Voices of Search

Content directories are most useful when they offer dynamic experiences and extensive information competitors don’t own yet. A hybrid Glassdoor and Linkedin model is a hypothetical example of how Google would prioritize a new directory website with excellent structure and new, useful information. Providing a preview of your content while keeping the rest of your content gated is a great way to give people an idea of what your site offers. They’ll be more likely to sign up, which helps build an email list.

Google’s algorithm ranks websites much like the natural world, where only the strongest and fittest survive and make it to the top. Google’s own search features and ranking factors aren’t immune from this process. The search giant makes changes to its rich element ranking system based on industry developments and user needs.

The knowledge panel collects information from across the web on entities and displays it in an information box on Google. The panel’s results are distinctive from other engine properties as it’s information Google’s algorithm considers factual. Getting listed in the knowledge panel requires owning and maintaining your online presence apart from your website and social channels.

When your brand name is your personal name, it can prove difficult for search engines to differentiate your name from potentially thousands of other names online. Using a full name with a middle initial can help, but you still need to differentiate your brand offerings to eliminate ambiguity.Owning and creating rich site features like posting videos, Twitter integrations and a robust selection of brand-reflecting images will help Google identify you from competitors.

Communicating SEO data findings with top level executives is imperative to driving impact. However, lack of SEO understanding from the top hinders communication efforts. The lack of director-level roles and growth paths within SEO plays a significant part in diminishing specialists’ authority.

Some companies and large enterprises are taking Google Search Console data and mapping it to third-party resources and SEO analytics software. This process aggregates data and makes it easier to get a better view on particular KPIs, like web vitals or the impression rates search console provides.

Once you’ve begun acquiring data, it’s vital that it’s representative, which requires scaling and obtaining enough data to act on. The best way to accomplish this goal is to create a taxonomy and querying data in categories. This process involves taking ranking URLs and their keywords to create confidence intervals when analyzing your data. Structured data points will improve your decision making.

A leading challenge facing SEOs is how to take search data and translate that information into a format executive teams and other departments can easily understand. The best way to avoid the trappings of SEO-speak is to speak to the data’s impact on the overall business. Speak directly about how the data conveys customer interest, like what categories they’re regularly searching for.

A common problem facing marketers using data to inform marketing strategies is lag issues. Studies can become quickly outdated, especially during tumultuous times like 2020 where things seem to change by the day. Search data can help improve the accuracy of historical data by examining present trends through search features like current SERP listings.

The new X-Box, iPhone 12 series and Playstation 5 are expected to top the Black Friday electronics categories this year. However, discounts likely won’t exist for them due to their recent debuts, whereas their older counterparts are likely to be heavily discounted. Products like Peloton and subscriptions for streaming services are likely to be the dark horse candidates to experience high growth, although they likely won’t surpass high-demand heavyweights like the PS5 and iPhone 12.