Jan 21

Google Hummingbird Update – Good News for SEOs and Publishers

SEO and HummingBird26th September 2013 was the day when Google announced about its new algorithm named Hummingbird on the occasion of its 15th anniversary, and also told that it is going to affect over 80% of searches across the world. This Google algorithm is perhaps the largest amongst the changes to algorithms according to Google’s Amit Singhal since he joined the company in 2001.

The news created quite a sensation amongst SEO consultants because they might think that since this is the biggest change in 12 years to algorithms – the things that decide how websites are ranked – all their SEO work is ruined and they might have to change everything. If you are amongst them, breathe easy – you don’t have to do anything to change your efforts of SEO, at least not if you are doing already what you should have done all through these years.

Just Give High-quality Original Content!

If you are interested to know all the details (and you should be) about Hummingbird update, read the FAQ on Hummingbird by Danny Sullivan. The ultimate question that may come to any SEO consultant’s mind is “Has SEO to be considered dead?” upon which Sullivan answers, “No, SEO is not yet dead. Actually Google says there is nothing different or new about which the publishers or SEOs should worry. Guidance is the same like ‘have high-quality, original content.’ Signals which were important in the past remain so still; Hummingbird just permits Google to practice them in new, hopefully better ways.”

This means nothing has altered. If your website has high-quality original content and relevant high-quality websites linking to it, your website is going to rank high. In short, your rankings will improve just like they should have after Penguin and Panda updates came into action.

What Google Really Aims At?

It is important to know where Google is heading, while taking the right SEO decision. Google’s aim is to show exactly what a person needs when s/he makes a search. We all experience many times that when we search for something on Google, the websites we get are not always what we want. We understand that, even without clicking them. And we always wonder at such times that what the hell Google would have thought when we typed those words, that it gave us those results.

With updates like Hummingbird, Google aims at us never thinking that again. If Google loses this aim, it will be finished. And for this, Google hires highly qualified personnel.

Don’t Fall in the Trap of Negative Thoughts

With Penguin and Panda, many people got frustrated and are now seeing Hummingbird through the same glasses. Don’t fall in that trap. If you are doing your best, these updates of Google are like opportunities to make yourself stand out from your competitors. They might have been applying the spamming strategies to improve rankings; but if you are focused on creating content of real value for potential customers, their days are over. These changes are for good and will help you come up, and of course, good news is, as said earlier, if you are already doing what you should do, you don’t need to change anything.

The press department of Google reiterates their guidance for SEO consultants that they encourage high-quality original content because that is what is the best for internet users.