If you work in the digital world, you have likely heard about some of Google’s more recent updates including the algorithm Hummingbird*, as well as the company’s decision to no longer provide data on keywords its users are searching.
As I sit down to write this I cannot help but think of how social media is becoming more and more important to overall online marketing and analysis.
First, social media’s importance is growing alongside algorithm changes. Hummingbird has already been found to better handle complex search queries. It is looking at far more than website content and links. It is working to understand what content and websites are participating in and being shared across a variety of social networks. Then, it is using that as cues in Google’s mission to serve searchers with relevant content.
Not only is it important for websites and companies to have a presence in social networks and be active in using them, but the activity needs to be engaging and shared.
Aside from having an online presence that is capturing an audience on its own, social networks can impact how your website is ranking organically as well as give insight to your customers. As mentioned earlier, Google is going to stop providing insight into what website visitors are searching prior to clicking on an organic result. Without that data, online marketers are going to have to look elsewhere – such as in their social network demographic information – to learn about their audience.
These recent changes announced by Google are just some of many that will continue being rolled out. Being able to adapt to them is how success can be achieved online. No matter the number or frequency of updates, one thing you can continue to count on is that the more holistic your efforts are in regard to online presence and marketing, the more easily you will adapt to such changes.
*For more information on “Hummingbird,” visit www.zeonsolutions.com/blog/online-marketing/google-hummingbird-update.
– Allie Kelly is a senior search marketing specialist at Milwaukee-based Zeon Solutions
