WHAT IS RANKBRAIN?
RankBrain is a new learning system that will change the organic search engine results arena. It will analyse web pages for relevance and score them between 1 and 10 (1 being worst and 10 being the best). It is very similar to the quality score given to Google Adwords search ads.
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?
This change in Google’s Algorithm supports our view on SEO for websites. The content on your sites should be relevant and informative for users. Gone are the days of stuffing your web content full of keywords and back-linking to irrelevant sites. Google wants to show relevant content as the result of all searches, thereby putting the consumer in charge. If you don’t follow this practice from the get-go you could lose your website.
Google is rolling out this change and watching what we’re searching for. The final D-Day will be in September 2018 – give or take a couple of months.
STRATEGIES TO MAKE YOUR WEBSITE RANKBRAIN PROOF
Focus on high CTR (Click Through Rates) from organic search
The more users click through to your site from the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) and stay on your site the better. This is a signal to Google that your content is relevant to what the user was searching for.
Optimise your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) titles and descriptions
We are referring to the title and description that shows in the organic SERPs. See each (meta) title and description as an advert, an opportunity to attract users to click on your organic listing.
How do you do this? Research has proven that users respond better to emotions. Tapping into their emotions will get the users to react. Combine keywords and emotions and you have a recipe for success.
High conversions
Google can see if users are interacting on your page, whether they fill out a form, watch a video, download or share content, bounce rates etc. Therefore the more relevant content you have for the users the more they will engage with it.
Increase search volume and CTR with online ads (social and display ads)
The more a user is aware of your product and brand, the more they will search for your site and click through to your website. Therefore running brand campaigns on social media such as Facebook and display ads on Google, the more people will know you and your product exists and then they will search for you.
There are many SEO specialists who will think they can outsmart Google. But we have seen over and over again that Google is smarter and will penalise you heavily for trying to trick them, the worst case scenario being, removing your website from their search engine completely. If you don’t exist in Google then you practically don’t exist at all.
As Larry Kim from Wordstream says, “A word to the wise: Don’t go down this road. DO NOT try to outsmart RankBrain using bots.
RankBrain is very strong. Google has been building PPC ad click-fraud detection systems for over 15 years now. You cannot beat a bot at their own game.”
Worried about your site not complying with Google and the consequences to your business? Contact us and we will review your website to make sure you are not affected negatively.
