In December 2020, Google rolled out it’s latest broad core algorithm update. Although the specifics of these core updates weren’t made public, we’re covering the main changes that we’ve found and how they could benefit your business or organization’s search engine optimization strategy.
The Authority in E-A-T
EAT, the common Google acronym for search engine optimization, has become increasingly important. We all share the same goal: to have our website ranked as best as possible on a search results page. So, what’s the big change this time around?
The major update is mainly in regard to the “A” in EAT, also known as Authority. When a page is marked as having more authority over another, its ranking improves greatly. However, Google has been working on deciphering what really gives a page authority. Their conclusion? Having the right links matter. It’s not about the number of links, but the quality of those links that build a sense of authority on your page.
Wondering how to implement this in your own digital strategy? This is a long, strategic process but you can’t start adding links to your pages from reputable news sources and other sites that also have good authority. You must build a natural, trustworthy base of resources overtime in order for your content to rank higher. And continue to say no thanks to the many “link building” (aka black hat) offer emails and services you get hit up with regularly.
Content Still Reigns
We all know that “content is king”. Incorporating high-quality content onto your pages is still one of the best ways to increase your website’s ranking, but it’s important that the content is your own and is highly specific to the topic the person is searching for. The more unique and higher quality the content, the better. Google will pick up on content within your pages that may be repetitive, not only to your brand but to other brands and websites as well. Additionally, with this new algorithm update, it appears that the more highly specific it is to the target search, the better the ranking may be.
Focusing your content marketing efforts to your site’s headlines and body copy are beneficial to increasing your ranking in Google. Research keywords that drive traffic and create compelling content that will keep new and existing website visitors on your pages longer.
It’s All in The Computers
When it comes to the ranking of websites, the entire process is ultimately done by machine learning tools – tons of them, in fact. No, there is not a team of Google employees who sit behind their desk all day and individually rank websites per search query. Instead, they use digital tools that work together with algorithms and weigh the legitimacy of your website as a whole.
These algorithms and processes are changing many times a day, but most are relatively minor. While the mathematical details around the algorithms aren’t revealed, there are many credible sources that track which have the most impact to sites. Successful website managers and search engine optimization companies need to work alongside these core updates to maintain or improve a website’s organic rankings.
Cover All Your Bases
SEO is one piece of the marketing puzzle and goes well beyond optimizing content, meta tags and linking strategy. Comb through every detail of your website, from how your content is laid out, to some of the more technical ranking factors. That way, when Google crawls your website and gives it a rank on a customer’s search results page, your brand will show hierarchy over those who didn’t put in the effort.
Not sure where to start? Let a SEO expert at ZAG help guide you and your website in the right direction.