Google algorithms exposed: How to identify SEO themes and drive more traffic

Transcription

1 Google algorithms exposed: How to identify SEO themes and drive more traffic

2 Google Algorithms Exposed: How to Identify SEO Themes and Drive More Traffic #BVSpotlights Insights from the network People want fresh, relevant search content, and Google strives to give the people what they want. Since the company s inception, this user-focused commitment has remained at the company s core working tirelessly to help search users find the information they re looking for as quickly and painlessly as possible. Whether you re a runner looking for the newest shoes for an upcoming race, a pet owner looking for the best brand of organic dog food, or an aspiring photographer looking for the most affordable entry-level digital SLR, odds are good that you ll turn to Google to initiate your search. Google s delivered on its promise of a superior user experience, earning the company the top spot as the most often used search engine with market ownership at nearly 65%. How is it that Google can stay so far ahead of the competition? Through testing, tweaking, and adjusting, Google has a long history of algorithm updates, search engine changes, and refreshes. While casual search marketers may read about an update or two over the course of a year, Google adjusts its algorithms closer to 600 times annually. Aside from major updates like PageRank, Panda, or Penguin, most updates go unnamed, unpublicized and, often, unknown. As a marketer, how can you know which ones you should pay attention to? Eighty-nine percent of consumers turn to search to find information on products, services or businesses prior to making purchases. Given the importance of search in today s buyer s journey, it s critical that companies stay abreast of Google s algorithm updates and the resulting implications on their search marketing strategy. While some updates may have only minimal if any impact on rankings, understanding the core reasons for updates can provide valuable insights to help guide your search marketing efforts. Over the past few years, Bazaarvoice has done an in-depth study of Google s investments and algorithm updates over its sixteen-year history. We asked the question, Why did Google win? and have uncovered some common themes to help guide your search marketing strategy. In this e-book, we ll provide a brief history of Google algorithm changes, introduce a framework to guide your SEO strategy, and provide best practices and proven techniques to improve your search marketing strategy. 2 3

3 #BVSpotlights 1996 PageRank Developed by Sergey Brin and Larry Page (updated frequently) A Brief history of Google updates While Google has a long history of algorithm updates, the following is a collection of some of the most critical updates that marketers should be familiar with. JUNE 2010 FEB The original Google algorithm (as well as the best known), PageRank is a way of measuring the importance of websites. According to Google, PageRank works by counting the number and quality of links to a page to determine a rough estimate of how important the website is. The underlying assumption is that more important websites are likely to receive more links from other websites. Caffeine After months of testing, Google released Caffeine a massive infrastructure change designed to speed crawling, expand the index, and integrate indexation and ranking in nearly real time. Caffeine not only boosted Google s speed, but also more tightly integrated crawling and indexation, resulting in (according to Google) a 50% fresher index. Panda (updated 25 times since) Panda rolled out for the purpose of boosting the rankings of high-quality sites that provide valuable content. Panda sought to eliminate websites with low-quality content that used of black-hat SEO techniques to drive traffic. 4 5

4 Google Algorithms Exposed: How to Identify SEO Themes and Drive More Traffic #BVSpotlights JUN Schema.org/Rich Snippets APR Penguin (updated 6 times) NOV Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft jointly announced support for a consolidated approach to structured data where they created a number of new schemas to help produce even richer search results. Structured data markup in Web content helps Google algorithms better index and understand the content. Using this structured data, Google can add utility to search by including things like product information, review data, recipes, and events. Freshness Google announced that an algorithm change rewarding freshness would impact up to 35% of queries (almost 3X the publicly-stated impact of the original Panda udpate). The freshness update primarily affected time-sensitive results but signaled a much stronger focus on recent content. AUG Google launched the Penguin Update to better catch sites deemed to be spamming its search results, in particular those doing so by buying links or obtaining them through link networks designed primarily to boost Google rankings. Hummingbird Hummingbird was a Google infrastructure update intended to help the search algorithm better understand the context behind a user s search. The update enables Google to better-leverage language nuances like synonyms, past search history, geolocation, and other contextual data to improve the relevance of search results. JAN Top Heavy (a.k.a. Page Layout Update) Google updated its page layout algorithms to devalue sites with too much ad space above the fold. The update had no official name, although it was referenced as Top Heavy by some; it s been updated twice since. 6 7

