If, as a business owner, you’ve been frustrated by the fact that search engine results pages often feature the same website URL multiple times on the same page, you’re not alone! In fact, Google has decided to level the playing field for the websites on their search engines, and they’re doing this with their latest feature snipped algorithm. The digital marketing experts at beMarketing have outlined everything you need to know about Google’s latest featured snippet algorithm update!
Here’s the Update in Layman’s Terms
We know, we know: just because you’re an expert in your field doesn’t mean you’re an expert at all things Google. Here’s an example that may help you understand Google’s latest featured snippet algorithm update even better:
Let’s say you have a restaurant located on the 1st block away from the Philadelphia Art Museum. You know people will be walking by other options before they get to yours, but you want it to be seen as the closest one.
Now imagine this: The city of Philly has found a way to push your restaurant farther down the block, and now you’re competing against the issue of people not wanting to walk that extra distance to your restaurant. If people had to walk by the same restaurant — your competitor — multiple times before getting to your restaurant, it wouldn’t be fair!
Your business’s website is “your” restaurant in this analogy, and thanks to this new Google update, your site won’t have to deal with the unfairness of websites having multiple spots on the 1st page of a search engine result.
Now It’s Time to Get Into the Nitty Gritty
As a business owner, you want your website to be visible online and attract traffic to your site, and the best way to do that is to get it in one of the top positions on a search engine results page. If you don’t already know, Google ranks websites on a “position 1 to position 10” scaled, and until recently, ranking for a featured snippet was viewed as ranking for position 0 — this is because, technically, it’s above position 1 on a search engine results page.
Prior to this update, Google was allowing multiple spots for placements, forcing you to excessively scroll on your desktop before getting to the first organic result. Fortunately, Google realized that organic real estate on the first page is quickly increasing in value, and it was this “a-ha!” moment that led them to this conclusion: Even though featured snippets may not be considered a position, it’s not fair to allow a URL to show up more than once in position 1 through 10.
What This Update Means For Your Business
Thanks to this update, gone are the days of seeing the same website URL multiple times on the same page. Now, when a URL comes up on a search engine results page as a featured snippet, you won’t see it anywhere else on the page as an organic result. So how can you make sure YOU snag that top spot and not your competitors? It all comes down to implementing strong SEO strategies and incorporating effective content.
The team at beMarketing is always on top of the latest marketing news, so as this ever-changing digital landscape evolves, you can rest easy knowing that we’re making sure your business’s online marketing is keeping up with it. Contact us today!
