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.
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
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Perspectives 2014
5. 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?
Google’s New Era of Search & Content
6. 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.
Google’s New Era of Search & Content
7. 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.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
8. “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
9. 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.
