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GOOGLE FEATURED SNIPPET UPDATE – POSITION 0 IS DEAD, MIGHT HAVE SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS

August 3, 2021 by Cindy Wieting

We thought we would share this article written by Alex Miranda on Google!

The January 2020 Google algorithm update set out to reduce clutter by no longer duplicating the search result from the Featured Snippet into the ten results shown on the page. But in reducing clutter, the whole concept of position 0 is now dead, and the impact of Featured Snippets may not be what it used to be.

Previously, when a website earned the coveted Featured Snippet position on Google, that result was duplicated below in the results. More often than not, it was one of the top results. With the January 2020 update, this is no longer the case.

Another part of the January 2020 update was the announcement that right sidebar Featured Snippets on desktop would be folded into the main results. That makes for one less space for websites to target for getting their information higher in search results.

On the surface, this might sound like it’s not such a bad thing, but as businesses who own the Featured Snippet space begin to dig into website metrics, it appears to be detrimental to website traffic. The reason for this decline in traffic may be because searchers are finding the information they need right from the results page via the Featured Snippet. Now, they have no motivation to click through to the results.

Or, searchers may have been skipping the Featured Snippet entirely as if it were an ad and jumping down to the results listing. At this point, it’s difficult to say how searchers were using the Featured Snippet and its effects on each company’s search results.

In light of the changes, there are some practical steps you should be taking to ensure you protect your website traffic and maximize your SEO strategy.

Evaluate the impact

The first step in deciding whether or not to continue targeting the Featured Snippet is to evaluate the effect of the January 2020 Google algorithm change on your website traffic. Sadly, this isn’t super simple because Google Search Console does not provide a way of seeing traffic from the Featured Snippet versus traffic from regular search results. That traffic listing is also not available within Google Analytics.

Instead, you’ll have to go off of the total traffic reaching that page before Jan. 22, 2020, and after to see the impact of the algorithm change. And be sure not to be too hasty. For a couple of weeks after the algorithm change, some businesses might have seen a brief change to their traffic as the algorithm kicked in. Look at a full month’s view comparison to make an informed decision about targeting the Featured Snippet placement.

Remember that the only metric you’re concerned with for this evaluation is organic results. Fluctuations in website traffic from other sources can occur for a variety of reasons, such as going viral on social media or being featured in an email newsletter.

Analyze each page individually

Different content might have different results within the Featured Snippet. While some pages might give the searcher everything they need to know without clicking through, others might be what entices a user to click.

Dig deep into your analytics for each page to decide whether or not you need to revise your content in light of the change. For some pages, you might want to keep your Featured Snippet ranking because it has no adverse effect on click-through rates. On other pages, it might benefit you to add a no snippet tag to show in the overall search results.

Decide the goal of your pages

It might sound like silly advice, but consider whether or not each page of your website is designed to drive traffic. You might have pages that showcase your expertise and build awareness for your business. And in those cases, it isn’t so bad to have a low click-through rate but be showing in the Featured Snippet. On these pages, you can be showcasing your expertise to build credibility for your entire website.

Other pages that are designed to generate sales, email signups, or contact us requests might need revamped to make sure people are actually reaching your website and not just seeing you in the Featured Snippet.

Test adding the “nosnippet” meta tag to your content

Once you’ve determined that the Featured Snippet listing is indeed hurting instead of helping to drive organic results, revise your content to add the “nosnippet” meta tag. You have options when using the nosnippet tag to prevent Featured Snippets or regular snippets. And, you can add the tag to specific parts of your content to avoid having that be featured in the snippets but allow other sections of that same article to be featured.

But don’t forget to keep evaluating your website traffic to decide if this was the right choice for you. What you might find after revising your content to avoid the Featured Snippet is that it did not have as large of an impact as you thought. Once you earn the top results on the general page, you can see what that does to your traffic and compare it to your traffic as a Featured Snippet following the new algorithm.

Continue evaluating on an ongoing basis

SEO is a long game of testing and retesting content formats to see what resonates with your audience and delivers the results that you’re working to achieve. On some webpages, that might mean allowing Google to make it a Featured Snippet. On others, it might mean avoiding the Featured Snippet at all costs.

One final thing you might find as you dig into your analytics following this newest algorithm change is that you lost the Featured Snippet position. So make sure that as you evaluate your organic traffic that there are no changes or minimal changes to your rankings during the comparison periods. Those changes could be what is affecting the fluctuation and not just whether or not having a Featured Snippet is right for your content.

If you need help evaluating your website traffic or optimizing your website, contact us. We’ll provide the insights and expertise you need to increase your organic traffic and drive results.

Wieting Design offers Graphic Design, Website Design, Search Engine Marketing, Video Production and Logo Design in Fairfield County CT. Contact us for more information on the specialties we bring to your business!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Google, Google SEO algorithims, SEO Connecticut Business

What is E-A-T And Why Is Google Putting So Much Weight On It?

March 5, 2020 by Alex Miranda

Google EAT

E-A-T stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Google is putting much weight on whether or not you deliver on these characteristics. Long gone are the days of keyword stuffing and winning in search results. But it would seem like the days of simply optimizing your website are also gone.

