When you turn to Google to answer a question, you probably want to ask for information using “natural language,” or the way you naturally phrase a question—just as if you were asking a friend. For example: “What was the most popular movie in 2010?”
One issue with such natural language searches has been that Google didn’t always understand some of the ways we innately use language to express exactly what we looking for, such as superlatives (“most popular”) and time (“2010”). This could be problem when you’re not looking for simply any movie in 2010 or the most popular movie at any time.
As Google’s natural language search gets more sensitive to subtleties in our queries and more complicated requests, we’re more likely to get the information we want. This could mean avoiding being sent to a restaurant that’s no longer in business or finding a healthcare provider who doesn’t office the exact kind of services you want.
What Does this Mean for You, the Business Owner?
If you’re looking for a digital presence that puts you at the top of search engine results, this can be very good news. Smarter natural language searches means that you have the ability to get noticed without relying solely on SEO and keywords and that people who search for your type of service without specific Google-friendly phrasing can still find you.
To keep your website relevant with this evolving search intelligence and sensitivity, content might be more important than ever. And this means content that doesn’t solely fill keyword requirements, but that also is valuable to users. For example, if you want to show up on a search for the “best place to get your car serviced in Portland,” your content needs reflect this to Google and eventually, the user. Simply put, this means engaging and informative website content and a well designed, user-friendly website.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help keep you at the top of natural language searches.
