To excel at marketing, there is no doubt that you need to remain highly informed about Google best practices. Google rules the Internet, and Google Hummingbird now reigns supreme. If you have not done so already, it is high time to update your overall marketing strategy-optimizing for Hummingbird. Hummingbird is the most significant algorithm update within the last ten years. The new algorithm is more sophisticated and able to process more complicated search queries and return highly relevant content.
Hummingbird is the solution to users inputting longer and more complex search queries and using Google more and more on smartphones with voice search; Hummingbird provides more effective semantic search. For marketers, this requires a more holistic approach to high-quality content creation, which does not only revolve around keyword optimization. Marketers now need to consider how they can deliver the best possible experience for their audience. Create content that is highly valuable to your target audience, answers important questions and solves vital industry issues. The Hummingbird algorithm is Google's first step in evaluating the intent of your content and matching it to the intent of a searcher. Now, let us discuss some Google Hummingbird best practices.
Optimize Your Website and Blog for Mobile Users
Since Google has such a wealth of data on hand, the company can predict online trends more effectively than anyone else. The fact that Google has zeroed in on mobile Internet use and revamped their search processes in order to improve mobile results is telling; mobile Internet users should be a major concern for marketers. To optimize for mobile users, a good start entails responsive website design, ensuring that your website is fast and fixing any smartphone-only errors.
Get Noticed with the Aid of Google Authorship
Enable Google Authorship to have your reputation and influence as a content creator taken into account in Google search results via AuthorRank, which has altered inbound marketing in a major way. It is important for Google to know that you are the originator of your own content, which is where Google Authorship and AuthorRank can play a vital role. Implementing the rel=author meta tag for all your content allows you to publicly declare it as your own original work. Even if someone else posts your stolen content, they will be uncovered by Google and penalized according. Put the following steps into action:
- Edit your Google+ pages-both personal and business. Inform Google that you are an author for the websites that feature your content by adding their URLs to the "Contributor to" section.
- Create links from your content to your Google+ page. This step is easy, if you have email addresses on the same domains as the websites you added to the "Contributor to" section. Visit the Google Plus Authorship page to enter your email addresses. If this is not an option for you, you must add the following HTML code to the text of all your original content: <a href="[your profile URL]?rel=author">Google</a>.
- Test your content to verify that your Authorship set-up was effective by entering one of your article's URLs into Google's Structured Data Testing Tool. Your Google+ profile picture, byline and "More by [your profile name]" should show up in the sample search results.
Be Active on Google+
Utilizing all the tools Google has to offer will help you fare better with Google Hummingbird. Being an active Google+ user and publicizing your original content on the social network should be a no-brainer. Create a robust Google+ page for your company-featuring your main content topics in the introduction. Work to increase your influence and credibility on Google+ by leveraging authentic engagement and participating social discourse frequently. Share relevant, high-quality content, and foster relationships with industry influencers and thought leaders.
Have you established a strong social presence on Google+ and enabled Google Authorship? Are you publishing high-quality, valuable content, which will help you attain status as an industry influencer? These actions could help you please the Hummingbird.