Keywords and/or SEO are dead due to Hummingbird?

Nowadays, I often hear this question. In fact, few SEO Gurus have just created long long blogs and presentations and what not on the topic, “Keyword and keyword targeting is DEAD”. Few are a step ahead and saying “SEO is dead”. In fact, few of my clients asking me to stop focusing on keywords because according to hummingbird, now keyword is of no use. So this article is to answer all those forecasters who are predicting that “keyword targeting & SEO are dead due to hummingbird”.

First of all try to understand what hummingbird algo does mean?

Hummingbird algo is a user-friendly algorithm who will try to understand the conversational language query of normal user and will give the best suitable result. This is the simplest definition of Hummingbird algo and its functionality.

Now, we are coming back to the most heated question.

Is Keyword Targeting Dead? Is SEO Dead?

NO. The answer is straight no, not now and not will be in future.

Why or How Keyword Targeting and SEO aren't dead?
If you came to this article via any search engine, then I just do not need to answer this. You just go back to your search result and check the query which you typed in and check the words which are bold in snippet. You will see the words which are bold are exactly the same as you typed in as search query. Is it so? You got your answer I guess.

If you are one of my followers or subscribers, then let me clear the reason. I have made search with keyword “Digital Marketing with Ash Vyas” and here is the snippet of top result I got from Google.

As you can clearly see all the results have the keywords which are also known as search query in normal language. You can compare the search query I used for my search with the bold keywords available in search result. Do I need to say further to prove keywords are not dead nor SEO, nor keyword targeting?

Now, let's take one more example for searching conversion query. Let's say I search “asterisk services near Ahmedabad”. And, below is the snippet of what I received as search result.

Picture says more than words. So, you might understand the point that whether someone searches with either search query i.e. keywords or conversational query i.e. keywords [again], the keywords were there, are there and will be there.

Now Why or How Keyword Targeting and SEO Will Not be Dead?

Usually those who are really looking out for some professional or personal services, they will use queries which will have keywords like “Hire SEO Engineer” or “Pizza center near Mansi Circle”. There are keywords. And, SEO experts can easily recognize such keywords.

Myth of Hummingbird:

People are having myth that hummingbird has removed keyword targeting, which is not so true. Hummingbird made search smarter that's also from their own point of view and for end users so they can give the best result to non technical people as well. Otherwise, search has not changed at all for technical people. Yesterday, they were searching for “affordable SEO services” and also today they will use the same words. And, Google will show the result. Hummingbird has changed the scope of local searches. As SEO people know there was no big change in search query results after launch of hummingbird which was visibly seen in Penguin and Panda update. Google is advising since ages to not to focus on specific keywords and not do this and not to do that. And, these are the old standards set by Google and it's as it is. No doubt Google has changed a lot, changed policies, but it will affect those of SEO people who might practice massive SEO tactics. For ethical SEO people, it is still the same. You just need to work smart by selecting and targeting right keywords with right optimization and promotional strategies.

Hope you got answer and clear idea about hummingbird :) Give your question, feedback and suggestion in comments.

Ash Vyas is working as an internet Marketing manager at Ecosmob handling digital marketing activities like SEO, SMO, Linkbuilding.
Likes : Blogging, net surfing, networking, travelling, photography
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Posted in: changes due to hummingbird algo,future of keywords,future of seo,hummingbird algo,keyword targeting dead,seo dead

Google News: Hummingbird - New Algo Announcement

Google HummingBird Algo Update

Google - The most famous and widely used search engine hosted a special event at a garage of the Menlo Park (Calif.) where Google born. On occasion of 15th anniversary of Google foundation, Google's VP Amit Singhal given more information about a new algorithm launch of a google, namely, "Hummingbird". So after having animals like panda and update, now Google has launched a bird :D This algo launched before a month and rolled up completely but officially they announce it today.

The name "Hummingbird" is derived to express fast and precise result of the Google search. This algorithm is specifically designed to improve the search result for all devices. After 2010 "Caffeine" algo launch this is the complete algo change of google. The panda and penguin were just an algo update. Means both of them were minor/major changes to the already existing algorithm. While hummingbird is completely new algorithm which will sort and display the search result.

