2. 2
Perspectives 2014
Tim O’Neill
Co-Founder &
Joint Managing Director
There is no turning the digital tide.
Each year our industry brings new technologies
and new ways for marketers to speak with
their audience.
Introduction
3. 3
In last year’s Perspectives, we looked at connected
retail, expanding interface challenges and the value of
personalisation – each one of which has proven to be
an important concept for marketers to grasp if they want to
connect to their customers.
2014 is, unsurprisingly, no different. This year we look at
changes in Google’s search algorithm, developing for mobile,
and wearables – things we think our clients need to be aware
of and on the lookout for when it comes to succeeding with
new digital communications. There is a lot of digital noise out
there, and we want to help you filter through it.
But connecting to your customers is not the only important
relationship your business will have this year.
There is no turning the digital tide.
Each year our industry brings new technologies
and new ways for marketers to speak with
their audience.
The way you communicate with your agency and the
way they partner with you should not be overlooked. We
are excited to delve into the client-agency relationship,
whether it is how we make sure to talk less and ask more
(‘Unconditional Project-Rearing,’ page 22), or how we make
sure to regularly experiment so we always have a stash of
ideas brewing for you (‘Innovating from Within,’ page 50).
I hope you enjoy Perspectives 2014 and, as always,
would love to hear your feedback. Tweet @reactive with
#perspectives2014.
Thanks for reading.
Introduction
4. Jules Lau
Head of Content &
Lead Copywriter, Melbourne
Blair Larkin
Content Writer, Melbourne
Google’s New Era
of Search & Content
4
In August 2013, Google quietly switched on
its new search algorithm without much fanfare.
Aptly named Hummingbird, it revolves around
breaking down searches as questions and then serving
up relevant answers from the multitude of content they
have indexed.
What does this mean for your brand’s
search and content strategy?
5. Google officially unveiled Hummingbird to the world, just in
time for its 15th birthday. More than just a mere algorithm
update (as Panda was), this was a complete overhaul of
the entire search algorithm, changing the way Google pulls
in search results from its inconceivably massive database
of information.
At the time of the announcement, Google called it the
next leap forward in search technology, with Hummingbird
affecting around 90% of all search queries.
But...Why?
The rise of mobile device usage led to two major insights.
Firstly, with voice recognition applications on mobile devices
(Siri, anyone?) growing in uptake, more people are beginning
to speak their searches into their smartphones and tablets.
Secondly, instead of simply typing in keywords, more
people now search using whole phrases and questions.
The result? An entirely new formula and search algorithm
to handle these changing search habits.
While still incorporating many traditional aspects used in
previous algorithms, Hummingbird shifts from keyword-based
search to semantic search. This means that now Google
can process real speech patterns and provide more relevant
results based on the searcher’s intent of his query, not just the
keywords he types in the search box.
Particularly with voice search, which falls under the semantic
search, people tend to do so with natural language –
“I want pictures of the Eiffel Tower” rather than “Eiffel Tower.”
So now Google will serve up images of the monument, and
not just a bunch of links related to the Eiffel Tower. They
are cutting out the need to sift through a heap of somewhat
relevant content, thereby making it far easier and much
quicker for a user to find exactly what he is looking for.
And with a smarter search engine comes the need for new
and clever ways of creating and marketing content to get
higher rankings and more traffic.
Get Smart…er
Content is King – no matter how much we try to avoid that
overused phrase, we somehow keep coming back to it. And
in the constant battle around whether content should be
created for search or for users, Google Hummingbird has
laid down the law – it’s for both.
Google’s New Era of Search & Content
6. It’s about creating useful, quality content that’s directly
relevant to what people are actually searching for. So
setting up a blog and filling it with keyword-dense
metadata and on-page copy just isn’t going to cut it
anymore.
Traditionally, brands push out content that is developed
by their Marketing Communications team promoting their
products and services. Someone types in a branded
search term, say “Nike Dri-FIT running shorts”, and gets
results directly relevant to that particular product. But what
if the user doesn’t know about the particular product,
and types in “What to wear when running?” Even if the
Nike Dri-FIT line is perfect for the user, Google would not
rank that highly because content around that product line
does not necessarily meet the intent of the search. The
outcome?
A lost opportunity. And we really don’t want that.
Now marketers need to think about what their target
customers are actually searching for, and how those
queries can be best answered. It’s the melding of Search
and Content, using the former to identify the user’s
needs and then the latter to meet those needs. Product
promotion can come in later, further down the page or later
in the customer life cycle. Hummingbird is pushing brands
to take searchers through an engaging and meaningful
experience that spans the entire customer journey – from
awareness and engagement to brand loyalty and advocacy
– not just covering the browse and purchase model.
So looping back to the example above – if Nike pushes out
content that may not necessarily promote the Dri-FIT line
but addresses some of the common questions around
running gear, Google will rank it higher up based on queries
and users will be able to find information directly relevant to
their searches – tips on buying running gear, running gear
wear and tear, etc. Drop in a couple of product promotions
on the page and voila! An end-to-end natural shopping
experience is created, engaging the user with useful
information, encouraging him to browse relevant Dri-FIT
products and then head to checkout. Simple and au naturel.
The point is: create and publish useful, informative
content that answers the questions your target users are
asking. Build your content around intent, not keywords.
So if you’re a Content Writer, time to celebrate. Google’s
Hummingbird just secured your job for another few years.
Google’s New Era of Search & Content
