Google came out with some very interesting updates and news within the last week, all of which are highly valuable to businesses like yours. So we’ve taken it upon ourselves to update you on all the info and explain the role it’ll play in SEO for businesses.
Google is testing out a new UI (user interface) for hotels
Essentially, last week Google started testing out a new way for searchers to learn about hotel rooms, rates, and other factors when searching. The coolest thing about it is that it gathers reviews from third-party sources like Expedia and booking.com, so that users don’t have to go to 10 different sites to feel like they have a good idea of what they’re getting.
Google will now be displaying average scores for rooms, locations, and services & facilities. As you click through the reviews, you’ll also be able to see how the reviews change depending on the type of traveler – couples, families, and solo.
HOW DOES THIS HELP MY BUSINESS?
Hotels maintain a very niche market that is easier for Google use as a new UI tester. But once this new method has been fully tested and in use, we can expect the same system becoming available and implemented for all industries. Searchers will have full access to helpful reviews as soon as they search within your industry, emphasizing the importance of getting great customer reviews to make easily accessible for customers.
Google AdWords adding Similar Audiences to Search and Shopping
In a Google+ post, the Google AdWords account revealed that their Similar Audiences feature would now be available for Search and Shopping. Here’s the full text of the post:
Remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA) (https://goo.gl/J6csaJ) help you reconnect with people who’ve been to your site, but engaging both new and loyal customers is just as important to your business. Starting today, we’re rolling out similar audiences for Search and Shopping along with Customer Match for Shopping to help you use your own data to reach the right customer with the right message: https://goo.gl/sa2VMK
WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN FOR MY BUSINESS?
We know Google threw in a lot of AdWords jargon there, so we’re going to simplify what all this means for you. If you are a user of Google AdWords for your business, this is great news. The Similar Audiences feature, with its new additions in the Search and Shopping categories, you will be able to connect more often and more accurately with your desired audiences and demographics. If you don’t use Google AdWords yet, we highly recommend it, especially after this reveal which will mightily help users connect with your business.
Google confirmed you won’t be demoted for linking to a 404 page
There has been some speculation over the impact of linking to 404 pages, or “Error” pages, which can potentially provide a negative experience for searchers. SEOs (the team at Presentation Multimedia included) and businesses everywhere have been wondering the same thing: does it matter to Google?
Well, in response to a tweet from SEMPost writer Jennifer Slegg, Gary Illyes, analyst and webmaster for Google, assuaged all our fears:
HOW IS THIS HELPFUL FOR SEO FOR BUSINESSES?
To teams like ours, this is great news. If a page on your website accidentally links to a page that doesn’t exist, your website won’t be penalized by Google for it. Of course, it’s still something you should try to prevent, but now there is no reason to be wondering whether or not Google is dropping your ranks due to a dead link on one of your pages.