Updates On The Latest SERP Changes - Semalt Expert
SERPs are constantly changing, and you need to evolve with these changes to stay on top of your game. In this article, we will be giving you insights you should focus on if you plan on improving your SEO strategy.
In case you've not noticed, SEO is important and in high demand. The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the inclusion of a digital presence in many industries such as:
- Finance
- Healthcare
- Communication
- Conferencing
Our attention was drawn to the realization that the Internet is an untapped gold mine. With so many possibilities, the need for SEO is at an all-time high.
SEO is the center of all marketing activities on the Internet. This is becoming more pressing as we enter the holiday season. With the evolution of consumer behavior, SERP has to develop equally.
For SEO, businesses need to take a multi-media format approach to content for universal SERP rankings. Here we will be showing you some elements of universal SERPs as they evolve. We will be using some research findings for insight and content for your SEO strategy.
Universal Search
We can all agree that navigating the changes in SERP and keeping a grasp on things can be difficult. Whether these changes be algorithmic changes or core updates, keeping track and updating your SEO strategy can be both time-consuming and delicate.
As the primary search engine for most Internet users, Google is constantly trying to discover new ways to enhance their consumer experience. This quest means that websites and SEO experts must stay updated if they hope to keep their top rankings.
Universal Search is a well-welcomed development. It is a collated group of results containing images, videos, local businesses, and snippets. In SEO, it is also referred to as blended search. Content may come from many sources, verticals, and locations that are suitable for mobile and desktop users.
The result of this then appears in a box amongst or above the other SEO or SERP results displayed on the screen. How results are displayed is also displayed on the search query. For example, Google uses the United States as an example of a query that could provide mixed results made up of images, articles, news, and websites.
More specifically, the "how-to" query will return more relevant videos, quick answers, and text results. There can be a sudden shift from the ten blue links on your screen to over 50 different varieties of SERP results. That is what we refer to as the Pinball pattern effect. This effect suggests that users prefer a visual format in their results.
To not only survive but also stay ahead in Universal search going forward, it is important that you come to an understanding of where you are, the types of content you have, and why you are ranked the way you are in the results. Once you've gotten this information, you then take action to improve your website accordingly.
When you stay ahead of universal search, you will strengthen your brand awareness and stay ahead of your competition by helping Google present relevant experiences to users' questions and queries.
Images
Google is always looking for more ways to identify and display relevant images. More relevant and engaging images have a better chance of appearing in Universal search positions.
To get this, you should:
- Consider creating images that include information about your brand. These images should also have CTA as a way to get impressions and traffic from SERP.
- Ensure that your images are original. You should have them optimized for page load speed, and they should be tagged with the appropriate metadata. Ensure that you do not forget to include keywords in its file name.
What you may not know is that sometimes, images rank easily but find it difficult to generate traffic to said images. That is one of the reasons why it is vital you spend time on your image SEO and visual search strategies.
Videos
Videos are becoming more popular on SERP. This is because videos are becoming a crucial part of SEO and digital marketing strategies. Research shows that about 62% of universal search results include at least one video. Today, using videos has become so important that they can take the format of excerpt clips on SERP. Videos of high quality that are optimized properly can gain more favor with Google over traditional texts and many other content formats.
To harness this opportunity, you should:
- Create and publish videos on your domain and website.
- Ensure that your videos on youtube provide CTAs that help drive people to your website.
- Design your videos to complement contents that already exist on your website.
- Use Schema.
- Add transcripts to your videos and make them accessible from the pages of your website.
To create a compelling video, you need resources and a well-drafted plan. From the design to the content creation and production, you should ensure that your video stands out to your audience.
Make a plan for visual search and add the videos cost and creative resources to your content and SEO plan.
People Also Ask (PAA) Box
People also ask is an amazing feature, and thanks to the rise of natural language processing and the BERT algorithm, it has become more useful.
As we explain further, "natural language" is more conversational. The "processing" feature means that Google has become better at understanding the intent of a searcher and the best or most suitable answer.
On SERP, PAA is important as it quickly satisfies a user. When Google tests SERP and finds a result that improves customer experience, it features such a result.
The questions and answers used in PPAs are very clear and straightforward in a conversational structure. Google relies on this structure to provide its users with clear answers in traditional organic results.
For some questions, Google will show a featured snippet and may differ in terms of the content displayed.
- Research to ensure that you understand the question. You should be able to answer at least one of the how can, or why.
- You should create an answer. Your answer should be content based on keywords that can trigger PAA results.
- Provide short and concise contents, that are short. They should also have conversational mannerisms to keep your readers interested.
- Your content and answers should be updated regularly.
The 3-Pack
Getting placed in the local 3-pack can favor the true physical location if a keyword search indicates that a person is looking and wants to find a physical location of someplace on a local / map pack result.
The information shown on SERP will contain information and links to the results featured on SERP, such as a business address, website link, working hours, reviews, and directions.
To optimize for this, you should:
- You should then complete and update your Google My Business account. Make sure your business, name, address and location are correct.
- Get as many positive reviews as possible.
- Ensure to add your physical location to the site.
- Add location data and GPS coordinates in Schema on your location.
Local and hyper-local strategies are becoming more useful to not only Google but in attracting clients to your local stores. In general, you benefit both SEO wise and locally.
Ensure you always consider your mobile phone users. These users make up a big part of your SEO efforts, so you should ensure your site's mobile version follows local best practices and uniquely targets search terms to where your local business is located.
Carousel Results
Google's carousel offers users a rich format for enhanced interaction. They can use this to show results that are particularly designed for mobile users. Websites with specialties in food, restaurants, travel, and hospitality find the carousel extremely beneficial.
The results displayed can contain Google's rating of your business, customer reviews, categories as well as the pricing for items.
There are different types of Google Carousel, and they are based on entity-based searches. This means that they appear when a searcher adds keywords such as best, list of, and places in their search queries. This way, they do not just show up for any type of search queries, especially when they can't provide real information for the query.
They can include images, videos, interesting finds, movies, recipes, and more.
To get featured in a carousel, you should:
- Ensure you have maximized your Google My Business Profile to the Max.
- The images you use should be of high quality, and they should be optimized.
- Have many high rated customer reviews. You can add a carousel mark-up in combination with a supported content type.
- Use structured data.
- For all types of carousel results, high-quality content should be your primary focus.
As Google continues experimenting with the many types of a carousel, traditional SEO SERP formats are something you would want to look out for.
Conclusion
SERP is constantly changing. It is not enough that you updated your website a few months ago. Website owners must walk hand in hand with SEO professionals like Semalt. As experts, we are constantly working to deepen our understanding of the relationships and connections that exist between intent, content, rank, traffic, and conversion.