3 Things Businesses Need to Know About Google's Biggest Change-Hummingbird 2014

You may be asking what all this hub bub is about the new Google Hummingbird. Or maybe you’re thinking “What the heck is Hummingbird? I thought it was a bird, not something to do with Google”.

Of course, I was thinking the same thing. I even went as far as searching ‘hummingbird’ on Google only to find myself scrolling through a lot of lovely photos of a quaint little bird.

The fact is, Google SEO (Search Engine Optimization) experts are talking about Hummingbird because it’s imperative to know the curve we are on and not be behind it. To understand the scope of these changes would be incomprehensible unless you heard it from Google’s search chief himself, Amit Singhal, who says “It’s really big.”

Okay, so you can comprehend that, but algorithms, content, and linking may not come as naturally. If you are a newbie to the whole Google, SEO, rankings stuff and you want to know more for your own education, Search Engine Land gives a great brief overview of Hummingbird.

(I’m sure if you are a friend of mine you have heard me talk about it quite enough. Thank you.)

In this article, I will reveal how Hummingbird implements a more conversational search style (in response to the growing mobile data usage), why you should care about your social status and how to use links to boost your legitimacy- and ultimately your business.

The change began officially in September 2013. It affects 90% of your search engine results.

Hold the press, 90%? Yes. 90%. That means only 10% has stayed the same. I’m sure it wasn't necessary to say that, but I wanted to emphasize the scope of changes they made! It may not have affected you, but they are still slowly testing and implementing changes that could affect your website, blog or profile.

Allow me to explain to you what Google Hummingbird really is (obviously not a bird), why you should care about it, and what you can do to benefit from it.

1) Google has implemented a more conversational search style.

What does that mean?

It’s not all about your keywords anymore.

In one example about the effect on B2B sites, Harrison Jones, from Search Engine Land tells us:

Instead of focusing on a keyword Hummingbird values sites based on the user intent of the search, and ranks pages based on the context it would appear in a conversation.

Why should you care?

Hummingbird is not looking at your keyword as much as it is on the content of what your site has to offer. 

Jones also states “You’ll need to create new (non service- or product-oriented) content around the topic that’s geared toward providing quality information for those searching and talking…” about your keyword.

What do you do in response?

Jones would tell you to “Use these keywords to help build a list of topics for new content. These topics can be used for blog posts, thought leadership, social media posts and any other form of online content marketing”.

Basically, the content is what matters. When someone is looking for you, Google can connect them to you best through a blog on that topic, for example.

2) Google is judging your social status.

What does that mean?

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, any social media platform has you attached to it as an author and ultimately will affect your ranking.

Why should you care?

Since you, as an author, are connected to any of your social pages and those are included in your ranking having a stronger social status online will give you the perfect opportunity to meet with your target market.

Jim Yu, from Search Engine Land, leads the way sharing the secrets of Hummingbird’s strategy. He says “With the release of Hummingbird, it’s expected that social signals will have more of an impact on Google rankings. It’s already been shown that increasing engagement on Twitter can increase search rankings, and Google Plus profiles and pages have an impact on ranking as well”.

What do you do in response?

Yu recommends some tips:

·         Participate in Google Plus, Facebook, and Twitter, whether you’re a business or an individual. Here, he offers some specific suggestions for getting the most out of Facebook Graph search.

·         If you’re a business, don’t forget about LinkedIn. Here are some tips he provides for optimizing your LinkedIn company page.

3) Implementing links will make you more legitimate in Google’s eyes.

What does that mean?

Nate Dame, another expert from Search Engine Land explores the impact of link building and shares this information with us:

“Everything we do should also focus on the end user. More than ever, link building needs to be focused on providing real (significant) value to users. Is our site worth the links we are trying to earn?”

Why should you care?

Bottom line, Google will reward you when you give real value to your users through your links to other helpful sites. Especially links to other sites that are ranked higher than you. On the other hand, they will most definitely punish you if when you drive false traffic to your site and when you promote your link for the sake of promoting instead of providing real value.

What do you do in response?

Dame suggests “Integrating link building into your overarching marketing and content marketing strategy is the only way to be future-proof — and open up new opportunities along the way”.

For example, if you were to write an article on the topic of protein powder to promote your health shake a good idea would be to add a link to another more highly ranked site that would give your readers more value and give you a better ranking.

In Summary

Professional blogger and founder of TechLila, Rajesh Namase, wraps it up well when he says:

"The objective of Google hummingbird in the long run, as it has been for all Google algorithm updates, is to reward natural websites and blogs and tackle those designed to play the search system and attract traffic to low quality web pages. Be natural and honest, and Google will reward you with the exposure in the form of the search engine ranking it believes you deserve. Try to play it and cheat, and Google will reward with no ranking at all – and may even delist you”.