What Google’s move to human-centric means
Search engine optimisation (SEO) – the practice of making your website rank higher in search engines such as Google – used to be about keyword stuffing and link building, but Google has announced a new change to its algorithm that steers focus towards human experience (HX). This change, coming into force at some point in 2021, brings heightened importance to usability and natural communications. We spoke to our digital leads about what it means.
Trend-chasing
“With every iteration and update of Google’s algorithm there have been moves to reward ‘better’ website development, while also following market trends,” says Dave Lincoln, Head of Development at krow.x.
“In the early days, this meant ensuring your site was accessible by making content available to screen readers and other assistance peripherals. More recently, it meant a higher-ranking weight given to mobile experience, as more users now access the web via handheld devices.”
Google’s latest update continues this trend, promoting websites that provide good user experiences and frictionless engagement.
HX appeal
The practicality of a website encompasses many things, such as whether it is accessible on all browsers and devices, how quickly it loads, how secure it is, and if there are any broken links or content instability.
Google will be updating tools such as Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights and Search Console in line with its algorithm to help developers understand how sites will measure on the Core Web Vitals.
Content hasn’t lost its throne
Despite these changes, the ethos ‘content is king’ still rings true. In addition to site experience, Google will prioritise pages with quality, relevant content.
“These changes will mean a huge shake-up in your search strategy, but content will continue to remain a huge factor. This is because the relevance and genuine usefulness of the content being presented is a core part of the user experience,” says Sam Bettis, our Customer Engagement Director.
“We recommend starting any digital project by simply seeking to understand how you can help. Search is the entry point to a website that starts with a question or a need – and our primary objective is delivering the best digital outcome to meet this need.”
What krow.x knows
At krow.x, we’ve been championing good, useful content and human-first digital experiences for years. Today, we combine search insight and digital listening to understand our audience – keeping our focus on delivering the best user outcomes.
“Over the years, Google’s continued algorithm updates have been building towards one thing only – being a better platform for the user. This is what we will continue to keep at the core of every digital solution we create,” says Sam.
If you want to make your website work harder, please contact Sam – sam.bettis@krowgroup.com
