WHY UNDERSTANDING BOTH THE NEEDS OF SEARCH ENGINES AND CONSUMERS IS CRUCIAL IN THE QUEST FOR DEALERS TO GROW THEIR DIGITAL BUSINESS
You’ve probably heard that Google has once again revamped its algorithm with the Hummingbird Update. This major change is in addition to their already dizzying pace of smaller updates every 17.5 hours. Considering how many developments Google makes to the way it scans websites, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is becoming as relevant as “MySpace” or “Blockbuster Video.” Considering this fact, paying a company for SEO is a poor use of advertising budget.
Instead of purchasing an added “SEO Package,” your website should be properly built to offer good SEO without added expenses. How do you create a website with this content? It’s simple. You need to understand the intricacies of how Google pairs searches with search results and tailor your website to compliment your knowledge.
BEST SEARCH RESULTS
Google’s update affects Search Engine Optimization, free, organic, natural search, Search Engine Marketing and paid search such as pay-per-click. All search engines like Google are focused on one goal: give a site user the best search results possible. Search Engines don’t care if a company is willing to pay two times more for a search term — if the company has a poorly built website without quality content they will lose out on paid and organic traffic to their website.
For dealers, this can often be confused with having tons of vehicles posted on your site. This is not considered powerful content. Rather, dealers should focus on creating informative resources on a website, tracking time spent on a website, number of pages visited, and aim for a lower bounce rate. Each of these are critical benchmarks to ensure a higher page rank and quality score for your website.
Have you ever tried to search for something but were unsure if your search terms could yield good results? These kinds of “guess results” are becoming a thing of the past, including SEO Free Search and SEM Paid Search.
The new Hummingbird algorithm performs a predictive profile analysis about you as a user. It analyzes all it knows about you, including the past searches you’ve made on your desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile phone. Let that sink in. Every device you use to search is tied to your individual profile. Your profile even tracks who you are connected with on social platforms, your income, education, and purchasing habits.
This is just a small sample of all the data that is being compiled about you. So now, when you go to search for something and the search terms you use might not be what you want, Google will tailor each of the search results it shows based on your profile preferences. In many cases, Google now has the ability to know more about you than you might know about yourself.
DIGITAL HYPOTHESIS
If you think about all the data that is being gathered on individuals, it’s quite amazing to consider what possibilities these changes open up for dealers. People can be grouped together based on several benchmarks such as their job role, geographic location, income level, education, hobbies, and interest. Based on this information, a Digital Hypothesis can be established of what one may be interested in purchasing in the future. For dealers who tap into the opportunities Hummingbird presents, one can determine what products and services a consumer will want to purchase before they do.
For example, imagine that profile data shows that dealers moving up the corporate ladder eventually purchase a Rolex. If you were Rolex and had the insight to start marketing to car sales professionals, wouldn’t you want to speed up the process and tap into this market? Of course you would. This is why it’s imperative for dealers to keep updated on Google functionality and capabilities; after all, it may just be the crystal ball you need to increase your bottom line.
To be successful in anything you must first understand how something works and why it works. In your quest to sell more product or services, you must start serving the needs of search engines as well as the shopper; both entities are looking for the same thing. Search engines are crawling the Internet looking for informative websites that provide resources. When they find the perfect site, the search engine introduces the quality content to a motivated shopper.
Ultimately, you want a site that acts like a sales professional, someone who listens to the client and then pairs them with the right service or product. You don’t want to be the salesperson who pretends to listen but ultimately only has his or her interest in mind. These careless sales professionals only make sales by luck or by giving away a product or service at a loss. Would you want these members on your sales force? Then why would you want a website that mirrors the same lack of customer insight?
To be on top you must become a valuable resource. When you give others what they want, you will be compensated with loyal customers and increased sales. Armed with Google knowledge and a team that can help you make changes, you can adjust your website to take advantage of these opportunities.
