How can you keep up with SEO changes?
Plus: Is Brand still important for Search?
With the US administration seemingly distracted by other geopolitical matters over the last week, it’s been a relatively quiet week in the wonderful world of digital marketing. I therefore thought I’d zone in on something a bit different, which is how we can all navigate the changing SEO landscape, particularly in reference to how this will actually work.
Elsewhere there are some useful numbers on whether or not brand still matters for Search (spoiler: yes, very much so), and a few other bits and pieces from the last 7 days in the wonderful world of Digital Marketing. Let’s get to it!
Introducing Vectors in SEO
Search Engine Land pulled together a really useful guide this week discussing the rapid evolution of SEO towards a more ‘semantic’ approach. While the overall thinking behind this makes sense (i.e. moving away from keywords to a phrase-based approach), it can be tricky to get one’s head around how this works in practice.
Enter vectors. Vectors are mathematical representations that help artificial intelligence (AI) understand and organise information based on meaning and relationships, rather than just exact keyword matches.
This allows search engines to interpret user intent more accurately and deliver relevant results even if the exact search terms aren't present on a webpage.
What does this mean for our SEO strategies?
We need to focus on ‘Semantic Topic Modeling’. Instead of targeting isolated keywords, closely review high-ranking pages to understand topic structures and related themes. This will help you develop content that aligns with user intent and that should rank well.
Prioritize user intent. Move beyond exact match keywords to understand the underlying intent behind user searches. By understanding the questions users are asking, you can create content that addresses their needs more effectively.
Benchmarking your performance against key searches can guide the development of your strategies, ensuring they resonate with both search engines and users. This, admittedly, is something you should be doing already.
None of the above should be alien to anyone currently practising good SEO. The difference here is essentially moving away from strategic keyword usage to an overall focus on developing useful, informative, audience-first landing pages. Which really is something we should all aspire to do anyway.
Read in a bit more depth over at Search Engine Land.
59% of Americans favour brands they know in search results
Anecdotally, no-one reading this should be surprised by this figure (only perhaps in terms of the idea that if anything, you’d think this number could be higher!), but a recent survey by a link building agency revealed that 59% of Americans click on brands they are familiar with.
It’ll be fascinating to see how this changes over the next few years as Gen AI and GEO impacts search more, but for the time being its clear that there is still strong value in developing a strong brand presence.
Related: 87% of Americans still use Google daily
Further Reading
Technology and social media firms could face fines of up to $50 million in Australia if children access adult content online. Elsewhere in Australia, some firms are fuming that YouTube is exempt from the upcoming social media ban for under-16s.
A storm is brewing between US and EU regulators over the Digital Services Act, which the FCC has said is “incompatible with America’s free speech tradition.”
You may have had a notification or two over the last few years inviting you to try YouTube Premium (your writer has had thousands). No doubt we’ll soon be getting notifications to try out the new lower-tier YouTube Premium Lite in the coming months and years, following the announcement this week.
Google showcased its Gemini Live tool this week, which can give you advice and opinions on a variety of topics.
That’s it! If you found this interesting, I would appreciate it if you shared it with your friends and colleagues.
Some minor housekeeping: for various reasons, the next few editions will be shared on Wednesdays, before moving back to Thursdays as we move into April.
If you’re feeling particularly generous and enjoyed this edition, I won’t stop you from buying me a coffee. Otherwise, I’ll be back next Wednesday. See you then! 🫶