Even in times of crisis, search engines do not sleep. More than ever, people use the search engine Google to get new information about the current crisis or simply to distract themselves. The goal of search engines is to filter out the most relevant search results from the smorgasbord of content on the web, and this has not changed during the current crisis period. For corporations, however, a lot has changed, and it is not always easy to meet Google’s requirements for a good ranking, especially in the current situation. Online marketing is suffering the consequences because a large part of the profit of companies still originates from Google searches.
What we don’t see on the outside is the constant evaluation of thousands of pieces of content, which are positioned in such a way that users are always offered exactly what they were looking for. The ranking of hits is thus constantly being processed, and search engines have become better and better in recent years at distinguishing between really good and junk content.
The problem with the current crisis is that not as much money as before is at hand to be invested in advertising. The health and economic crisis is hitting everyone, and every investment must be well-considered. Görs Communications, a marketing and digitalization consultancy, therefore advises using this time of crisis to learn out about the combination of SEO and content and then decide how the budget can be adjusted at the moment so your company can get out with the least amount of damage necessary.
Keywords and backlinks no longer have the same impact as they did a few years ago. It is no longer quantity that counts, but quality. Google recognizes, for example, when backlinks come from well-ranking websites with similar topics and the keywords are used well and no longer make up more than 90% of the text content. Authenticity is key here.
However, SEO should not be completely left by the wayside since design and structure are also vital for a good ranking and lots of traffic. In 2020, it is therefore important to ensure that SEO and content marketing are equally shared on a company’s website and that both are combined and exist in the right amount.
SEO and online marketing expert Daniel Görs, owner of the marketing consultancy Görs Communications, recently gave a few tips for this, which can aid businesses (successfully) through the crisis period:
1) Regular Content – Here Google attaches great importance to unique content, meaning content that’s obviously written by people who put effort into their work and use keywords carefully, i.e. only use them where they fit and make sense.
2) Grammar & Spelling – Good expression and handling of language make it easier for both search engines and readers to understand the meaning of the content. Also, poor grammar can nibble away at a company’s respectability.
3) Session Durations – A short amount of time spent on pages is usually penalized by Google in their rankings. This is because it is a sign that the user did not find the content they needed after entering their search term.
4) Relevant Backlinks – When it comes to backlinks, the most relevant are those that come from websites and companies that a) rank well themselves and b) report on similar topics. On one hand, the surrounding environment is important. On the other hand, every company/website is responsible for creating good content. And good content is usually shared because it is so persuasive.
5) Social Signs & Social Media – Google is quite capable of incorporating the social media popularity of a website into its rankings because this is also a sign of relevance and reach. Social Signs in the form of likes, shares, and comments are thus registered by search engines quite well.
6) Topical Relevance – The focus of the content on a website can be measured by search engines. You can rank better by focusing on one main topic and providing content about it.
7) Authority & Trust – Search engines are taking on more and more human traits when it comes to distinguishing between good and bad content. Furthermore, how does the website look from a user’s point of view? Is it trustworthy? The quality of the content offered is under constant analysis by Google.
