Refine your content marketing tactics to benefit from enhanced search engine display

Everything you need to know about SEO, delivered every Thursday.

Content marketing has become commonplace for marketers today. For those who need guidance, there are numerous handbooks and step-by-step resources that teach the best ways to understand who we're marketing to and what their needs are.

Most content marketing guides can explain the principles of optimization, as well as the critical role that search engines play in generating content visibility. What the guides fail to address are the many features or types of search results that exist and how they impact the visibility of content that is produced. 

These enhancements — special methods of display tailored to match the type of content being shown — encompass a wide range of SERP features, including:

Knowledge Graph;

local pack;

reviews;

site links; and

Featured Snippets.

In this article, I'll focus on Google and use Google-specific terminology, though Bing has unique methods of displaying information as well. Let's explore the most effective ways Google enhances its search results and look at examples of keywords and content types that both generate and populate them.

Google Knowledge Graph

Google Knowledge Graph, one of the most prominent SERP features, appeared in more than one-third of searches in the last 30 days, according to Moz. 

Knowledge Graph was originally introduced in 2012 to enhance Google's search results by tailoring content display to user intent. Today, Knowledge Graph provides a detailed spectrum of information on nearly any topic. The tool serves to reduce the need for consecutive searches and resolve any queries, without the user having to navigate to other websites lower on the SERP.

Google's recent removal of right-hand-side ads on desktop search resulted in content marketers recognizing Google Knowledge Graph as a tool to improve visibility, in addition to their typical SEO and SEM initiatives for targeted queries. For instance, a search for "coffee creamer" displays images of a popular non-dairy creamer in addition to the brand's shopping ads and search ads.

Local pack, reviews and sitelinks

A more general search term like "coffee" removes context and pushes Google to reveal a wider spread of SERP features, including: 

Knowledge Graph of nutritional information sourced from the USDA;

a local pack of nearby coffee shops with reviews; and

a Wikipedia page with additional sitelinks.

In 2013, Google began analyzing search intent for each query when it rolled out its Hummingbird algorithm. Without additional keywords to help the search engine infer intent, the inclusion of the local pack provides context to the "coffee" query in case the user isn't seeking health information or historical details about coffee.

The local pack features the top three nearby coffee shops. Though the two visible brands are both franchises closest to the ZOG Digital office, distance is not the only factor that potential customers are likely to consider — The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has 14 reviews with an aggregate rating of 4.2 stars, while both Starbucks locations combined have one review and no visible ratings.

Users who intend to find value in their searches rely on reviews to inform their actions.

If Google is able to infer a user's intent, it will tailor its display of results with a spread of features designed to meet that user's needs. A search for "best coffee" has a lot of value for brands aiming to reach consumers in the purchase consideration stages — brands not only need to invest in paid media like shopping ads and search ads, they also need to earn strong reviews. Conversely, a search term like "best coffee shop" prioritizes local quality and indicates the user's desire to buy a prepared coffee drink rather than beans to brew at home. In this situation, reviews in the local pack have more value than distance, and the results shown include only the highest-rated nearby coffee shops.

For users seeking more information on coffee, the Wikipedia sitelinks that are visible in the above SERP direct visitors toward their specific need, while allowing them to skip a navigational step. As seen below, sitelinks are typically expanded to include a description for more brand-specific search terms like "Starbucks menu."

Visible alongside the menu sitelinks is a carousel of menu categories and a link titled "More about Starbucks" that takes users to local Starbucks options. The categories expand to display a variety of menu options that users can access without leaving the SERP.

For restaurant brands, menu PDFs are difficult for search engines to crawl. Google prefers when pages have Schema coding, text cues that give search engines instructions for reading a page. Schema code specific to menu results must also be included on menu pages to populate a carousel, as shown above in the SERP.

As proven in Mediative's latest SERP study, the top left-hand side of the SERP still has prominent visibility for the user despite mobile devices training a user's search habits to scan results pages vertically, rather than horizontally. With increased competition for high-ranking search visibility, content marketers can optimize for results like these to earn visibility in other ways besides being the top organic listing.

