Staying ahead of the curve in the digital marketing world means being aware of the latest developments in the field. This is especially true of search engine optimization (SEO) where the algorithms and best practices that drive results are constantly being changed and updated.
As marketing professionals, we need to stay immersed in the steady stream of news updates — and we want to keep our partners in the SEO loop. This week, there are a few important items to share, including an update to the look of desktop search results on Google as well as a new core update to Google’s algorithm. Finally, a prominent member of the Bing search team shares insights into researching for intent over keywords.
Google changes look of desktop search results
Recently, the Google Search Liaison team shared via Twitter that they would be rolling out an update to the look of their search results for desktop browsers such as Chrome and Firefox. The update will bring the appearance of search results closer to an update that was made to mobile results last year.
In addition to changes in the paid results to increase awareness that they are advertised, changes to the organic results include placing the URL above the page title and showing favicons, which are the small images associated with webpages.
Broad core update for Google search algorithm announced
Another recent update that was announced is an update to Google’s core algorithm, which they are calling the “January 2020 Core Update.” While there are currently not any specific details on the changes involved, Google urged webmasters to follow the guidelines on core updates they set out in their blog last year.
While there may be a strong inclination to react to individual pages that rise or fall in the rankings after a core update, the search company stresses to stay focused on producing quality content. The goal of organic search engines is to deliver useful and informative content to people performing searches, and the pages that do this should have the best chance of ranking on results pages.
Bing lead product manager stresses search intent over keywords
In a recent interview, Bing’s Frederic Dubut, a product management lead, shared some of his insights into SEO research for Bing and other search engines. While traditionally, keyword research has been the dominant focus for SEO strategies, Dubut says that is changing. Deep learning and other innovations mean that search engines are becoming more adept at gauging the actual intent of both searchers and pages on the web in an attempt to match them together.
This means that instead of overfocusing on basic keywords and keyword density, webmasters and content creators should be looking to understand the intent of trending searches and delivering relevant content.
Stay up to date with the experts at Burg & Co.
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