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The developers at Google regularly update the search engine’s algorithms—and as digital marketers, it’s our job to stay on top of those changes. These updates help ensure high-quality content receives better search rankings and more traffic to their website. 

If you haven’t read up on the latest changes, don’t sweat it. Here are three ways you can adapt your content strategy to work with, not against, Google’s newest updates:

1. Make User Experience a Top Priority

Google launched a page experience update in the spring of 2021, with its final rollout in September. This change champions high-performing websites, encouraging developers to improve the overall experience of their brand’s digital footprint.

Use Metrics to Measure Performance

To help you understand how you’re doing, Google created a series of tools to help you measure the efficacy of your site. For example, the Page Experience report in Google Search Console scores user experience based on the following criteria:

  • Mobile usability;
  • Use of HTTPS;
  • Page security;
  • Ad experience.

In addition to this report, you can leverage your Core Web Vital score to understand a webpage’s performance in terms of user experience. 

Design Seamless Web Experiences

How do you rank high on the Google algorithm? It’s simple: make sure your high-quality content lives in a functional environment. Let’s consider a simple thing like how fast your website loads: the “Largest Content Paint (LCP)” metric measures how quickly the most relevant content on a web page appears. To make sure you score high, regularly test your site’s load speed and make adjustments.

Alternatively, you can focus on the “Cumulative Layout Shift,” or how elements inadvertently move on a page while loading. This movement may cause people to click on the wrong link while the page is loading. A web designer can change how the images on a page load to prevent this.

No matter where you start, assess your website on comprehensive UX criteria: the pages are mobile-friendly, it uses secure HTTP, and the page metrics hit Google standards.

2. Level Up Local SEO with Google Business Profile Management

If your business serves local customers, you’ve probably made a Google My Business (GMB) profile to increase visibility in local search results. Recently, GMB became a part of the new Google Business Profile.

Now, businesses are encouraged to handle Google Business Profile Management through Search and Maps. Thanks to these changes, you have a direct line to your digital footprint. From Maps or Search, you can verify your profile and make quick edits to any customer-facing information, such as hours of operation. By keeping your profile updated, you will improve your local SEO.

3. Refine Your Product Reviews

Product reviews have always been an effective way to draw positive attention to your products and build credibility for your brand. Unfortunately, not all reviews are beneficial—and some might even penalize your content’s performance.

How to Take Advantage of Product Reviews Update

Whether you post reviews on your site or use influencer marketing, make sure that the reviews you share meet the following qualifications:

  • Demonstrate product use and attributes beyond what is shown by the maker;
  • Show proof of expertise;
  • Measure products according to a clear set of metrics;
  • Discuss similar products to provide comparisons and use cases’
  • Mention improvements from previous versions’
  • Identify and explore performance in critical areas of concern for decision-makers.

Google is all about providing value to users. They want to reward reviews from experts that are detailed and provide helpful information to consumers.

Stay on Top of Future Google Updates

Google will undoubtedly continue to deploy updates that improve user experience. Businesses must stay on top of the changes and adapt to achieve good rankings. If you want to learn more about the changes on the horizon, our team of experts is happy to help you make the most of these changes.