Can your content keep up with artificial intelligence (AI)? Google’s search algorithms are constantly being upgraded with better performing AI, and this AI seeks to understand your content. Deep neural networks, such as the ones Google has developed and will continue to develop and improve and are capable of analyzing digital data, including recognizing photos and responding to Internet queries. This may sound like the plot of a science fiction movie, but it isn’t; it’s real life, and if your content isn’t up to par, you’ll need to make some real changes to ensure your SEO remains successful.
Don’t Let Malware Kill Your SEO
Google’s AI can tell if there are spam links, adware, rootkits, spyware, bugs, etc. on your website. Your rankings will drop significantly if you’re discovered with malware, regardless if you intentionally shared it or not. Luckily, your method for avoiding this disastrous fate is fairly simple. You need comprehensive cybersecurity that includes virtualization security, which is basically the collective measures that ensure your virtual infrastructures and environments are protected.
Without deep security measures, you’re risking your search engine rankings across all platforms, not just Google; although, Google’s search algorithms are the most sophisticated. If Google determines you have malware, you will lose your rankings.
These are the steps you’ll need to take in order to regain your position:
1. Run all site comments through some sort of comment spam filter because sometimes malware is shared in user comments.
2. Use deep security software to check for malware and other threats in your site’s content.
3. Change all passwords.
4. Submit a reconsideration request to Google. You’ll need to fully explain how you removed the malware and what you’re doing to prevent feature security problems.
Keep Content Focused on Customer Needs
Do you remember the good ‘ole days? About a decade ago, all you needed to be successful was a few choice keywords sprinkled into your content. The content didn’t need to be well-written; you could get away with slapping nonsense on the page, as long as the keyword was used a set amount of time. Most marketers worth their salt knew it wouldn’t last because, even a decade ago, Google was updating its search algorithm an average of 500 times a year.
It’s no wonder that these practices were outmoded to ensure that the customer experience was fulfilling, as this is exactly what keeps Google competitive in a world where there are thousands of search engines. And, it may not be as easy as it once was, but good content will help you remain competitive too for two reasons: it will improve your search rankings and it will help you build authority and a good reputation with your customers.
If you create subpar content, you’ll have subpar results; however, if you take the time to produce content that is relevant to your customers and focuses on their needs, you’ll have much better results. And, even if you don’t immediately reach top-rankings on the SERPs, you may develop a few customer relationships simply because the content you share is so high-quality. Basically, your content should be compelling, creative, researched, informative, and entertaining. If you meet this criteria, you’ll have far more satisfying results. You may even find that users begin sharing and promoting your content for you, on their social media channels and through word of mouth.
Help the AI Help You
Search algorithms are crawling your site looking for information they can understand in order to index your site. Although the AI is intelligent and capable of grasping some concepts, it’s not fool-proof. It’s not a perfect science yet, which is actually good for you and your website. You can exploit this eagerness to understand by structuring your content for easy digest.
Google’s Data Highlighter is a great tool for helping you teach Google about the data on your website. The highlighter actually teaches Google about your site, and then Google can better frame your data on results pages. You can teach Google about all sorts of different content, including what’s on your blog, in articles, your products, entertainment, and so much more. And, in doing this, you can learn what Google’s algorithm favors, what’s easier for it to interpret, in order to begin framing your other content in a similar way.
Basically, it all comes down to understanding. It’s important that you understand the search algorithm and that the search algorithm understands you. If you can nurture this mutual understanding and keep malware off your pages, you should continue to rank high even as Google’s improves its artificial intelligence.