Insights What do changing Google algorithms mean for your business?

Businesses that have an online presence and can be found through an internet search must remain alert of changes to Google algorithms, as they ultimately impact reach and visibility.

Google algorithms and why they are so important

Regardless of where you may be in the world, Google is a search engine that you will be naturally familiar with. It even has its own verb. Despite its long-established dominance, it has seen an increase in market share recently, currently standing at over 90%.

This means that any business with some sort of presence on the internet will be affected by changes to Google algorithms. Simply put, it will likely have an impact on how you reach your customers and their ability to find your business through an internet search.

Google algorithms determine what should appear in search results, as well as the ranking of the search results. As such, any business with online operations should be concerned with improving their ranking, so as to at least appear on the first page of the search results and improve their chances of securing more clients. It is widely claimed that most people do not bother to move past the first page of the search results, which is why your business should aim to appear where it matters.

While Google consistently makes changes to and updates its algorithms, some updates are not as consequential as others. Because of this, the impact thereof is often overlooked.

The impact on your business

So, why does Google continue to make changes to its algorithms if it could negatively impact businesses, you may ask? This is done as a way to ensure that the most relevant, credible and secure pages are consumed by the masses. One need only look at the various social platforms to see just how many suspect and dubious entities exist and continue to pop up if not properly controlled. 

If you make a point of staying informed on the latest changes, that could give your business an advantage over others. On the flip side, if you fail to keep up with the changes, you risk losing your Google ranking and potential clients too. 

For starters, routinely checking your Google Analytics after a major update can help you identify any changes, particularly as it relates to traffic to your site. You can then take the necessary steps to regain your position and improve your SEO ranking.

Unfortunately, nobody can really preempt Google algorithm updates. However, prioritising content uniqueness, expertise, authority and trustworthiness can put you a step ahead of other businesses. This is because search results should be to the users’ benefit and provide value to them.

The way forward

Understanding that the core purpose of Google algorithms is to obtain data from its search index and produce the most relevant search results, your business site must continue to cement itself as a credible response to the search queries submitted by users. 

While this may be a bit daunting for some, it should also provide some sort of comfort knowing that the search results won’t be overcrowded by useless pages that act as a barrier to your efforts to reach clients. According to Google, the continuous updates have led to a 40% decrease in irrelevant search results in the past five years alone.

Below are some of the key Google algorithm ranking factors:

• Publishing content
• Consistency in publishing of content 
• Use of keywords and meta title tags
• Backlinks and internal links
• Niche expertise
• User engagement
• Page speed
• Mobile-friendly site

Depending on what your business’ products or services are, you can work towards establishing yourself as a niche expert. Whatever your area or industry of expertise, continuously producing relevant and informative content that people consume will act as an indicator to Google that people find value in your content and enjoy it, thus positioning you as an authoritative voice in the industry. 

This, in turn, will improve your ranking and help you take advantage of Google’s algorithms to potentially reach a wider audience and gain greater market share.