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Google can do what now?
The Google results ain’t what they used to be.
Sometimes for the better. Amid the various controversies surrounding the quality of Google results, we wanted to highlight a bit of light at the end of the tunnel (perhaps—we’re not prophets or anything, just SEOs).
When analyzing the impact of a Google core update, you can sometimes get glimpses into what’s on the horizon. On that note, here’s something we see Google getting a better grasp of going forward.
Identifying sterile vs. situational content
A lot of web content is sterile—overly topic-centric, and it doesn’t take the user’s life context into account. On the flip side, situational content pays attention to users’ pain points and predicts their needs. We’ve noticed signs that Google might be starting to move away from sterile content.
Pro tip: We recommend getting ahead of this trend now—it’s simply better for users. Not only that, but if Google is starting to reward situational content, making this change could push you ahead of your competition for keywords you never thought you were relevant for.
My latest article deep-dives into what this looks like, with two examples taken straight from the SERP. Check it out for more analysis of the March 2024 core update.
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Happy reading,
Crystal and Mordy
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Pointers from the pros
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Manick Bhan
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Founder, Linkgraph
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What pillars of SEO should everyone be familiar with?
1. Authority: How authoritative is your website? One way Google determines authority is through factors like backlinks, citations, and what those backlinks say about the sites they’re pointing to through things like anchor text. Authority can also be communicated through factors like branded searches, etc.
2. Content: Google looks for depth, breadth, and topical authority when ranking web pages. It wants to rank websites that really think about what the user is looking for and that create original high-quality content.
3. Technical health: Search engine bots crawl all the backend elements of a website and use them to understand what our content is about. Ensuring your website makes this process easy at the technical level is vital.
4. UX and user behavior: What are users doing when they’re on your page? Are they scrolling? Are they clicking? Are they going back to the search results? A poor user experience can have negative effects on a site’s SEO performance.
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Newflash
Mordy Oberstein
We’ll be talking about this one for years to come! In late May there was a MASSIVE Google Search document leak that sent the SEO industry into a tizzy.
The document offers a look into what might be going on behind the scenes when Google ranks content. For example, the leaked document indicates that Google might be looking at click data in order to rank content. Or that it has ways of evaluating a page’s topical relevance to the site overall.
Initially, there was a bit of speculation that the leaked document was not genuine. However, Google actually confirmed it is the real deal—sort of. While the document is the real deal, there’s no way of knowing which elements Google is currently using. Even if they are using a specific leaked element, we don’t know to what extent (i.e., How big of a factor is it when ranking content?).
Thus Google said, “We would caution against making inaccurate assumptions about Search based on out-of-context, outdated, or incomplete information.”
My take? I look at the leaked document like the Quality Raters Guidelines. Do we know exactly how, and if, Google is implementing the elements within it? No. Does the document show what Google is at least trying to do, or looking to do, or thinking about doing? Absolutely.
To me, when you look at the document in the context of the DOJ trial and statements Google has made in the past, the leaked document can help give you a directional understanding of the algorithm—which I think should impact your “SEO mindset” if just a little.
Full credit to Mike King and Rand Fishkin for sharing the document along with their analysis. (Read here for Rand’s take and here for Mike’s).
For more analysis on the leak, watch our take on our daily SEO news series with Barry Schwartz and Greg Finn, It’s New.
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How to land your next job in digital marketing
Despite owning SEOJobs.com, I'm a huge proponent of networking and not relying on job boards to land your next opportunity. Networking provides several benefits that help you stand out, including:
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Allowing you to be seen as a real person vs. just another resume
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The opportunity to show off your soft skills
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Potential employers seeking you vs. you seeking them
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A few additional words of advice for folks seeking their next role:
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Focus your resume on the impact of your work vs. a list of where you worked and what types of tasks you executed.
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Polish your social media. Keep it professional and add a nice headshot.
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Consider sharing your knowledge by writing for online publications such as the Wix SEO Hub. It can help differentiate you from your competition seeking the same job.
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What does Google I/O 2024 mean for SEOs?
Will AI take over the SERP? Find out what’s coming—and what it means for search marketers—as we explore the SEO fallout from Google’s flagship developer conference.
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WGA4 lessons and tactics one year later
What experts have figured out—and you can put to work. Join us to learn the most effective GA4 strategies for understanding customers and unlocking growth.
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Wincher Keyword Research—now at your fingertips
Pinpoint the best keywords for your pages with the help of Wincher, the famed SEO platform. Now native to the Wix SEO Assistant, it joins our previous integrations with Semrush and SE Ranking—giving you access to more keyword data than any other CMS.
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In the pipeline
Agencies—learn how to build an education-first culture for better client outcomes and lower staff turnover, from Christine Zirnheld of Cypress North and the Marketing O’Clock podcast. And, local businesses—kickstart your BOPUS (Buy Online Pick Up in-Store) journey with tips from Uberall’s Krystal Taing.
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