What do search engines want?
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 5:16 am
Search engines are always trying to provide relevant answers to user queries in the most useful way. So why does it seem like SEO has changed from years past? Consider how someone learning a new language might view it. Their initial understanding of the language is pretty basic: “See Spot Run.”
They gradually develop a deeper understanding and learn semantics, the study of language meanings and the connections between words and sentences. With enough repetition, the student eventually gains fluency in the language and can respond even to ambiguous or incomplete queries.
The role of content in SEO
Links would be of no use if they didn't direct searchers somewhere. "That thing ischinese overseas satisfied!" Content is anything that searchers consume, including text, images, videos, and other types of content. If search engines function as question-and-answer computers, content is how the engines provide those answers.
There are thousands of possible results for every search, so how can search engines choose which pages the searcher will find valuable? In other words, does this website match the search terms and promote the goal the user was looking to achieve?
There are no complex guidelines about how long your content should be, how many times it should contain a keyword, or what you should write in header tags because the emphasis is on user happiness and task completion. Those factors can affect a website's performance in search, but the users who will read the content should come first.
Localized search
Search engines, such as Google, use a proprietary index of local business listings to produce local search results. Make sure you claim, verify, and optimize a free Google My Business listing. It's essential whether you're performing local SEO work for a business with a physical location that customers can visit (e.g., a dentist) or for a business that travels to its customers (e.g., a plumber). Google uses three key elements to determine the ranking of localized search results:
Relevance
It is measured by relevance, i.e. how well a local business matches the searcher's criteria. Make sure that the business information is filled out accurately to ensure that the business is doing everything possible to be relevant to searches.
Distance
Google uses geolocation to deliver local results more efficiently. When it comes to proximity, defined as the searcher's location or the place listed in the query, local search results are susceptible (if the searcher included one). Organic search results are location-dependent, though not always to the same extent as local pack results.
Prominence
Google rewards businesses that are well-established in the real world using prominence as a factor. When deciding your local ranking, Google considers several online elements in addition to a business’s offline position, such as the business’s reviews. Google reviews significantly influence a local business’s ability to rank in local results.
Citations
A "business citation" or "business listing" is an online mention of a local business's "NAP" (name, address, and phone number) on a platform specific to that location (Yelp, Acxiom, YP, Localeze, etc.).
The volume and consistency of local business citations impact local rankings. Google periodically updates its local business index using information gathered from a variety of sources.
When Google discovers numerous reliable references to a business's address, name, and contact information, it increases its "trust" in the integrity of that information. As a result, Google is better able to display the business's information. Google also uses data from external websites, including links and articles.
They gradually develop a deeper understanding and learn semantics, the study of language meanings and the connections between words and sentences. With enough repetition, the student eventually gains fluency in the language and can respond even to ambiguous or incomplete queries.
The role of content in SEO
Links would be of no use if they didn't direct searchers somewhere. "That thing ischinese overseas satisfied!" Content is anything that searchers consume, including text, images, videos, and other types of content. If search engines function as question-and-answer computers, content is how the engines provide those answers.
There are thousands of possible results for every search, so how can search engines choose which pages the searcher will find valuable? In other words, does this website match the search terms and promote the goal the user was looking to achieve?
There are no complex guidelines about how long your content should be, how many times it should contain a keyword, or what you should write in header tags because the emphasis is on user happiness and task completion. Those factors can affect a website's performance in search, but the users who will read the content should come first.
Localized search
Search engines, such as Google, use a proprietary index of local business listings to produce local search results. Make sure you claim, verify, and optimize a free Google My Business listing. It's essential whether you're performing local SEO work for a business with a physical location that customers can visit (e.g., a dentist) or for a business that travels to its customers (e.g., a plumber). Google uses three key elements to determine the ranking of localized search results:
Relevance
It is measured by relevance, i.e. how well a local business matches the searcher's criteria. Make sure that the business information is filled out accurately to ensure that the business is doing everything possible to be relevant to searches.
Distance
Google uses geolocation to deliver local results more efficiently. When it comes to proximity, defined as the searcher's location or the place listed in the query, local search results are susceptible (if the searcher included one). Organic search results are location-dependent, though not always to the same extent as local pack results.
Prominence
Google rewards businesses that are well-established in the real world using prominence as a factor. When deciding your local ranking, Google considers several online elements in addition to a business’s offline position, such as the business’s reviews. Google reviews significantly influence a local business’s ability to rank in local results.
Citations
A "business citation" or "business listing" is an online mention of a local business's "NAP" (name, address, and phone number) on a platform specific to that location (Yelp, Acxiom, YP, Localeze, etc.).
The volume and consistency of local business citations impact local rankings. Google periodically updates its local business index using information gathered from a variety of sources.
When Google discovers numerous reliable references to a business's address, name, and contact information, it increases its "trust" in the integrity of that information. As a result, Google is better able to display the business's information. Google also uses data from external websites, including links and articles.