Featured Snippets

Featured Snippets, as shown above, ensure that Starbucks has prominent content visibility among its competitors for search terms such as "brewing coffee at home."

To accomplish this, Starbucks provides a blog post structured for readability and usability. It's also structured its site so there's prominent navigation for its "How To Brew" category of pages. The comprehensive 901-word article takes users step-by-step through four ways to brew coffee for a few different types of coffee makers. The segment that's pulled for the SERP is for a common one — how to brew coffee from a coffee press.

Final thoughts

Google has enhanced its search engine to be more visual, informational and user-friendly. As a result, content marketers are presented with a unique challenge that requires new tactics.

With improved competition in the search space, content marketers cannot rely on classic SEO best practices to improve page visibility. Tools like SEMRush's recently released Keyword Difficulty tool can be used to match which keywords have the potential to display with these enhanced SERP features, but optimizing for the enhanced results page in addition to improving search rankings requires more than identification. Optimizing results beyond the typical blue link results requires additional research and a comprehensive content marketing plan.

Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author Thomas Stern leads client strategy and solution development as SVP of Client Services at ZOG Digital. He has over 10 years of digital marketing experience through a range of industries like retail, insurance and travel/hospitality. He has been featured in numerous digital marketing publications, has received graduate level internet marketing education and is a board member of Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) Arizona. Follow us on Twitter @ZOGDigital. (Some images used under license from Shutterstock.com.)
Source: Refine your content marketing tactics to benefit from enhanced search engine display

#Google’s 1st Amendment defense to search censorship fails in court

Google's 1st Amendment defense to search censorship fails in court It's not the first time that Google has been sued for its search rankings, but it's among the first in which the company's First Amendment defense is failing. For the moment, a federal judge in Florida is allowing a search-censorship lawsuit to proceed ... read moreFirst Amendment Friday 13 - Nebraska Press Assoc. V Stuart This week we are looking at a case that pits the First Amendment protections against censorship ... to fail to understand, until they sit on a jury themselves. You are only allowed to make the determination of guilt on what you see and hear in the Court. read more

The Drug War vs the Bill of Rights Self-styled "realistic" people fail ... can now search the home without a warrant. As for automobiles, drug war roadblocks have erased the Fourth Amendment concerning cars, which are now treated as the property of the state. The Supreme Court recently ... read moreAnalysis: Uphill fight for Baidu, China censorship lawsuit But China said Wednesday's lawsuit should fail because a U.S. court cannot tell a sovereign country what to do. Legal experts call that defense strong, and also consider Baidu unlikely to be held responsible for any censorship. While the First Amendment ... read moreYou don't protect my freedom: Our childish insistence on calling soldiers heroes deadens real democracy In 2003, a Department of Defense study ... who argued key First Amendment cases in court, the legislators who voted for the protection of free speech, and thousands of external agitators who rallied for more speech rights, less censorship and broader ... read moreSupreme Court addresses Internet pornography The Supreme Court last week actively discussed ... parental supervision without infringing on the First Amendment rights of adults," Drechsel said. Regulation walks a fine line between censorship and protecting the people, Drechsel said, and added ... read moreReligious Liberty and Expression Under Attack: Restoring America's First Freedoms [15] The Court has stated that "[w]hen the state…cooperates with religious authorities by adjusting the schedule of public events to sectarian needs, it follows the best of our traditions…. To hold that it may not would be to find in the Constitution ... read moreWe're losing control of our digital privacy But online censorship in the name of ... Fortunately, the Supreme Court takes our Fourth Amendment rights seriously -- even when the executive and legislative branches of our government fail to do so -- as demonstrated by Monday's unanimous ruling that ... read moreThe Campaign Finance Monster That Refuses to Die But it split the baby, upholding limits on contributions to candidates as an allegedly minimal intrusion on First Amendment ... on the Supreme Court to prevent this creeping censorship forever. The solution has to come from a popular defense of free ... read more

Buy AutoTrafficRSS script now for $27 only!