What do we mean by that? Well, Google is finding ways to quantify the quality of a webpage’s content beyond identifying keyword stuffing. That means that you can’t just create any content that’s beautifully and tactfully designed for SEO. It has to be quality content, and you’ll need to prove your expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness across your entire site.

Another significant implication of E-A-T is that ranking on Google takes a great deal of time. You won’t suddenly appear in results overnight after publishing new content or optimizing for new keywords. Instead, you need to start building a relationship with readers and proving yourself to Google.

As search algorithms become more advanced, Google is striving to do more than just produce relevant results on the page. Instead, it seeks to present the correct information to searchers based on deeper AI understanding of what they’re really looking for.

Reviewing your website in light of E-A-T

In addition to looking at the expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness of your website, Google also wants to see that you’re serving the website visitor’s needs. Part of this process includes evaluating the following on your site:

  • Purpose of the page: decide whether or not your page has a legitimate purpose and what that purpose is. It must benefit the consumer in some way.
  • Expertise: your pages must showcase expertise.
  • YMYL content: depending on the industry or type of content you provide, Google will put even more weight on the E-A-T of your website. These topics include health, financial matters, shopping information, news, current events, government-related sites, and more. Google calls these topics YMYL, or “your money, your life content.”
    Showcasing expertise

Google is looking for your website to display some sort of expertise in the content you’re offering. You can back up your claims and information with credentials or some other way of proving that expertise. You want that expertise to be readily available for users to read about on your website.

If your content does not fall under the YMYL content vertical, Google will also accept what it calls “everyday expertise.” This everyday expertise can come from relevant life experiences and does not have to be any sort of formal training or have certifications to back it up.

Of course, everyday expertise is a little bit more challenging to quantify. Google’s guidelines state: “The standard for expertise depends on the topic of the page.” Because of this new guideline for expertise, you should make it clear who is writing your content and why the author is qualified to write on the topic.

Establishing authoritativeness

When other people within your field view you as a leader or see you as a positive influence on the industry, you’re considered authoritative. These individuals look at you as a good source of quality and reliable information. Likewise, that’s what Google is looking for.

And that’s where backlinks from other reputable websites can help Google determine just how authoritative you are in your space. When others in your industry link to your content, they make it clear that you know what you’re talking about and that you offer valuable information.

Building trustworthiness

Before referring people to your website, Google wants to know that the content and information you provide is trustworthy. Many sites contain misinformation or scams that trap people, and it’s in Google’s best interest to ensure that this doesn’t happen to its users.

The best way to showcase your trustworthiness is by providing truthful and quality content regularly. You should also consider the security of your website and what you’re doing to ensure the digital safety of your visitors.

Practical ways to improve your website’s E-A-T

Now that you know what E-A-T is and why Google puts so much weight on it, you need to take the necessary next steps in ensuring your website is optimized in light of the new guidelines. Here are practical ways to update your website to improve your SEO.

  • Include author names and biographies within editorial content. This will show that your authors have the necessary credentials to be seen as real experts. And for non-editorial content, it means making it simple for users to get in touch or learn more. On product pages, including customer service information to start a conversation with customers. Remember, Google wants user-focused content and providing customer support certainly qualifies as being user-focused.
  • Review your content and remove low-scoring pages. Pages that perform poorly in light of E-A-T guidelines can drag down the effectiveness of your entire website. If you have pages that perform poorly in light of the E-A-T guidelines, remove or edit those pages. Take time to improve your webpage and showcase your expertise and authoritativeness. And consider whether or not a real expert on the topic should back YMYL issues you’ve covered. Get guest writers or individuals with credentials to review the content and put their name and expertise behind that content.
  • Invest in your website’s security. A factor of being trustworthy is ensuring you keep your customer data secure. This is especially important on webpages that accept or transfer customer data to or from them, such as a shopping cart or check out page. Include verified badges and certificates to showcase your trustworthiness, such as a logo from the Better Business Bureau.
  • Give more time and attention to reputation management. Because Google is looking for more authoritative and expert content, it’s also pulling together many data points. Your reviews on various websites could come into play. And, if you allow for comments or “user-generated content” on your website, make sure you’re moderating those comments carefully. Although this is not content, you are broadcasting yourself, if it’s on your website and if it is not from a reputable source, it could hurt your rankings in light of E-A-T.

SEO is an ever-changing strategy. For expertise, you can count on, contact us. Our team of SEO professionals stay up to date on all SEO trends and offer you the insights you need to improve your ranking.

Website Design | Full-Service Marketing Agency | CT, NY, NJ

Wieting Design is a full-service design agency in Fairfield County, CT and serving all of Connecticut (CT). We are committed to sharing our experience and expertise in website development, website design, graphic design, search engine marketing (SEM & SEO), and video production to help build powerful tools that work for your Connecticut business. Whether your objective is to grow your reputation, create client loyalty, drive traffic to your website, or set up a marketing strategy, we will adapt our approach to get you the results you need with the services we provide. View our services here or Contact us to learn more.

Filed Under: SEO Tagged With: E.A.T., Google

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