Good marketers always know they are brokering a connection between the customer and the business they serve. Sometimes there are also internal customers like bosses, clients and other stakeholders in the mix.
Now, there’s another stakeholder we have to appease. His name is Google.
According to some reports, Google controls 74.54% of search so understanding how their algorithms prioritize digital information in terms of search ranking can impact the success of your marketing initiatives emphatically. Staying on top of the latest algorithms is a challenge mainly for two reasons:
- They change frequently
- Google doesn’t publicize exactly what their algorithms measure
Google does however release quarterly updates that announce changes to their algorithms and those briefings tend to focus on the intent of the update without revealing the ingredients for the secret sauce. Google is keenly aware that if they share the specifics of their algorithms it would be easier for competitors to copy and easier for digital marketers to find loopholes. Google has launched a new algorithm called Rank Brain and what we do know about it reveals a shift more towards rewarding digital content that is relevant and engaging.
If something is engaging, it means you want to spend time with it.
This is why Google is looking at metrics like time spent on page and number of pages viewed as a way of measuring engagement and doing well on these aspects will improve your search ranking. Certain types of content invite more engagement than others. People love to watch videos or glance over an infographic more readily than they do a wall of copy. Breaking your copy up into chunks gives the reader a visual rest and increases the likelihood that they will keep reading.
Above all – be interesting.
In the race to incorporate the sexy keywords and other digital gymnastics, we sometimes forget that engagement is about being enthralled and a bit seduced by what we’re reading or watching. There may be a lot of content out there but there’s a lot of boring content too.
A wise creative leader once told me that “creative concepts are like babies, they have to be protected until they’re full grown”. Great creative content is quite magical. It makes the lightbulb go on. It makes you want to take action but here’s the rub.
When creative is really good – it looks effortless because the technical pieces are perfect too.
Artistry can be dismissed because a true creative genius makes it look easier than it is. We don’t realize the technical expertise that allows the end result to manifest. Behind every great musician is years of practicing scales, brilliant writers make sure they read as avidly as they write and high performing athletes spend hours breaking down each move to its precise component and mastering it.
Everybody is creative but not everybody understands how to bring creative concepts to life so they hit the mark connecting the message to the message receiver.
I called my company Textrix because it’s Latin for “weaver”. Weaving is about interlacing two elements together to create something new, useful and stronger. Textrix interlaces the artistry of traditional marketing with the science and measurability of digital marketing. Science and art belong and are stronger together.
It’s great that search engines are shifting towards rewarding online content that’s smart and creative and responsive to the needs of the person searching for information. It makes for better marketing and for more creativity.
As a business owner or operator, you know what you need but you may not have the skills or time in house to bring it all together in a way that drives the business forward. You also may not be in a position to keep up with the trends in digital search that will inform how you can best execute your online strategy.
This is where we focus our consultancy and how we can help. If you think there might be a fit – let’s chat.
Michelle
