Let’s Talk about An Algorithm Update – Google DeepRank

Google offers an in-depth look at the making of its DeepRank algorithm in a lengthy video about how search works.

Google is revealing new details about the making of its DeepRank algorithm which surfaces more relevant search results by understanding language the way humans do. DeepRank is discussed in length in a brand new video from Google about how search works. Among other aspects of search, Google’s video goes over the development, testing, and approval process that each algorithm update goes through. DeepRank was launched in 2019 as BERT, and is named for the deep learning methods used by BERT and the ranking aspect of search. Think of DeepRank as the integration of BERT into Google Search. Although it’s not as straightforward as it sounds. Here’s a recap of what’s shown in Google’s new video.

DeepRank/BERT
DeepRank builds on Google’s existing machine learning and natural language processing capabilities.

Natural language processing allows searchers to enter actual questions the same way they would ask a friend in a text message, for example. Google has been working on natural language processing for the better part of 20 years, starting first with spelling corrections and understanding synonyms. Google’s machine learning capabilities have been in development for 10 years. BERT further enhances search algorithms’ understanding of natural language queries.

Search ranking has come a long way in the past two decades, but prior to BERT algorithms couldn’t understand the subtleties of language as humans do. DeepRank is the first time Google Search has a signal that understands the relationship between human terms. Ultimately, it’s designed to make search more intuitive to use and make it feel as though Google understands its users.

Development & Testing of DeepRank
DeepRank picks up on the subtleties of language that come naturally to humans but are difficult to program for. Google’s search algorithms used to ignore stop words and leave them out of the query.

Over time Google learned those words have an important role in communicating what people are really trying to say. With DeepRank, people can phrase search queries in a natural way and not run into the problem of machines not getting the subtleties. In Google’s video an example is shown for the query: “What temperature should you pre-heat your oven to when cooking fish?” Without DeepRank, Google’s algorithms surface some useful information, but they also get confused. See in the screenshot below how Google’s older search algorithm returns a page about cookies for a query about fish. When DeepRank is tested on the query it understands the page is about cookies, not fish, and does not surface the result.

Here’s an example the DeepRank team is especially proud of which involves the query “can you get medicine for someone pharmacy.”

On the left there’s a result which understands and answers the specific query (thanks to DeepRank), and on the right is a more general result about getting prescriptions filled.

DeepRank might sound like a straightforward solution but getting BERT to play nicely with search is not easy, Google says.

DeepRank went through months of testing, and you can see some of it first-hand in Google’s video. There’s rare behind-the-scenes footage of Google Search engineers meticulously analyzing individual queries to determine if DeepRank is helping or hurting search results. Any change to search gets a lot of scrutiny, no matter how big or small it may be. However, Google’s engineers have a finite amount of time to work on this project. DeepRank, even in testing, requires an enormous amount of computing power. If the team working on DeepRank did not make enough progress in testing, computing resources would have be allocated to another project. The video has more behind-the-scenes footage of a meeting where the progress on DeepRank is presented to Google’s launch committee.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the process Google Search engineers go through to get updates and changes approved, this might be the best look we’ve had so far. Google’s committee approved DeepRank for an eventual launch, and the feeling of elation from Google’s engineers was palpable. See the full video below. The part about natural language processing and DeepRank starts at around the 42-minute mark.

Article Courtesy : Search Engine Journal

Top 5 Benefits of Google Local Service Ads (LSAs)

Do you run a service-based local business? Do you want to reach more high-quality leads and maximize your advertising budget? Google’s Local Services ads (LSAs) can help you achieve your goals!

Local Services Ads help you connect with people who search on Google for the services that you offer. Your ads will show up for customers in your area, and you only pay if a customer contacts you directly through the ad.

In this post, I’ll tell you the top FIVE benefits of Google’s Local Services ads (LSAs) for your local business.

Keep reading to learn more — and give me valuable comments to discuss with the latest tips for maximizing your paid ad spend!

Local Services ads (LSAs) show up at the top of search results when users search for local services. LSAs are available in select cities for service-based businesses like:

1. Plumbers
2. HVAC professionals
3. Real estate agents
4. Electricians
5. Roofers
6. Carpet cleaners
7. And more

If you have any doubt LSAs are right for your business, read and get info about the top five benefits of LSAs.

• Local Services ads drive more visibility and clicks
• With Local Services ads, you only pay for viable leads
• You can target exactly where and when your Local Services ad displays
• LSAs provide cost-per-lead transparency
• You can promote confidence with the Google Guarantee

Article Courtesy: webfx.com

6 Important SEO Tips and Strategies of Your B2B Business

Today you’re going to see exactly how to execute a B2B SEO strategy in 2020.

I’ve personally used the steps in this post to grow my B2B Company’s website to over 357,576 search engine visitors per month.

And in this post you’ll learn:

• How B2B SEO works
• How SEO for B2B is different than B2C
• How to create content that turns into leads
• Unique backlink opportunities for B2B businesses
• Lots more

Let’s get started.

