Search engine optimization (SEO) pros, here’s a good tip for you: Keyword research alone won’t help you rank better. This is Google Search Advocate John Mueller’s advice in a tweet addressed to him.
The tweet asked: “Hi @JohnMu Does keyword research help SEO?”
In a curt response, Mueller said, “No.” However, he further elaborated that “Research alone doesn’t change anything. You have to understand what you’re researching, what the results mean, make changes, monitor, and adapt. And start at the top again.”
If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Keyword research is a tool several SEO agencies and professionals use as a service. However, you must understand why your research yielded those keywords for you. How do these keywords help with your website? Will this help your readers? Will this solve their specific problems? Leaning into Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines helps you with your SEO. This means you shouldn’t be optimizing for search engines but for people. If you answer people’s queries and give them what they’re looking for, website traffic and clicks will naturally come to you.
More SEO News You Can Use
AI Content Has No “Magic Ranking Powers,” Says Google: Google is busy addressing myths and rumors concerning artificial intelligence or AI content and SEO. In a recent tweet, Google Search Liaison debunked G/O Media’s (the publisher that owns Gizmodo and Onion) claim that AI content will be “well-received” by search engines. According to the Search Liaison, “There’s lots of AI content on the web that doesn’t rank well and hence isn’t well received.” The only time it “might” succeed is when it is helpful. While this wouldn’t stop publishers from using AI to use content, it’s certainly a reminder to use the up-and-coming tech carefully. After all, G/O is the company behind the highly-inaccurate Star Wars article that ranked well in Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). However, you should approach AI content with precaution as an AI content policy is brewing which might significantly impact AI-generated content in the future. Read more of this news from Search Engine Roundtable.
Here’s How You Can Get More Traffic From Google Discover: There’s still no magic sauce here. Google Discover is a feed of articles that Google thinks might interest its users. But what happens if it “dries up?” Google Search expert Martin Splitt answered this question in their latest SEO Office Hours episode. “There’s no easy answer on how to bring Discover traffic back,” said Splitt. One clue that we can get from him, though, is that Discover goes with the user’s demands and habits. Another clue we can get is that Discover regularly “refreshes” as new content gets published. So, what’s the bottom line? You just need to write about topics you think people would find interesting and regularly search for. Search is more unpredictable because of its “serendipitous” nature, so there’s no clear-cut way to rank higher and bring in more traffic from this part of Google Search. To start, Google’s help document recommends that you include high-quality images, accurate page titles and timely information with unique insights. And remember: Discover is only a supplemental feature. Focus on your SEO to capture the organic traffic you’re looking for. Dive deeper with this article from Search Engine Journal.
Google Slams Websites With Fake Personas: Mueller posted a public service announcement on Twitter, saying that “making up fake people for your review site is awkward, even with fake LinkedIn profiles… to be honest none of this would be a problem if you just do it all yourself.” Someone in the thread argued that you can’t be credible if they’re just a single-person business. It’s a series of back-and-forths, but Mueller eventually said the obvious: you only “become credible by doing good work.” Aside from it simply being unethical, fake personas would just hurt your reputation and credibility in the long run. What if someone asks to hop on a Zoom call with your fake Chief Technical Officer? Yeah, it’s going to hurt your business, and people wouldn’t trust you once they see through your phony information. Check this post from Search Engine Roundtable for more.
Bing Chat Unveils Visual Search: You can finally use your pictures with Bing’s OpenAI-powered Chat. In their post on July 18, 2023, the second-biggest search engine announced they’re letting you upload images through Chat and search the web. You can use your camera or a picture you found somewhere, and Bing Chat will analyze the image and use that information to converse with you. According to Bing, it can “understand the context of an image, interpret it, and answer questions about it.” Google Search has a similar feature called Google Lens, but we have yet to see it on their Search Generative Experience. However, this isn’t an entirely new Bing feature, either. The search engine also had Visual Search since 2018 before integrating it with its chat-based search companion. Now, you can find Visual Search on Bing Search, Bing Chat, Microsoft Apps and Partners. Visual Search on Bing Chat is now available on desktop and mobile, so check it out and see how it works in real-time! Check out their official announcement of this feature and a few more from Microsoft Blog.
People Find Repetitive Ads Annoying – Study: People who see the same ad at least six times are 16% less likely to make a purchase. At least that’s what Magna’s research says, which surveyed 1,246 participants exposed to different ad frequencies over a one-hour video. While 92% remember your ad after seeing it six times, 48% find them annoying and 33% find them disruptive to the viewing experience. This isn’t just a wake-up call for advertisers. Platforms that use repeating ads should recalibrate their algorithms and ad model to prevent users from jumping ship. Dive deeper into the details with this Search Engine Land article.
Editor’s Note: “SEO News You Can Use” is a weekly blog post posted every Monday morning only on SEOblog.com, rounding up all the top SEO news from around the world. Our goal is to make SEOblog.com a one-stop-shop for everyone looking for SEO news, education and for hiring an SEO expert with our comprehensive SEO agency directory.
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