5 #BVSpotlights So what does this mean for marketers? Where should you place your time and budget to win in search? The short answer: Marketers need to invest where Google invests. Rather than analyzing each individual update and adjusting your search strategy accordingly marketers will be better served by focusing on the underlying themes that each of Google s updates is designed to address. Invest where Google invests What matters to Google, you ask? The following is a breakdown of the core themes and their corresponding updates with baseline goals that marketers should strive to achieve: 1 2 Content (Panda): Include 800+ fresh words on each page Freshness (Schema.org, Freshness, Caffeine): Refresh content daily 3 Markup (Schema.org / Rich Snippets): Code pages with proper Schema.org markup 4 Reputation (Penguin, PageRank): Use date and author data to communicate social 5 User Experience (Top Heavy, Hummingbird): Load social content without a click 8 9

6 #BVSpotlights What percentage of your marketing budget goes to paid search today? What percentage of your budget do you allocate for organic search initiatives? Looking at 1.4 billion search queries, a recent study concluded that organic search results are clicked an astounding 94% of the time. The truth about search position Take a moment to consider how you personally use Google and this may not be all that surprising. If you re like most, you re probably conditioned to move quickly past paid search elements and focus on the listings that have genuinely earned their position, overlooking advertising entirely. Similarly, a growing number of consumers use ad-blocking software, preventing them from seeing ads in search at all. Considering that the top five organic listings receive about 70% of all clicks, it s worth evaluating the investments you are currently making in paid and organic search initiatives. Is your budget allocation in these two areas proportionate with the opportunity? A recent study concluded that organic search results are clicked of the time. 94% 10 11

7 Google Algorithms Exposed: How to Identify SEO Themes and Drive More Traffic #BVSpotlights Paid search is only 6% of Google In 1.4 billion queries - users click organic results 94% of the time. Source: Nielsen and GroupM UK Paid: 6% The value of top SERP position The top 3 results get 55% of organic search clicks in Google. Source: Moz.com Position 4-5: 15% Organic: 94% Beyond the top five rankings, all others listings account for the other 30% of clicks. All Others: 30% Position 1-3: 55% If you find your pages in the red (or yellow), you could be a prime candidate for improving your rankings by tweaking to your organic search strategy. In the next chapter, we ll show you how breaking down the six ways that consumers search for products and offering tips to help your company optimize for each

8 #BVSpotlights The six bands of search: a roadmap to optimizing for Think about how you might use Google when considering a purchase decision. For example, what are the variations of phrases that you might use when attempting to research or buy a new pair of running shoes? When searching, your query will almost always fall into one of the following categories: Domain Only Branded Categories Generic Categories shopper keywords Generic Categories + Adjectives Product Names and IDs Typically, all product and service-related queries fall into one of six categories or bands of search. By familiarizing yourself with the search terms and phrases consumers are using access your brand, you ll be able to better plan a holistic search strategy identifying opportunities to fill gaps that may be weak or nonexistent today. Extreme Long Tail Looking over the band groupings, consider which bands your company is currently optimized for. If you re not sure, consider running some test searches in anonymous mode, signed out from Google services using variations of the above for your own products and services. Are you ranking well for all of the ways that consumers might search for your products? Where do you see opportunities for improvement? 14 15