We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.
Source: #Google's 1st Amendment defense to search censorship fails in court

#Google Play store and #Android #Apps are coming on Chromebooks

Google Play store and Android apps are coming on Chromebooks The company is bringing its mobile OS Android app store, Play, to Chrome OS, the software that runs on its Chromebook laptops, it announced at its IO developers' conference on Thursday. Even with this new announcement, it must still be made clear that ... read moreGoogle Play bringing Android apps to newer Chromebooks Chromebooks have been limited to supported apps that can be found on the Windows Store. This means that ... the developer kit for Chrome OS Android apps available in June. I think what I like about Google Play coming to Chromebooks is that you will be ... read more

One million Android apps are coming to Chromebooks The Google Play store is coming to Chrome OS, and it's bringing every single Android app along with it. Android app support on Chromebooks will also impact the education sector as simulation apps and 3D games for Android become available on Chromebooks. read moreGoogle Play store and Android apps are coming on Chromebooks Writing on the Chrome Blog, Chrome OS software engineers Google's Dylan Reid and Elijah Taylor said Google has been encouraged by the growing adoption of Chromebooks, "but our users have often told us that they would like to do even more with their ... read moreGoogle Brings Android Apps and Store to Chrome OS One huge announcement that didn't make the cut: Google Play and Android apps are coming to Chrome OS later this year. With the Chrome OS Files app, users will be able to keep files in sync across both Android and Chrome apps, too. With Chromebooks having ... read moreGoogle I/O: With Android apps and Play Store, Chromebooks mean business at last ... applications -- more than one million of them -- are coming to Google's Chromebooks and the move is likely to make those inexpensive devices more appealing to corporations. At Google I/O, Google outlined plans to bring its Android Play Store to ... read moreAndroid app support coming to some Chrome OS devices With the availability of Android apps on Chrome OS, it means users will be able to directly access the Google Play Store right from their Chromebooks, download apps to their desktops and start using them regardless of whether or not they have access to the ... read moreWhat's a Tech Lover to Do When Everything Cool Is "Coming Soon"? An always-listening Google Home device. A Google Assistant that is baked into Google services. Android apps on Chromebooks ... 2017. The Google Play Store on Chromebooks? It's coming too, but it first needs to snake through the developer channel ... read moreAndroid apps and the Play Store are coming to Chromebooks this autumn What might be one of the most interesting factors of this upcoming Chrome OS update is that it has Android framework. Google notes that users will be able to access Play Store apps on Chromebooks without compromising their speed, security, or simplicity ... read moreGoogle officially announces Android apps for Chromebooks However, it looks like it is going to be a while before Google introduces Google Play Store apps to all Chrome OS devices. The SDK tools are downloadable components for Android Studio including preview SDK and tools, emulator and system image (32- and 64 ... read more

Buy AutoTrafficRSS script now for $27 only!

We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.
Source: #Google Play store and #Android #Apps are coming on Chromebooks

Three tips to improve your mobile marketing from Nick Wilsdon, Vodafone

While marketers realise the importance of mobile, many of them have yet to catch up with consumer expectations, or realise how SEO and mobile work together.

Everybody knows that it's the year of mobile (again). Everybody knows that smartphones are behind more and more internet searches. But still, not everybody connects the two.

This winter, experience management platform Sitecore and UK market research company Vanson Bourne surveyed brand marketers all over the world about mobile marketing. While 97% of them agreed that a good mobile experience impacts customer loyalty, only 59% have a solid mobile strategy in place.

Part of that is because purchases haven't caught up just yet. According to Google research, mobile commerce is particularly prevalent in countries like Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, where at least 60% of consumers regularly make purchases with their phones. But in many Western nations – including the US, the UK, Belgium, France and Germany – that figure is less than 10.

