, 2014 Leave a Comment
It’s been more than four months now since the formal announcement of Google’s latest major change to its search engine algorithm. Dubbed Hummingbird, the change has attracted minimal attention in eCommerce circles, partly because the update hasn’t appeared to affect rankings substantially.
Nonetheless, it could just be one of the most important shifts Google has made to its search engine technology — and merchants would do well to begin adapting their search marketing strategies accordingly.
To understand what Hummingbird is all about, think — the much-hyped eyepiece from Google, still in developmental release, that gives wearers a constant and hands-free connection to search, social media, video and still image recording and more. The device relies on verbal commands and queries from users, which means that search input no longer takes the form of keyword strings, but is framed in natural language — questions such as “where’s the best place to rent skis?”
Lest this technology sound too futuristic to be of immediate relevance, merchants should consider that many smartphones now accept spoken search and other commands — and those features are gaining traction. As of 2012, fully 87% of iPhone users had accessed the Siri virtual assistant in the past month, and a third of them used it “almost daily,” according to a study published in the Wall Street Journal. With a new wave of “smart watches” hitting the market that eliminate the need to pull devices from pockets before issuing commands, the numbers can only rise.
Hummingbird caters to this evolving consumer behavior by attempting to interpret the intent of the search query — not just the individual words within it. For example, rather than parsing the question above into the keywords “place,” “rent,” “skis”, Hummingbird is intended to take into account consumers’ location, correctly equate “place” to “business”, and deliver search results that are local and relevant.
In short, Hummingbird marks a major step in the evolution of search toward individual context. Google’s switch to encrypted search data, which results in a “100% (not provided)” analytics cipher for keywords, was — perhaps not coincidentally — enacted around the same time as Hummingbird, further driving home the point. While these changes may not herald the end of natural SEO we’ve predicted, they do mean merchants need to let go of keyword-obsessed “SEO 1.0” practices and focus instead on delivering contextually relevant content — “things not strings,” as one search expert has put it.
While the jury’s still out on the impact of Hummingbird, this shift may have positive implications for small- to mid-sized sellers. Rather than competing head-to-head with mass merchants using SEO 1.0’s blunt tools of keyword density and inbound link quality, brands can take advantage of their niche expertise and unique product offering to provide nuanced content that proactively addresses consumers’ needs. Among the strategies to consider:
Build customer service into the content experience. Merchants should consider how they can incorporate sought-after customer service information throughout the shopping experience. By collecting frequently-asked questions from the call center, live chat, email and elsewhere across the organization and then creating compelling and attractive content in response, merchants can proactively address shoppers’ concerns and provide natural-search-friendly content to boot. Content types to consider:
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Customer-driven Q and A content. “Question and answer” functionality gives shoppers the ability to seek information not included in brand-supplied product content or customer reviews; other customers as well as staff experts can respond to posted queries.
- In-depth buyers’ guides and research tools. In addition to providing buying guides attuned to the target audience, merchants should consider adding rich background information such as blog posts on the provenance of products, and tools such as product comparison to help guide purchase decisions.
MarketLive merchant Beachbody has created what are essentially microsites for its leading products, providing shoppers with a plethora of information about fitness programs. The P90X product page includes links to a FAQ about the program, answering questions on topics such as the equipment participants need and using nutritional supplements while following the program, as well as to product comparison tools and customer testimonials.
Develop a library of how-to videos. Product-specific customer service content, such as fit guides, installation instructions and usage ideas, make for compelling enhancements to product pages — especially in video form. As we’ve discussed previously, more than half of consumers say they consult videos on the product page, with video buying guides and product demonstration videos ranking as the most engaging, according to research from the E-Tailing Group.
Not only does practical video content increase relevance on the eCommerce site, but it can be syndicated to YouTube — which, as the Internet’s second-largest search engine, represents a significant opportunity to boost brand visibility..
Use schema markup. We’ve discussed before the benefits of using structured markup to help search engines intepret eCommerce content. While by no means a magic bullet, merchants who adopt structured markup are providing more context and specificity for their content — which is what Hummingbird aims to take into account in its search results.
Think local. Since Hummingbird is intended to factor location data into search queries, merchants with physical store outlets would do well to optimize their local listings and create location-specific content that extends far beyond a listing in the store locator. Dedicating pages to individual stores that provide local content about store events, display popular items in the region and feature local staff experts can help merchants gain visibility in local searches.
When they select a local store on the Guitar Center site, shoppers see a location-specific view that showcases in-store experts and events and enables local inventory search. More than a listing of store hours, the page is a viable entry point into the entire Guitar Center site.
How has Hummingbird affected your search visibility and/or SEO practices?
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