Google constantly rolls out changes to its search algorithm in an
effort to provide users with the most useful results possible. As many
as
500 minor changes
surface each year, along with a dozen or so major updates to thwart
spammers and anticipate the information users really want to find.
Each
major change to the algorithm presents a challenge for search-engine
professionals, who in turn scramble to maintain their hard-won
SEO placements.
More
often than not, the search community doesn’t agree on benefits of these
algorithm changes. Some experts predicted the most recent change would
have no effect, while others claimed the results would negatively impact
up to 90% of
websites. The latter turned out to be true.
Like its
organic counterpart, paid search is a bit of a mystery when it comes to
the effects of algorithm updates, as Google does not disclose the exact
changes for each update. Despite this lack of control, businesses
relying on paid search can take action to learn how these updates will
affect their paid search efforts.
The first step is understanding
Google’s overall strategy. This will help businesses achieve success in
their search-engine efforts. While Google hasn’t provided details on
whether and how its latest algorithm changes might affect paid search,
recent trends point toward organic search becoming a greater factor the
success of a paid search campaign. This trend falls in line with
Google’s strategy of making searches more useful for users, providing
the right results in the right place and at the right time.
A
search engine that provides the best and most accurate results is one
that people want to use, and users help generate paid search
advertising. So, it’s in Google’s best interest to provide high-quality
search results that generate sufficient traffic to sell ads.
Importance of the Quality Score
A
significant way in which Google’s algorithm changes are thought to
affect paid search is through AdWords Quality Score. Google remains
tight-lipped about how the Quality Score is calculated, but it’s clear
that it affects your paid search on every level: from overall campaign,
to AdGroups to keywords. Calculation of the score includes factors like
the click-through rate of your keywords over time, popularity of your
search terms, and the quality of your associated landing pages, directly
correlating with organic side of algorithm factors.
Google uses
the score in a number of ways, including the cost per click
determination for individual keywords and estimates for bids to land you
on the first page of paid results.
Google provides detailed instructions for checking the Quality Score of each of your keywords.
How Quality Landing Pages and Linked Pages Impact Paid Search
Although
exact details of how Google’s algorithm changes affect the connections
between paid and organic search are not disclosed, it’s clear that
successful paid search campaigns can benefit from high-quality content
on both landing pages and additional pages linked to them. Until a few
years ago, Google treated landing pages somewhat like second-class
citizens in its paid search process: they were evaluated only in
determining whether to allow an AdWords campaign. The logic was that
landing pages couldn’t be seen before a user clicked through and, thus,
did not affect whether a particular paid ad was clicked.
However,
Google’s recent algorithm changes — with their strong bent toward
relevance and accuracy in searches — significantly elevated the
importance of landing page quality in
keyword Quality Score,
which in turn affects the success of a particular AdWords campaign.
Google now assesses linked landing pages based on both the quality of
their content and their relevance to the associated AdWords keyword.
In
addition, Google tracks how often search users return to Google after
going to a landing page, an indication that the found landing page was
not relevant to the intended search. Overall, landing pages that Google
determines to be highly relevant should find greater success in
achieving optimal placement.
Writing Your Pages for People, Not Search Engines
Google’s
many algorithm changes over the past several years — particularly
Hummingbird, a major update that rolled out in 2013 — all point to one
goal: providing relevant search results to users. Ads don’t exist in a
vacuum: they’re linked to pages, and the content on those landing pages
must provide users with timely content that’s relevant to their
searches. So, even when Google’s algorithm changes don’t directly affect
paid search, they indirectly affect it through their impact on
associated landing pages.
As Google matures, a key feature that
sets it apart is the gradual implementation of semantic search — the
ability of the engine to “know” what you mean when you ask a question.
If a user searches for “flowers,” it’s likely that they want to buy or
order flowers right now, not research flowers types.
Google Paid Search Results
Having
a relevant, well optimized landing page offering a variety of flowers
to purchase will help you land on top of Google’s paid search as
compared to a non-optimized landing page.
Keeping
your landing pages relevant means writing content that brings value to
your visitors in a timely fashion. This means that content marketing is
more important than ever, and Google is looking favorably at businesses
making consistent efforts to create high-quality content. An effective
content strategy not only helps your associated ads achieve better
placement and lower click-through rates, it also creates opportunities
for social sharing among your users, and it signals that your site is
dynamic and continually interesting.
Coping with Changes to Google’s Algorithm
Since
it’s not known what exactly Google changes in each algorithm update and
how those updates affect paid search, it’s smart to focus on the
content of your landing pages, as well as pages that are linked to and
from your landing page. If your company hasn’t already implemented an
active, formalized strategy for content marketing, it’s time to do so.
In order to keep your site visible, you first have to understand that
keywords are no longer king on websites. While advertisers can still
access keyword information, the data is no longer available for organic
search, and Google is playing down the role of keywords in ranking
pages.
Additionally, to improve your rankings, you must figure out
what questions your users are asking. The newest iteration of Google’s
algorithm has become more friendly to voice searches, which are phrased
as questions. Also, make sure that your content strategy addresses the
role of mobile access, including differences in how users interact with
your content when using tablets and smartphones.
Google’s strategy
in recent years — making search more relevant, timely, and meaningful
to users — clearly affects both ends of the search spectrum. To
successfully maintain a comprehensive search strategy, marketing
professionals must constantly strive to create innovative content that
keeps landing pages fresh and valuable to users.
Mobile
Roadie CEO Michael Schneider is back on Entrepreneur Magazine to
discuss the difference between mobile apps and websites. Watch the video
below:
In
November of 2013, In-App Purchases (IAP) were directly responsible for
generating between 92% and 95% of the total monthly revenue of Apple and
Google’s app marketplaces. Now being offered in over 71% of the apps
available in the Apple Store, it’s clear that In-App Purchases are the
new standard for monetization in the mobile industry and are here to
stay.
