It’s been just under two months since Google replaced its existing algorithm with a new mathematical formula that determines where websites will appear on the results list. Unlike previous updates to the algorithm, this one was a complete revamp, which some people compared to dropping a new engine into an old car. For Google, Hummingbird represents a continuing dedication toward providing searchers with answers. This newest Google algorithm update also just so happens to coincide with the search engine’s efforts to provide more answers directly on the SERPs, which equates to more advertising revenue for the tech giant.
What does this mean for website owners and marketers, however? This is good news for mom-and-pop business owners who aren’t well versed in search engine optimization. SEO companies who were unfairly manipulating the results had a leg up over those small business owners who didn’t know about keyword research. This made Kansas City SEO for business owners frustrating. Hummingbird hopes to remedy this.
One change that some SEOs have noticed is that directories — both large and smaller, local listings — seem to be doing better since Google has released Hummingbird. This means that website owners will want to add their results to sites such as Yelp and Yellow Pages to ride the success of websites that Google already indexes. Industry directories and organizations such as your city’s local business groups also include lists of businesses that you’ll want to be on.
Despite the change in how the search engine works, this update wasn’t intended to penalize anyone. Google’s focus was to bring more helpful information right to the user. This can be seen with the carousel. When searchers want to find a local eatery or pub in an area, the carousel appears at the top of the page. It shows photos, ratings and addresses for businesses. Google obviously isn’t stepping away from local results, which is important for website owners who are focusing on local SEO for Kansas City.
Additional information shows up to the right of the search results, and Google users will see this information when using Google Maps to search for restaurants and other local establishments. This means that websites that get noticed contain this helpful information where Google’s bots can find it to add to the search engine database. Proper web design for Kansas City businesses will include names, addresses, hours of operation and phone numbers.
Google services such as Google+ and Places have also become important. The search engine will pull photos and videos from the former to display in the Knowledge Graph, while consumers can write reviews for your business on the latter. After five buyers have written reviews, the carousel will depict your average rating directly on the search results page. A high rating is certainly one way to attract more clients.
Of course, this all hinges on whether a website provides valuable content for visitors. Without it, achieving that high rank in the days after Hummingbird will be nearly impossible. Contact Fox Web Creations for more information on Kansas City SEO or local optimization.
