Kersa Haughey is Director of Marketing + Business Development at INK Communications Co.
As you take a closer look at your annual plans for the year ahead, you’ll want to set aside some extra time to update your SEO strategy and the marketing communications efforts that influence and derive from it.
The culprit behind this growing need is, predictably, Google. Over the past few months, the company has released a series of updates closely related to the emergence of generative AI. Updates aim to improve quality content, including: Search Generation Experience (SGE), perspective filter, Helpful content updates and October 2023 core update.
These advancements improve the Google Search user experience, placing SGEs at the top of the page to respond to queries, and results sections to provide deeper insights from individual experts and thought leaders. Adjusting. In other words, Google will revolutionize the way people access information and discover branded content, setting the stage for his more nuanced, human-first SEO strategy in 2024.
These changes don’t mean you need to completely overhaul your SEO strategy, but rather that you need to reprioritize your tactics. Based on Google’s recent moves, domain authority and quality content have emerged as the likely cornerstones on which to base your program strategy.
Rethinking domain authority
Domain authority measures how well a website’s domain ranks on search engine results pages. This is not a new concept, but the path to achieving it requires some new twists.
Backlinks were once a major factor influencing rankings, but Google Confirmed In the last month, we have seen their importance decreasing. Part of this was due to the manipulation of search results through paid backlinks. But it’s more tied to advances in technology such as machine learning, natural language processing, and generative AI, as well as increased engagement between brands and individuals across social and forum channels, and Google is now leading the way in many other now takes into account ranking signals.
Even Moz, the inventor of Domain Authority, recognizes that the factors that influence rankings are increasingly complex and inherently tied to a company’s broader marketing communications program.In response, Moz recently developed brand authority, a new score that measures a domain’s overall brand strength. Domain authority measures your ability to rank in search engines, while brand authority measures your influence across marketing channels.
Achieving both modern domain authority and brand authority is closely tied to the creation of high-quality content. Great content helps increase your site’s domain authority by providing valuable insights for people to share and discuss. Having high domain authority tells people and search engines that your site is a trusted place to get information, and helps your content get the spotlight it deserves.
Defining quality content
Google has said for some time that high-quality content is the number one signal for ranking, crawling, and indexing. But this year, as the internet has become flooded with low-quality AI-generated content, Google’s focus on accurately identifying and prioritizing high-quality content has increased significantly.
Google’s definition of quality can be a little vague.While the company tends to be cautious about sharing the exact factors it uses to judge content, some key posts are Google Search Central Be clear about what is most important.
The first one, EEAT framework. Google’s proprietary framework for evaluating the quality of website content was EAT (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness). Late last year, Google added a new “E” experience. This takes into account whether the content was written by someone with real-world experience in the topic they’re writing about.
EEAT serves as the basis for the next helpful resource, Google. Self-assessment of content, It includes a long list of questions that you can use to assess the quality of your content. Based on the questions included, here’s a breakdown of the main factors Google uses to determine quality:
- originality – Provide original insights, reports, research, or analysis.
- comprehensiveness – Demonstrates deep understanding and first-hand knowledge of the topic.
- Accuracy and reliability – It is factually correct, the sources are clear, there are no problems with spelling or style, and it is well-written.
- user experience – Deliver a great page experience beyond just text, including images, videos, layout, presentation, and page speed.
- transparency – Disclose author name.
- user-centered – Prioritize providing real value to your readers over manipulating search engines.
Steps to take now
There is a clear synergy between domain authority and quality content. Strengthening one essentially strengthens the other, creating a wonderful cycle of increased visibility and credibility. Here’s how to adjust your marketing communications strategy to reflect both.
- Increase your thought leadership – Your organization’s thought leaders are more important to your program’s success best ever. Their insights and commentary are key to creating the authentic, experience-based content that Google is looking for. Centering your content around the opinions of subject matter experts also increases your chances of ranking in Google’s Perspectives filter.
- Address emerging topics quickly. Google wants up-to-date information. Being able to respond quickly to a growing narrative can give you a ranking advantage, especially over larger, slower-moving competitors.
- Clean up your website – Keeping your old blog on your website can be damaging, but there is a simple solution. Removing old or low-quality content can improve Google’s overall perception of your site and positively impact how it crawls and indexes your remaining pages.
- Treat your content like an investment – Shift your focus from producing large amounts of content to creating fewer, high-quality pieces. Stay relevant and increase ongoing value by treating each piece of content as a long-term investment and continually updating and redistributing it in new ways. A great way to update existing pieces with Google’s changes is to inject perspectives from thought leaders.
- Improve your audience understanding – Make sure you have a comprehensive and current understanding of your audience’s needs and search intent. This will help you create content that responds effectively to queries and provides real value.
- Expand your channels – Expand your brand and thought leadership presence across various digital channels, especially social platforms and discussion forums. Engagement on these platforms can signal the quality of your content to Google, and publishing on platforms with higher brand authority can increase visibility.
- Explore partnerships and collaboration – Partner with relevant external experts and influencers to diversify your content, reach new audiences, and increase your brand’s credibility and credibility.
Human-first SEO is the way forward
With the flood of AI-generated content, the value of unique, insightful, and informative content written by industry experts has skyrocketed, especially in the eyes of Google. This is a remarkable change that is here to stay, and its rapid impact on SEO means we need to stay up to date with algorithmic tweaks, understand what constitutes true expertise and user-centered content, and programmatically. It emphasizes the importance of considering how to respond.
As we head into 2024, take a people-first approach to SEO, using domain authority and content quality as your north star. Focused on building your digital presence around what truly makes your brand stand out, the unique insights of thought leaders, and how those elements can be integrated in a way that meets the current needs of your stakeholders. please. Not only is this approach in line with Google’s latest settings, it will help you build more meaningful and lasting connections with your audience in the year ahead.
