As a digital marketing strategy, SEO has seen constant evolution from the days it first made its appearance. These changes have been necessitated as search engines try to improve experiences for consumers using them.
This has forced SEO agencies and brands to stay updated on the latest best practices and integrate them into their strategies. The core purpose of any SEO strategy is to rank a website on the Search Engine Rankings Page or SERPs.
We all know-how to rank both On-Page and Off-Page SEO factors matter a lot. Technical SEO and optimizations have been critical in helping brands create websites that search engines think are best for user experiences.
With Search Equity now becoming the next big thing, a good SEO company needs to alter its strategies and focus accordingly. In this article, we look at the concept of Search Equity and discuss how SEO needs to make the shift towards the same.
Search Equity: Meaning and Definition
According to leading experts, Search Equity refers to the ability of a website to rank on the SERPs without technical obstructions or impediments. You might ask- what are these impediments? Well, if insiders at Google are to be believed, they consist of-
- Altering and configuring the right Page Structures
- Focussing on Improving Site Speed and Responsiveness
- Arranging URLs, Meta Description, and Titles
- Taking Steps towards Mobile Optimization
- Working for HTTPs and SSL Certificates
In short, every important aspect of Technical SEO has been referred to as impediments to Search Equity. As you can see from the list above, these functions require a technical developer and an SEO executive to sort and fix.
On the contrary, a brand owner who does not have technical expertise and experience might not be able to work on them and carry out the optimizations.
Why does Google want to bring Search Equity in Results?
Quality Content!
Think of the times you have been in meetings with brands when an impassioned business owner has given you a rundown of what the brand is all about. You have felt how this guy knows everything there is to know about the product, industry, and niche in which the brand operates.
This is exactly what Google and other search engines that are moving towards Search Equity are aiming for. They know that brand owners and professionals have infinite knowledge about their brands. What they do not have is the technical expertise to present it in a way that it ranks.
We know that search engines prioritize quality content. Think of the billions of substandard contents floating around in the webspace. You can say that Search Equity is a way of decluttering the space and ensuring that the best and most informative/valuable content is shown to the audiences.
Where does the Problem lie in Maximizing Search Equity?
Incentives!
SEO requires a lot of time, effort, money, and resources to be successful. It requires a comprehensive strategy that takes into account both On-Page and Off-Page parameters. For high-quality content to rank, is not easy unless the other optimizations are met.
This wherein lies the problem. Search engines cannot begin from a clean slate for that would be cheating all the hard-working SEOs and brands that had invested in the earlier processes of ranking. Nor can they ignore the fact that Search Equity is the future of quality content.
For some years now, Google has been trying to play the role of a balancer. Its products like Question Hub have tried to level out the field of search by ensuring quality content can be seen at the top of the results, with or without all the technical SEO optimizations.
How SEOs, Agencies, and Brands need to Adapt to the Changes of Search Equity?
This is not as simple as listing down ten steps. It requires altering strategies, approaches, and thought processes-
- For starters, the need for lower pieces of content that are of high quality is essential. Focus on quality and not quantity needs to be the driving force.
- Secondly, emphasis needs to be paid to the changing behavior of audiences on search engines. This means taking into consideration more LSI and Long-Tail keywords than focus ones.
- Thirdly, this also means paying attention to all the sources where the search is being performed. One major area being Voice Devices and Home Assistants and analyzing search patterns.
- Lastly, focus on Google’s own ecosystem and products like Question Hub and Google My Business. GMB can be a great way to maximize a brand’s search equity.
The Bottom Line
SEO has never been a stagnant strategy. It has always kept evolving according to the changes in the digital ecosystem. SEOs, agencies, and brands need to be aware of all the changes that Search Equity is likely to bring in the coming years. It is this that will help them stay ahead of the competition at all times.