How to use Hummingbird to make your website fly
I KNOW hummingbirds can float but I did not know they could sting.
That is what you would think from the buzz around the SEO world after Google overhauled its algorithm recently to make it better at handling entries entered as questions. People are now so dependent on Google that they increasingly simply ask what they want to know. Smartphones that allow searches to be made by voice have accelerated the trend. The company’s Hummingbird update is designed to better get at what users want, pulling out clues about location, time frame and unstated intentions.
Search marketers are in a panic because the change makes it harder to work out the link between search keywords, page content and the ranking Google gives a page.
However, Google has been making it clear for some time that content producers should be focusing on their users’ needs, rather than trying to beat the search giant at its own game.
Smart SEO folk are doing just that. If users are asking questions, and if Hummingbird can now parse those questions, then make sure you have the answers.
Focus on what your potential customers are asking. Why are they asking these questions? Where are they coming from? What are their underlying needs and concerns.
Make a profile of your customer. Make several different profiles. What questions are they not asking? Think about their individual requirements. Make a list of their unique questions.
Then take that list of questions and write a FAQ.
Yes, frequently asked questions, the old overworked system administrator’s standby. Its finest hour has finally come.
Post your list of the frequently asked questions that best define your customers online. Even better, provide answers that explain what you do, where you are and what makes your offering unique. This type of content will become more important as Google gets smarter at working out where searchers are and what they actually want.
Go on, feed the Hummingbird. If you need help, contact us.