Earlier this year, Google quietly rolled out RankBrain, its latest search engine algorithm update that uses machine learning to get better at dealing with some of the more semantically tricky and fundamentally vague queries that it has to field. When its existence was announced this month, many people were asking Bournemouth web design agencies whether it would impact the way that content is crafted for online marketing and SEO purposes.
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The true extent of RankBrain’s influence, which encompasses the ability to determine the intent of queries even if specific keywords are not used, will take a while to assess. Nevertheless, there are some things that businesses need to learn in order to make their content better today and please more visitors while boosting the organic ranking potential of a site.
Who Reads What?
This is perhaps the most important point to take into account. A two-decade-old Nielsen study and a recent Moz survey carried out this year came to the same conclusion: only about 16 per cent of people read an entire article from start to finish. The largest proportion skip reading it entirely, with only slightly less choosing to scan through to seek out pertinent information.
In the world of the web, with hundreds of thousands of new articles emerging on sites every day, there are also plenty of users who simply read a headline before closing the tab and getting on with something else. Content must be written with these habits in mind, and sites must accept that they face an uphill struggle to foster engagement.
Successful Content Strategies
Making an impactful first paragraph is important, but sub-headings are equally crucial in catching readers’ attention and drawing them into an article. Composing a compelling headline that is relevant to the content as a whole will satisfy those with little time on their hands, but there are also enough people who read every last word to justify ensuring that the quality is consistent throughout the piece. Firms like http://www.expectbest.co.uk/ can assist businesses in achieving this balance.
With such a small proportion of visitors likely to read an entire article, there might be a temptation to stick to creating content that is as concise as possible.
In reality, however, it is better to strike a balance, appeasing Google’s ever-shifting algorithms and human visitors in one.