Hummingbird is not the last Google update but will play a major role in online s

Posted by donaldmiller on December 18th, 2013

The last Google update is Penguin 5. But since it’s more based on Penguin 2 it is being popularly touted as Penguin 2.1. If you consider the last major change in algorithm that Google came up with it has to be the Hummingbird update. Does it change anything for websites and SEOs? Not much if you ask me if the websites had been doing all the right things till now.

Most of the Google updates are very subtle and it’s easier for websites and SEO companies to adapt to these changes. But every once in a while Google comes up with some major updates and these are the ones SEO companies are scared of. Hummingbird is the last Google update that is looking for a major shift in the SEO space and as per Matt Cutts this update will affect at least 1% of online search. Quite a massive number if you ask me.

So, what is this Hummingbird update? As per Google this update is like the bird itself – precise and fast. We all know Google is fast in showing search results but this “precise” element in this update is supposed to take online search to a new level altogether. This update will make search more conversational. In this form of search Google will use its Knowledge Graph and more to offer something more than just a simple search. This means that every word used in an online search will be looked into and the meaning of the whole search string will be taken into consideration. Essentially Google wants to understand what the user meant when they used a string of keywords and accordingly offer search results.

Does this mean an end to SEO? Not at all and Google has also made a similar point. The core of good SEO still remains the same and this means unique and high quality content. Google still wants its users to be able to find those websites that offer them value for the time spent online.

Google has always harped on the requirement for unique and useful content and with this last Google update in the form of Hummingbird there will now be more focus on useful content. If you are a Google user and you have your geographical presence and other information stored somewhere online Google will use all the information to ensure that it can match your thought process and offer you content that you really want from the internet. It does sound scary at times and some webmasters and SEO companies have seen a drop in traffic due to this update but one has to take this update and work on it accordingly. Some of the websites and their SEO partners have already adapted to this last Google update and their websites have not seen any adverse effects.

SEO is all about dynamism and this is why you need an able SEO partner. Hummingbird is the last Google update that brought in a major shift but it’s not going to be the last one.

Although Hummingbird is not the last Google update now it’s well worth keeping an eye on. Also please view our SEO Christmas offer that we have for all webmasters this year!