What Is B2B SEO?

B2B search engine optimization (SEO) is a digital marketing strategy designed to help B2B website pages rank higher in search engines, like Google and Bing. Unlike SEO for B2C, SEO in the B2B world tends to focus on keywords that key decision makers within companies search for while at work.

B2B SEO vs. B2C SEO

Is SEO in B2B different than B2C?

Kind of.

When it comes to Google’s actual ranking factors, SEO in B2C is exactly the same as B2B. In other words: there’s no “B2B algorithm”. Or any special steps that B2B sites need to rank in Google. And the same SEO best practices that apply to B2C also apply to B2B. But in practice, B2B SEO IS actually very different.

Techniques of B2B SEO:

• Target low volume keywords.
• Publishes content for decision maker.
• Keywords have high CPCs
• Minimal or no Social Media Marketing
• Content is highly tactical

Techniques of B2C SEO:

• Target low volume keywords.
• Publishes content for broad audience.
• Keywords have low CPCs
• Focus on social media marketing
• Content  can be emotional and fun

And here I have pointed out some basic steps for an effective B2B SEO strategy:

Step #1: Build Your Decision Maker Persona

The goal here is to find out WHO you’re going to target with your SEO. In B2C, this “who” is pretty straightforward: it’s your customer. So if you sell tennis shoes, then you’re going to focus your marketing 100% on people that play tennis. But in the B2B world, this step is a little bit more complicated. Your target customer isn’t a person. It’s a business. So you need to figure out WHO inside of that business you need to get in front of. That way, you can figure out what types of things they search for in Google.

Step #2: Choose Your Bottom of the Funnel Keywords

Now that you have your persona, it’s time to figure out how they search for what you sell. In other words: bottom of the funnel keywords. As a quick recap, marketing funnels are a way to visualize the customer journey. In other words: keywords that people search for when they’re ready (or almost ready) to buy.

Here’s how to find bottom of the funnel keywords for B2B.

• The Seed Keywords Engine
• Google Auto complete (This is a simple tactic that’s GREAT for finding long tail keywords.)
• Competitor Keyword Analysis

Step #3: Find Top of the Funnel Topics

Next, it’s time to find a set of top of the funnel keywords and topics. These are keywords that you’ll ultimately create blog content around. For example, check out this example funnel from the delivery logistics industry.

Step #4: Optimize Your Product and Services Pages

Now it’s time to optimize your product and service pages for SEO. Specifically, you want to optimize each page around one of the bottom of the funnel keywords. To be clear: on-page optimization is a massive topic. If you want to nerd out, I recommend checking out my on page SEO tips.

But if you just want the 80/20 tasks that will give you the biggest bang for your buck, I recommend these 3 strategies for optimizing B2B landing pages.

1. 100% Unique Content

Every single landing page needs 100% hand-written unique content. Otherwise, you’ll run into issues with duplicate content. And your pages won’t rank.

• Long-Form Content

Most B2B landing pages are SUPER thin. Most of them only have 50-100 words of content. I can tell you from experience: these super short pages are tough to rank. There just isn’t enough content there for Google to fully understand the page. So I recommend beefing up your key landing pages with 500, 1000 or even 2000 words of content.

• Smart Keyword Usage

Yes, you want to include your target keyword several times on your landing page. But I don’t recommend cramming your keyword 100x into your page. That can do more harm than good.

Instead, you want to use your keyword strategically.

• Mention your keyword in your page’s H1 title and title tag
• Make sure your page URL includes your target keyword
• Use synonyms and variations of your main keyword
• Write a unique meta description aimed to boost your click-through-rate
• Try to include your keyword high up on the page (within the first 50 words or so)

Step #5: Create an Insanely Valuable B2B Blog

Blogging is an important part of any legit B2B SEO strategy. That’s because a valuable blog can help your SEO in a bunch of different ways.

Here are some tips for getting your B2B blog off on the right foot.

• Shoulder Topics

Shoulder Topics are topics that are related to your business. But they’re not directly tied to your actual product.

• Ultimate Guides

If you’re new to B2B content marketing, I recommend focusing on ultimate guides. Why? Because  they work SUPER well.

• “Business Casual” Writing Style

Most B2B content is SUPER boring. But that doesn’t mean your copy needs to be boring and stiff. Instead, I recommend using a “Business Casual” writing style. This approach is professional… but approachable.

Step #6: Build Backlinks For Your B2B Website

If you want to succeed with B2B SEO, link building is a must. The question is: how can your B2B business get quality backlinks? It’s simple: tap into this list of strategies that are designed specifically for B2B.

• Submit Press Release
• Helpful Tools, Calculators and Make a list
• Partner Pages

Do you do business with suppliers, manufacturers or other strategic partners? If so, you might be able to build a handful of links from their partner pages. For example, here’s a partner page from a B2B company.

Article Courtesy: backlinko.com