In a rather large algorithm update affecting about 7 percent of Google searches, Google has announced that passage ranking is now live in U.S. search results.
Passage ranking is Google’s answer to very specific searches. It utilizes AI (artificial intelligence) to attempt to find the answer to your specific search question, even if it is buried deep within a webpage.
An example:
According to Google’s announcement blog post, “With new passage understanding capabilities, Google can understand that the result on the right is a lot more relevant to a specific query than a broader page on that topic (L).”
Google is continuing to find better ways to drive searchers to exactly the piece of information they are looking for. Consider this in your content marketing plans going forward. Ask yourself, “What are the most common questions that we receive from our customers on a regular basis?”
These questions most likely closely mirror the search queries being entered into Google. If you create a piece of content that does the best job of answering searchers’ specific questions, this new update just made it much more likely that Google will point searchers to your information.
Google did not make any specific SEO recommendations when it comes to optimizing your content for this update. The larger theme generally seems to be: if you continue to create high quality content that answers your customers’ questions, Google is going to make this content easier to find in search.
Interested in developing your own content marketing program to drive more traffic to your website? Contact Bob Goricki at Strategic 7 Marketing to learn how we can help you develop a targeted content plan that can drive results.
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