So what about Panda and penguin update? They are uneffective? 

If you are thinking that now panda and penguin are gone and not going to affect you negatively and you got a free sky to spam the net with low quality links and content then you are going to feel bad with my upcoming lines :) The Hummingbird algo change has woven all previous updates including panda and penguin which means Google will make sure all the search result will filter out with the thumb rules of high quality content and authority. So you still have to follow the penguin and panda rules to be in top or to not get thrown out of the search result.

Why hummingbird algo launched?

Google always want to make sure that the users get the best result out for what they are searching for. And for that google used to work day and night to assure quality result serving to it's users. Of course that is the reason Google is favorite of many and home page of many :) So to make result more quality and related to the search of user Google launched this algo.

What will it do ? How will it affect the search result?

Hummingbird algo will try to understand the conversation search and deliver the best result. Now you might wonder what is conversation search? The answer is when someone insert query like conversation, for example "library near my area" "best alternative of joomla technology for website development" . In previous algorithm Google was used to go for a like query means it will show result with all those links which has any or many words from the query. but now Google will try to understand the complete query and will deliever the result as per the query. For example if someone search for  "library near my area", in previous scenario Google might show all the result having keywords "library","near", "my", "are" or any combination of it. But now-onwards Google search algorithm will try to understand the query inserted and will even be more smarter and will also try to figure out your area [could be ahmedabad for me] and then display the relevant result means in previous scenario Google might show me libraries of US and UK and are of different places but now if i'm logged in it will sort result in a way that I see library list near or in ahmedabad. isn't it cool?

If this is really what google is going to introduce then this concept sounds like graph search of Facebook to me. of course not for all queries but for few. don't you think so?

On other note it's quite cool feature from end user's perspective. I mean people who are not master in surfing the net and who are normal end user, this search algo will going to be boon for them i guess. As it will make search easier for them by serving the relevant result and excluding irrelevant results which it was showing before by it's like query practice.

Does it mean Google wont use like query? means Does google exclude result of combination of words of queries? 

No. Google will use like query and will show result with combination of words as it was showing before. But the sorting of result will be in a different way. The most relevant result will be listed first. As simple as that.

Hummingbird algo will hurt your website?

Have you noticed any drop in traffic or results in past month? No? Then it won't affect you. Because this algo rolled out before a month and the it was a smooth process so no-one noticed the change before announcement. After announcement many SEO people might dug their analytics stats :D So if there are any drop or increase in past month in your traffic stat then that's because of hummingbird change. If not, you are on safe side.

Is SEO Dead with this algo launch?

LOL. why should SEO get dead with such algos change and update? SEO is just becoming smarter day by day. Each SEO people have to go with an agenda to get the quality services for their clients and that's the only intention of Google. So if Google and SEO both will work smartly to serve the quality result they can better be friends rather than thinking to kill each other :D SEO is not massive linkbuilding tactic anymore. But in very smart way use your logic and vision with thinking of 3rd person who might looking out for a service and what that person might look for? you just need to serve that as simple as that. Because if you do so, you will rank highr in Google as that's what google want to show the users high quality and relevant result. and it will also help in lead generation and decreasing bounce rate by getting massive unrelevant traffic.
In short, SEO is and will be alive but in a smarter way ;)

What can you do to rank higher after hummingbird algo launch?

• Create good quality content and build an authority of your website.
• Try SMO to get others way open for your traffic and lead generation
• Work for user/client and not for search engine's. This is most important. I will write more on this for designer, developers and seo :)

How do I know all these? or how can you know all these?

• Reading and common sense and experience  :)
• Reading the posts and news of authorised writer. Don't read from anywhere as they will make you confuse so read from people having name or authorised in SEO industry
• Don't trust everything you read and use your common sense to conclude the facts because each person might have different analysis or point of view
• Use your or others experience and get the best

Give your queries and feedback in comments. Bye for now. :)

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Posted in: ashseo,ashvyasseo,Google algo update,google news,hummingbird algo,hummingbird algo update,SEO Tips