A Month in Search: August 2019
This month we have been busy implementing some new tracking on to our clients websites to ensure that the data collected is a lot more accurate than previous tracking methods. We are excited to see the results coming in!
Meanwhile we have picked up some juicy tidbits from The World of Search to share with you all this month. We like to keep you all informed of course!
Google has recently stated that word count is not a factor when it comes to ranking in a search engine
This is such a short and to the point statement that it really is just a statement without many other ways to interpret it! It was a response to someone who had been looking for a tool to analyse the word counts of the top Google listings for certain search queries.
Google has told people to not bother and save their time. We are still unsure what our thoughts are on this but will keep you all updated over the coming months incase they care to expand any more…
A recent study has highlighted that review counts matter more to local businesses revenue than star ratings
This could be due to a few factors. Five star businesses tend to have fewer reviews and consumers may be more skeptical of 5-star businesses (assuming manipulation). Certainly something to keep in mind when running an online business.
New Updates to Google My Business
We absolutely love Google My Business here at Verve so when a new snippet is released about the benefits of GMB then we get super excited.
Recent research has highlighted that there is a very strong link between GMB photo quantity and search engine performance. In an Instagram rich age photos have never been so vital to ensuring that you run a successful online businesses. People are more likely to interact with pictures and it doesn’t matter if you are a dog walking company posting pictures of cute hounds or an IT office, pictures are still vital! It is also important to ensure that your website is fully up to date when marketing it. You can read our latest blog about why this is so important here.
To sum up the research three main areas stood out. Businesses with more GMB photos get more clicks, calls and direction requests. Businesses with more GMB photos get more views on search and views on maps. Businesses with more GMB photos appear in more direct and discovery searches. So, in summary, post more pics people!
Google Ads is finally stopping the average position on September 30th
So we knew that this was around the corner, but why should we care? The new updates could have an effect on any reporting, rules and scripts that use average position.
Google has advised that advertisers need to make the change to using position metrics – search top impression rate and search absolute top impression rate – which were introduced last year. These will show the percentage of impressions and impression share your ads received in the VERY top (first ad) and top of page (above organic results) ad slots.
Why Bidding on Your Own Brand is a Good Idea
Some people believe that bidding on your own brand is a waste of money and just think it’s google trying to make more money, but it actually does have its benefits, and if you’re clever about it you could be in for a pleasant surprise.
Bidding on your own brand can get crucial clicks that would otherwise be lost to positions further down the search. It could stop clicks being lost to potential competitor brand bidders. It gives the ability to allow you to help funnel people to higher converting landing pages.
If a competitor is bidding on your brand then this is a strategy you are going to definitely want to adopt.
So that’s all from us for August but check back in next month to find out what else is new!