9 #BVSpotlights Search and CGC: a match made in heaven As previously mentioned, Bazaarvoice has uncovered that the overwhelming majority of Google investments can be mapped back directly to one of five foundational themes content, freshness, markup, reputation, and user experience. Through ongoing experimentation, we ve developed a formula of our own to help guide marketing initiatives and help marketers cater to each of these themes. You probably already know that consumer-generated content (CGC) like reviews can give prospective customers the confidence to buy and boost your conversions rates. Did you also know that CGC can be extremely influential in improving organic search rankings as well? Time and time again, studies have shown that integrating CGC ratings and reviews, questions and answers, local testimonials, and curated social content on your site will improve search rank. Whether you re currently incorporating CGC into your SEO strategy or not, it s worth revisiting exactly how CGC maps to the themes that matter to Google: Content: CGC creates a wealth of content, adding thousands of productspecific keywords to your site. This ever-changing content and keywordrich CGC greatly improves the relevancy of a page. Furthermore, as opposed to marketing copy, CGC is written how consumers actually speak and search, improving the chances of capturing long-tail search terms. Freshness: Google values fresh content and as consumers are always commenting on, asking questions about, and sharing experiences about products and services CGC provides a steady flow of content that can freshen an otherwise stagnant page daily. Product pages often won t change for weeks or even months at a time. Consumers are always shopping, though, and regularly capturing their voice keeps product pages fresh in Google s eyes

10 Google Algorithms Exposed: How to Identify SEO Themes and Drive More Traffic #BVSpotlights Markup: When markup is properly structured, Google will use CGCbased information to display rich snippets complete with the star images, as well as the product s average rating and review count. These enhanced search listings stand out compared to standard rankings and have been proven to drastically improve click-through rates. Reputation: Generally, CGC will include author information and user profile data author name, location, and other relevant product-specific attributes which signals to Google that the content is social, legitimate, and not simply keywords stuffed by marketers to improve rank. In a world where reputation is so much more than inbound links, it s essential to properly communicate the social activity that is happening in your domain. User Experience: While content and markup factor heavily into Google s algorithm, equally as important to both Google and, of course, users is the experience once visitors reach a page. Content should load quickly and be to match the actual meaning of a user s search, rather than simply matching a few sporadic keywords. Understanding that a well-integrated CGC strategy can lead to huge improvements in organic search, there are considerations that help some CGC stand out above the rest. In the following section, we ll break things down even further, sharing CGC best practices and how they relate to the varying bands of search

11 #BVSpotlights Branded Keywords Best practice: mapping CGC Homepage-Only Keywords Generally these queries happen when a consumer is familiar with your brand, is just browsing, and doesn t yet have a specific product in mind. Queries may take the form of your company name, a misspelling of your company name, or your entire domain entered directly into the search box. to the six bands of search Let s now consider the three groupings of search bands brand/ domain-only, product-specific, long-tail, and category-focused keywords to show you how CGC can be used to improve page relevance throughout the buyer s journey, and boost your traffic: The best way to build branded authority is with good old-fashioned branding activity press releases, social media profiles, content marketing, etc. and, of course, owning a domain that matches your company name. Ensure that you own both your domain name and common variations of your company name. Assuming you re already doing this, you re likely in good standing for specifically branded terms. While CGC carries only minimal impact on this band, it can still be beneficial as it increases branded keyword density throughout your site and, in some cases, on social sites where CGC has been shared

12 Google Algorithms Exposed: How to Identify SEO Themes and Drive More Traffic #BVSpotlights Product Keywords Product-Specific Keywords There are only so many ways to describe a running shoe, but the inclusion of CGC can effectively differentiate your product pages from pages with similar descriptions across the Web. The authority earned with your branding efforts can be supplemented by CGC to improve freshness, keyword density, and a range of other algorithmic factors that dictate rank. Long-Tail Keywords Furthermore, CGC can also help your capture extreme long-tail phrases. These queries occur only sporadically to address niche needs, though the cumulative impact of these searches can be substantial. CGC can help produce these often obscure word combinations and phrases that would not otherwise be covered in product description or marketing copy. The queries typically happen when a purchase decision has already been made and a user is hunting for deals or the best price prior to purchase. The phrases used in these searches are usually very specific. Category-Focused Keywords Category-focused queries are typically used in the product discovery process, referring to a broad category of product or service. Keywords can be fairly generic particularly when not branded and some of the hardest to optimize for due to the sheer breadth of competition. Category-level queries fall into one of three groups

