Potential drawbacks to Google-centric SEO
It’s no secret that most people use Google to perform an online search. Some reports claim that Google holds about 82% of the market share. There are some other search engines that people do use, such as Microsoft Bing, but they are simply not as common – at least in the United States.
When you are considering your search engine optimization (SEO) tactics, then, you are probably looking at the Google algorithm. You assume that this is where most of your organic traffic is going to come from, and thus it needs to be where you focus those SEO efforts. But there are some pros and cons to using Google that you should consider.
A competitive option
First and foremost, most other companies are also optimizing for Google. It’s extremely competitive. This is true both for paid search engine marketing options and paid ads, which can be very expensive. It’s also true for organic SEO, as you have many other companies that are optimizing for the same keywords. It can be hard to get your site to stand down.
The influence of AI
Recently, Google has also started to incorporate AI tools into the search process. When someone runs a search, the AI can summarize the search results for them. Google says that this will make the search engine more efficient because some users just don’t have time to look up all of the information they need and put it together, so the AI can do this work for them. But this does raise some questions about accuracy or how the technology will influence which links users ultimately choose.
The algorithm often changes
Finally, it’s important to note that Google will periodically change the algorithm. Back in the early days of SEO, for instance, some companies would try to game the system by hiding keywords on the site – such as making the text and the background the same color. But this is now seen as spam, so these SEO tactics would actually harm a company’s ranking – or get them pulled from the search results completely – rather than helping it.
This isn’t to suggest that modern companies are still using these types of outdated SEO tactics. But it’s just important to remember that everything being used today, despite often being viewed as cutting-edge, could just be something that becomes outdated in the future. Your SEO success and online visibility are at the mercy of the Google algorithm and any future updates.
Contact us today
Are you trying to figure out how to get the most out of your SEO efforts in the upcoming year? Understanding how Google works is just part of the equation. We have decades of combined experience here at Content Customs, so get in touch with us today to learn how we can help.
