It practically seems like Google changes its algorithms every few weeks.
While it might not be that frequent, the changes still matter, particularly when it comes to your content marketing strategy. After all, how your content ranks on Google’s search engine plays a significant role in how many eyeballs see it. Just consider the following:
- Google accounts for more than 65 percent of all Web searches.
- Believe it or not, 70 percent of Internet users will click on one of the first three links that pop up after a search; 90 percent will find what they’re looking for on the first page.
Last month, Google announced yet another change to its search engine algorithm. Dubbed Panda 4.1, the algorithm will better identify low-quality content. Google hopes that this update will result in more diversity among high-quality small-and medium-sized site rankings.
According to Google’s Webmaster Trends Analyst, Pierre Far, the change will only affect 3 to 5 percent of search queries. That might not sound like a whole lot, but you will most certainly feel the impact of the new algorithm if your brand falls within those queries.
So what can you do to make sure that Google’s search engine spiders still crawl all over your site, bringing you up to the top of results organically? Here are three things to consider:
- Reduce your bounce rate as much as possible. Your website’s bounce rate refers to the number of visitors who click on your site via a search engine, don’t find what they want, and quickly go elsewhere. Google, of course, prefers Internet users to click on sites they like and stay there for quite some time. In order to improve your bounce rate, you need to make sure your website’s laid out in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing. You also have to make sure there’s enough whitespace and complementary graphics, too.
- Ramp up your social presence. The more you engage with your customers across various social media channels—whether to promote your content or simply start a conversation—the more likely they’ll be to share your content. Google’s spiders notice when your customers interact with you on social channels. As a result, your rankings should enjoy a bump as more of your audience interacts with you socially.
- Improve your click-through rate. A big part of Google’s algorithm is determined by your click-through rates, which is just what it sounds like: the amount of times people see your listing and decide to click on it to see what you have to offer. To improve your click-through rate, you’re going to want to craft your title in a way that includes a phrase you think your customers are likely to look for. The same goes for your meta-description tag, which essentially serves as a teaser for your site.
Does this all seem like it’s over your head? Don’t worry if that’s the case—we’ll answer any questions you might have.
In any case, good luck!
Edited by
Brooke Neuman
