November 18, 2013

The Google Hummingbird update has made people rethink about the authority of content, and redefine strategies for keyword relevance and link building. The basis of this update is that Google wants to produce more relevant and informative results to its users, which makes it obvious that the emphasis for high SERP ratings on Google is content that is relevant and informative. The following tips guide you on how to create new website content, or modify your existing content after the hummingbird update:

  • The first step is to peruse your current content, keeping in mind what your target audience is likely to be searching for and thinking of. As opposed to thinking in keyword phrases, start thinking in conversational phrases. See if using complete titles instead of keyword-rich ones can improve traffic to your website. Also, emphasize on long-tail keywords with a key understanding of your target users’ search patterns.
  • Create standalone content. Make sure that each article has its own central concept, and has something unique to share. This is opposed to the conventional SEO technique of creating multiple articles with the same theme and then linking them to a tent pole article.
  • Lay special emphasis on headlines. Ideally, you should name all the digital content on your website, right from blog posts and videos to info-graphics. Use numbers whenever possible. For instance “11 great ways to…” Also, try using action words over nouns. The focus should be on the action resulted from the content, instead of merely describing what it is about.
  • The key to creating successful website content from a Google Hummingbird standpoint is making sure that every piece of content is a well-balanced mixture of sales, customer support, company information, and education.
  • Links remain the consistent SEO authority signals amidst all of Google’s updates, which emphasizes on the need to have a natural link-building program in place. Working on building a strong social media presence through your website content is a good way to do this. Even though this is not likely to generate links directly, but it can go a long way in building an audience for your brand, which can in turn help to generate high-quality links through relationship building and asking.

Follow this content marketing plan consistently, and make sure that all the content you update on your website is fresh and relevant.