WHAT GOOGLE’S NEW ALGORITHM MEANS FOR DEALERS ON THE DIGITAL FRONT
Late in 2013, Google celebrated its 15th birthday by announcing a big change to its search engine with the introduction of a completely new algorithm called Hummingbird.
Buzz about Google updates typically trend online for weeks before launch, but in stark contrast, Hummingbird was rolled out quietly about one month before the announcement. This update represents the first time since 2001 a Google algorithm has been so dramatically reworked. The update is designed to provide faster and more precise search query results while increasing customer engagement.
The Hummingbird algorithm is based on semantic search, which means it focuses on user intent versus individual search terms. This update has become increasingly important as more users search via mobile and voice commands (ie. Apple’s Siri). That means that the device used to complete the search may have different search results.
THE NEW SEARCH RESULTS
According to Google, Hummingbird puts less emphasis on matching keywords and more emphasis on understanding what the user is most likely hoping to obtain in their search results.
“What’s the closest dealership to get an oil change?”
A traditional search engine might focus on finding matches for words — finding a page that says “oil change” or “dealership” for example.
In a nutshell, Hummingbird’s goal is to:
• Improve the search results by focusing on the meaning behind the words;
• Better understand the actual location of your search query and attempt to find dealerships closest to your location with the most positive customer reviews;
• Identify that “dealership” means you want a brick-and-mortar store and that “oil change” is a specific type of vehicle maintenance carried by certain stores.
Knowing all these meanings should help Google go beyond just finding pages that match your words but more importantly drive results that meet your needs.
IS SEO DEAD?
No, SEO is still much alive, but dealers now need to optimize their websites and off-site properties for long tail keyword phrases to be successful.
Having a website is no longer good enough. To increase your ranking, Google needs to see your content throughout the Internet with positive user engagement. Increased content generation focused on engaging the user with interesting and relevant content is now essential for a successful SEO strategy.
WHAT CONTENT SHOULD I FOCUS ON?
There is now more prominence placed on knowledge leadership pages that provide answers to the search query intent. Instead of the traditional new model landing pages (ie. All-New 2014 Toyota Corolla), specific vehicle detail pages (VDPs) complete with well-optimized vehicle descriptions and real vehicle images are vital to engage users and increase rank.
Dealers need to support their model landing pages and vehicle detail pages with on-site and off-site links to “FAQs”, “how-to” articles or videos, and other value added content related to using the product. Most importantly, dealers have to selectively release this content over time so Google will identify that the content is still relevant.
One of the most overlooked areas for content marketing concerns dealerships’ fixed operations departments. Developing new and engaging content around service and parts topics that answer the questions customers are asking will be one of the easier ways to increase your search rank on Google.
HOW DOES SOCIAL MEDIA RELATE TO HUMMINGBIRD?
Will more socially engaging content rank higher? Yes. Google is taking social signals as relevance with their search algorithm and Hummingbird. This reinforces the strategy of creating new content on a regular basis around long tail keyword phrases, and distributing this content across multiple properties on the web. The more places Google sees users engaging with your content, the more authoritative you become online, thus helping to produce a long term, SEO success strategy.
Hummingbird has confirmed the importance of a fully integrated multi-channel digital marketing strategy for car dealers in Canada. As Google continues to shape the online future and set the standard for search algorithms, progressive dealers are in a great position to improve their rankings and site conversions. Those that don’t get on board will continue to stagnate with limited digital engagement.
Ultimately, before creating any new content ask yourself, “Does this content answer the questions my users are asking?” If yes, proceed and distribute across multiple channels at various time intervals and continually measure and track your progress.