Nick Wilsdon, lead SEO for the Vodafone Group, believes there's a symbiotic relationship between mobile SEO and mobile commerce. He believes that marketers excelling at the former will see more of the latter.

"[Too many marketers] haven't been thinking about their site through mobile and not testing it enough. They don't function in mobile; the buttons are too small," said Wilsdon at Shift London. "The mobile web is broken right now. Very few people get it right, but there are a few champions in the area."

1. Mobile and SEO

Last year, Google famously changed up its algorithm to favour mobile-friendly sites. The search giant has since launched the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) initiative, which was designed to speed up mobile content.

More than three-quarters of people will abandon a site that doesn't load in five seconds; 40% will X out after three. "Mobilegeddon" was born with consumer behavior in mind and brands that don't follow along are penalised.

Still, 39% of the marketers surveyed by Sitecore don't have mobile optimised websites in place. Wilsdon doesn't believe they realise the kind of effect SEO has on mobile.

"This impacts massively on SEO because Google will give us a ranking benefit for having a fast website. We'll then get more exposure and then get more traffic," said Wilsdon. "It dovetails with everything that happens in performance."

2. The ascension of apps

In the UK and Ireland, the Domino's app now accounts for nearly half its orders. Wilsdon believes that case study is something marketers should aspire to, as mobile internet activity is increasingly happening in-app.

As a result, Google has been pushing its fast-loading Progressive Web Apps concept for most of the last year.

"We can cache parts of it and do push notifications, and basically make our webpages act more like apps," said Wilsdon.

Analyzing data from 52 million Android smartphones, Paris-based Cheetah Ad Platform compared app engagement from around the world. Engaging with an average of 53 apps each month, Brazilians have the world's most competitive app market.

For marketers looking to replicate Brazil's app engagement, Wilsdon recommends smart app banners, which bridge the gap between the mobile web and apps; and native code, which bridges the gap between marketers and consumers.

"Native code actually interacts with your phone and knows whether you have the app installed already. This goes into app deep linking, which is a massive game changer for the web, which we can now link to specific functionality in apps from SERPs," he said.

3. The seamless factor

Vodafone pushes Indian consumers toward the app when it's time to pay their bills. That reduces the number of steps in process, as the app already knows who they are.

The strategy there fits in with a larger theme of seamlessness. Making the experience easier is ultimately going to increase customer satisfaction. About 90% of people don't want to create a new login on a website or stay on a mobile site if they get their login wrong on the first try.

Push notifications are another good – but under-utilised, in Wilsdon's opinion – strategy for retaining customers and making their lives easier. For example, your website can send alerts to users even when their browser isn't open, reminding them that they have an item in their cart.

"Previously, we thought of mobile as something to bolt onto our sites. That's not the case anymore. We have to retool the entire way we're creating content," said Wilsdon. "The mobile web is open for business; we now have the tools to make it work."

This was our inaugural Shift event. Our next one will take place in San Francisco this August – see you there!

Related reading

It's best to do one thing really, really well – is one of Google's "10 things" philosophy, written when the company was in its infancy. This is a great mantra for mobile projects to follow.

Google has introduced new tools and features to AdWords to specifically address the consumer shift towards mobile.

Over the past couple of weeks, Google has been spotted introducing some interesting changes to the look and layout of its search results pages.

Well, first thing's first. Mobile search isn't mobile.