13 Google Algorithms Exposed: How to Identify SEO Themes and Drive More Traffic Category-Focused Keywords (cont.) Branded Category Queries These search terms generally occur when a customer is already loyal to your brand, and researching your offering in a given category. Generic Category + Adjectives Queries The characteristics of these searches are similar to those of Generic Category queries, though a user likely already has an awareness of the specific product attributes that are important to them. Generic Category Queries These searches most often occur during the product discovery phase. While a user may have identified a need, they probably aren t loyal to a particular brand and not yet familiar with the category s offerings. While many brands have developed strategies to optimize for product-level searches, category-level optimization has traditionally been a tougher nut to crack. Many companies struggle to show up on the first page for category-based searches often resorting to substantial investments in paid search to help fill in gaps. While SEO strategists are aware of the opportunity at the category level, the tools at their disposal can be fairly limited. Why is it that category pages get the short end of the SEO stick? Quite simply, most category pages are not content-rich, a key rank determining factor across Google algorithms. You may have a grid of product images, each with a unique product name and price, but that s often the extent of it. At best, you ll have summary product descriptions or a few paragraphs of relevant introductory copy, but this is often marketing copy that doesn t contain consumer-generated keywords and is rarely, if ever, updated over time. As a result, category page ranking and traffic do not improve

14 Google Algorithms Exposed: How to Identify SEO Themes and Drive More Traffic #BVSpotlights Bazaarvoice found that category-level searches represent 60 70% of all non-homepage organic search traffic. To put things into perspective, consider that while increasing product page traffic by 15% may get you 10,000 more visitors a month, increasing category page traffic by the same amount will net you 50,000 new visitors. Clearly, optimizing for category-focused search presents a huge opportunity for search marketers. A fairly new practice, and one that Bazaarvoice endorses, is the incorporation of relevant CGC on category-level pages. In doing so, marketers can realize benefits similar to when CGC is integrated into the product page experience and stand out from the competition in search. By incorporating CGC into category pages, brands have a much better chance for ranking on unbranded queries. In our experience, category-level CGC has resulted in 15%+ increase in unbranded organic traffic. Furthermore, in A/B testing, a leading appliance brand saw that category pages with CGC performed 4X better in search rankings and experienced a 25% increase in clicks

15 #BVSpotlights The bottom line As Google continues to update their search algorithms both implementing new rules and refreshing core algorithms it s critical that marketers follow their lead and invest where Google invests. The incorporation of consumer-generated content across the buyer s journey presents a tried-and-true strategy to address and optimize for the key themes that matter to Google. Written in a way that consumers actually speak and search, CGC content lines up directly with Google s broader aspirations understanding users underlying search aspirations in order to produce the most relevant search experience. The utility of CGC has long been implemented at the brand and product level, however the opportunity to utilize CGC to optimize for category search is just recently coming to fruition. Marketers who seize this opportunity will win providing a better on-site experience for users, reducing investments in paid advertising, and driving substantial traffic and sales. Sources U.S. Desktop Search Marketplace Report, comscore qsearch, April 15, Google Algorithm Change History, SEOmoz. Annual Global Digital Influence Index, Fleishman-Hillard and Harris Interactive. Evaluating the UK Search Marketing Landscape: Exposing SEO CTRs by Industry and Who Clicks on PPC, Nielsen and GroupM UK. blog/10586-ppc-accounts-for-just-6-of-total-search-clicks-infographic Google Organic CTR Study 2014, Advanced Web Ranking. advancedwebranking.com/google-ctr-study-2014.html Bazaarvoice Client Data

16 About Bazaarvoice Bazaarvoice is a network that connects businesses to the authentic voices of people where they shop. Each month, more than 400 million people view and share authentic opinions, questions and experiences, and Bazaarvoice powers over 30 million local service reviews. The company s technology platform amplifies these voices into the places that influence purchase decisions. Network analytics help marketers and advertisers provide more engaging experiences that drive brand awareness, consideration, sales, and loyalty. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Bazaarvoice has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit read the blog at bazaarvoice. com/blog, and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/bazaarvoice

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