You might have heard that Google recently released the biggest update to its search algorithm in many years. It’s called Hummingbird and it represents a change in the way Google reacts to different types of queries, enabling the search engine to get the actual meaning behind a query, rather than the individual keywords in it. Prior to Hummingbird, Google would ignore certain words in search queries. Now Google considers each word in the query to get a better understanding of the searcher’s intent.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• LinkedIn

So what does this mean for your website?

Google says this will return better results, but what does the algorithm change mean to you and your website? Before you start to panic that your SEO (search engine optimisation) strategy needs a total revamp, bear in mind that the only thing that is really going to change in a meaningful enough way to be noticeable is the way Google’s new algorithm interprets the way we search. The following things continue to matter:

• Content is still king – as long as it is engaging and original
• Legitimate back links that are earned using proper SEO are still important
• Keywords are not dead, but they will still need to be carefully placed and used in moderation

So, what IS different?

Hummingbird was formed to cater for ‘long tail’ search queries; these search terms are longer and more conversational than before. With users becoming increasingly comfortable using search engines, alongside the emergence of voice activated technology, queries tend to be more question-like, rather than solely keyword focused. Google Hummingbird seeks to understand the intent of their search engine users, which they say will result in more precise results being returned. By grasping the objective of searches which contain words such as, ‘who, what, how, where, why, when’, Google aims to answer the questions posed by their users more efficiently.

What changes should you make?

The algorithm changes mean that you can no longer depend on a few keywords to master Google Search. You will need to start shifting your content away from keyword research and towards market research, identifying what potential customers want to know, and answering those needs better than anybody else on the web.

Write your content around long-tail subjects; make it authoritative and informational and best suited to human readers. Instead of targeting a specific keyword density, focus on one main keyphrase and diversify your optimisation by using related terms and phrases. Think about the information you are about to impart and consider how a person would ask for that information aloud – this will help you to identify your keyphrases.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• LinkedIn

Don’t regurgitate obvious information about a topic; produce fresh ideas and information. Google’s love of unique content still stands, and adding new information to your subject of choice is offering nectar to those hummingbirds!

With Google’s reassurance that there’s nothing new or different SEOs or publishers need to worry about, you are on the right track if you have original, high quality content, and relevant websites linking to your own website, and your website is still going to rank well. Signals that have been important in the past remain important; Hummingbird just allows Google to process them in new and hopefully better ways.

Google chose the name because hummingbirds are “precise and fast”; they are also highly intelligent, efficient, flexible and adaptable. If you bring these qualities to your online marketing campaign, you’re sure to keep on the right side of Google’s little bird!