Penguin, Panda, Hummingbird, Pigeon … it may sound like a menagerie, but it actually refers to new versions of the Google algorithm — and these feisty animals may have a huge impact on your business’s website search rankings. If you haven’t already jumped on the content marketing bandwagon, now is the time to do so.

The keyword-stuffing days are over.
According to Search Engine Watch, Google algorithms affect around 90% of online searches. The search mechanism has continuously grown more intelligent over the years, and can now identify “bad searches” (websites that keyword stuff, fill web pages with duplicate content, and use manipulated links) and remove them from results pages. People who have used “black hat” techniques in past, like backlink-spamming websites, will now be hurt by their efforts. Former top results could find themselves at the bottom of the ranks, with a steep climb back up ahead of them.

The new top of the food chain
So which sites will come out on top? According to Google, “In general, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by creating high-quality sites that users will want to use and share.” Sites that will be well-ranked now will have strong content relevant to keyword (or rather, keywords) searched.

People tend to search for complex phrases and questions in the attempt to get the best results. Google now acknowledges these practices with “semantic search” capabilities, which improve accuracy by understanding the intent of the user’s search as well as the contextual meaning. And when looking for the best match, content marketing is often a relevant and viable source of information.

The movement towards semantic searching will be very favorable toward content marketers since it is a top form of content that end-users value. So if you’re already using content marketing, good news! You’ll be further rewarded for what you’ve already done. If not, implementing a content marketing program could be the best way to make it up the Google ranks.

To establish a content marketing plan or take yours to the next level, talk to us. Contact the professionals at Proven Systems at (800) 720-5398 or info@provensystems.com for a no-cost consultation.