Source: Three tips to improve your mobile marketing from Nick Wilsdon, Vodafone

Court Says #Google Doesn't Have A First Amendment Right To Drop A Site From Its Search Results

Court Says Google Doesn't Have A First Amendment Right To Drop A Site From Its Search Results About a decade ago, we wrote about a series of silly lawsuits against Google in which search engine optimizers sued Google because their search engine ranking sucked. All of these lawsuits went nowhere fast. The reason why seems fairly straightforward: it ... read moreU.S. in favor of right to record police Core First ... Amendment," the DOJ representatives wrote. (Also on POLITICO: Supreme Court won't hear police recording case) Additionally, while Garcia is a White House –credentialed journalist and alleges in his lawsuit that the county violated its ... read more

The Myths & Realities Of How The EU's New "Right To Be Forgotten" In Google Works The court ruling simply says that they make this to Google or any search ... Google doesn't have to turn up to fight its case against that person. It did that with the initial ruling because it didn't want this type of "right to be forgotten ... read moreGoogle must delete search results on request, rules EU court European lawmakers have told Google to forget about it. The top European Court has ruled that citizens have a "right ... the list of results." Following the ruling, a Google spokesperson told CNET: "This is a disappointing ruling for search engines and ... read moreTranscript of the Main Republican Presidential Debate Search Fox News debate on Google ... Supreme Court has made clear that hateful speech is generally protected by the First Amendment. In other words, radical Muslims have the right to be radical Muslims, unless they turn to terror. Doesn't your position ... read moreRead the Full Transcript of the Ninth Republican Debate in South Carolina First, the death of Justice Scalia, and the vacancy that leaves on the Supreme Court ... this country come because they have no other choice. They want to come to provide for their families. That doesn't mean it's right. That doesn't mean it ... read morePeople have the right to be e-forgotten, EU court rules against Google People have the right to be forgotten online, an EU court ruled on Tuesday. The ruling, handed down by the European Union's Court of Justice (ECJ), went against Google ... First Amendment, which could protect them from being forced to restrict search ... read moreDC Court affirms Michael Mann's right to proceed in defamation lawsuit against National Review and CEI Two decisions handed down July 19 in DC Superior Court affirmed climate scientist Michael Mann's right to proceed in his defamation ... that their statements are protected speech under the First Amendment, mere "opinion," "rhetorical hyperbole ... read moreSupreme Court Rules Fifth Amendment Has to Actually Be Invoked Instead, the Supreme Court determined that they wouldn ... Justice Stephen Breyer's dissent notes that it should have been fairly clear that the defendant was invoking his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself even if he didn't use the ... read more

Buy AutoTrafficRSS script now for $27 only!

We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.
Source: Court Says #Google Doesn't Have A First Amendment Right To Drop A Site From Its Search Results

Chapter 3: Search Engine Optimisation And How To Make #Google Your #Traffic Slave!

Chapter 3: Search Engine Optimisation And How To Make Google Your Traffic Slave! If you're a budding writer, Search Engine Optimisation (or SEO) is a term you need to familiarize yourself with. Understanding the basic optimisation techniques will give you a distinct advantage with the BILLIONS of potential readers using google for ... read moreContent Makes a Difference in Multifamily SEO But in other realms, content is very much royalty, especially as it relates to Search Engine Optimization (SEO ... and provides a lot of information is important to make sure that Google gives your site authority." Also, it's important to update ... read more

How To Improve Local SEO with Kris Jones of ReferLocal Include your request in regular communications with customers (Email, mail, phone). Make absolutely certain that ... There is an entirely new chapter on Local Search Engine Optimization, which actually was written from person experience as I've been ... read moreSEO for Church Websites Most people use search engines to find everything. even if they know the domain name. They enter the domain name into Google instead of typing the domain in the address bar. This is why search engine optimization ... chapter. So make sure that your church ... read moreTen Timely Tips for Terrific Title Tags With the change came adjustments to how each individual result is displayed, which may almost certainly necessitate a refresh for a core search engine optimization ... of your HTML inside the area. Think of title tags like the title of the chapter ... read moreSearch in Private with DuckDuckGo That may be valuable to administrators for search engine optimization, but it comes at the cost of your privacy ... and bots, DuckDuckGo's June 2014 search traffic topped 617 million searches. That's still vanishingly small compared to Google ... read moreWhy Has Google Forsaken MetaFilter? Is Google broken? Or is your site broken? That's the question any webmaster asks when she sees her Google click-throughs drop dramatically. It's a question that Matt Haughey, founder of legendary Internet forum MetaFilter, has been asking himself for ... read moreSkill up! Learn how to grow your Web traffic with SEO Search Engine Optimization ... you can measure the traffic that you bring in to see what it's value is. After that start reading a ton on SEO blogs like Moz, SearchEngineland, etc. Also make sure that you start creating your own 'vision' and idea ... read moreRap Genius plummets in Google results, apologizes for spammy SEO practices After controversy surrounding their search-engine optimization techniques, changes within Google have sent the search results plummeting for the much ... in turn boosting their own Google SEO traffic. The post garnered hundreds of upvotes on the Hacker ... read moreLearn How to Improve Online Marketing: Performance Marketing With Google Analytics Part II delves into implementation and configuration of Google Analytics, as well as the basic and advanced concepts in the reports. Part III examines advanced usage to analyze display and sponsored search ads, organic search engine optimization ... read more

