Google Changed the Game—Yet Again—with Hummingbird. How Will Your Site Measure Up Now?

Google Changed the Game—Yet Again—with Hummingbird. How Will Your Site Measure Up Now?

If Google’s previous algorithm changes weren’t enough to convince you that successful search engine marketing is a full time job and best left up to the experts, Hummingbird, the most recent algorithm change announced by the search engine giant at the end of September, should convince you that staying visible and competitive on the web is a whole new ball game—yet again.

While the idea of keyword themes or semantic search is not news to us at The SEO Company, the degree to which Google is now considering semantic search when awarding rankings is worthy of a little explanation for all of you who don’t eat, sleep and breathe search engine marketing.

Now, instead of just trying to match the keyword terms people type into the search engine, Google is looking beyond this to determine the deeper meaning that’s behind those search terms. As Danny Sullivan explains, the search engine will now consider all of the keyword terms entered in a search of the web together, as opposed to zeroing in on individual keyword terms and finding the web pages that contain those terms but may not be a direct match for the meaning behind the user’s query.

Here’s an example: If you go to the web and search for a particular make and model of laptop, Google, post-Hummingbird, may know that the particular computer is sold at specific stores in your area. As always, Google’s latest algorithm change was brought about by the search engine’s desire to provide a better experience for their users. By understanding that the user’s search for ‘stores that carry Laptop XYZ,’ Google will provide search results that are more in-line with exactly what the user is after.

What does this mean for your website’s search marketing?

While Google claims that web owners needn’t do anything other than continue to update their sites with fresh, high quality content and interact via social media, we at The SEO Company feel this is yet another example of this search engine marketing trend: The days of DIY SEO and web marketing are over.

Without deep keyword research and the right formula for keyword term usage across your site and social channels, you will waste valuable time marketing on the web and will produce few, if any, real results.

Hummingbird has made it abundantly clear that, today, successful search engine marketing requires careful strategy that’s designed and refined by those in the know. Get in touch with The SEO Company on 1300 885 557 or email us here  to learn more about working with a web marketing and SEO team that’s committed to staying one step ahead of Google and its updates.