Buy AutoTrafficRSS script now for $27 only!

We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.
Source: Chapter 3: Search Engine Optimisation And How To Make #Google Your #Traffic Slave!

Apple building Amazon Echo competitor, will open Siri to third-party apps — [report]

Get the best search news, tips and resources, delivered each day.

On the heels of Amazon's success with Echo and Google's introduction of Home, Apple is preparing a stand-alone virtual assistant device, powered by Siri, according to a report in The Information. The report says that Apple will also open up Siri to third-party apps.

This latter point is the more significant of the two revelations. According to the article:

Opening up its Siri voice assistant to outside app developers is the more immediate step. Apple is preparing to release a software developer kit, or SDK, for app developers who want their apps to be accessible through Siri, according to a person with direct knowledge of the effort.

As I've indicated in the past, this was the original vision for Siri: an intelligent front end for third-party services, transactions and content. However, after Apple bought Siri, it basically abandoned that ambition (aside from a handful of partner services). Now, competition is forcing the company to return to that vision.

The article cites "a person with direct knowledge" of the proposition that "Apple has been working on the device since long before the $180 Echo launched in mid-2015." Regardless, Apple is compelled to create an Echo-like assistant for multiple reasons. One of them is the emerging smart home. These stand-alone assistants become hubs and controllers for other devices — part of a smart-home ecosystem. (Microsoft will likely be next with a Cortana-based home device.)

Siri co-founder Dag Kittlaus, now CEO of Viv, saw Siri explicitly as the successor to traditional search. One of his objectives was to eliminate the awkwardness of the mobile SERP. Yet with its announcement of Google Home last week, Mountain View ironically comes the closest to realizing Kittlaus' vision so far. I say that because of the integration of third-party services from Uber, Pandora, OpenTable, Spotify, WhatsApp and Ticketmaster.

Google's discussion of the "Google assistant" last week was also very significant because it ushers in a new era of "conversational search":

The assistant is conversational — an ongoing two-way dialogue between you and Google that understands your world and helps you get things done. It makes it easy to buy movie tickets while on the go, to find that perfect restaurant for your family to grab a quick bite before the movie starts, and then help you navigate to the theater.

In the event it's not obvious, search in the future is more fragmented or "ambient." It's less about individual devices (the PC, the smartphone) and more about continuous access to information and capabilities across devices (PC, smartphone, car, wearable, smart hub).

Search is also less about "the SERP" and more about fulfilling immediate and specific needs or objectives — including transactional requests (e.g., book a rental car). This is not to say that the SERP disappears entirely or that SEO goes away — I'm probably unlikely to use Google Home or Echo to shop for (as opposed to buy) an oven — but in the assistant context, "search results" are radically altered. And SEO becomes something quite different from what it is today.

Reportedly, the Siri SDK will be announced next month at Apple's developer conference, WWDC.

About The Author Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+. (Some images used under license from Shutterstock.com.)
Source: Apple building Amazon Echo competitor, will open Siri to third-party apps — [report]