1:42 pm, January 28, 2012
MOTORS.co.uk is warning dealers to review their SEO strategy, as Google seeks to closely integrate Google+ into their search index.
The search engine giant has been accused by various analysts of “warping” its search results by boosting posts from its Google+ social network in its standard search results.
The changes – which are presently only being implemented in the US via google.com – mean that when people search for information, particularly about individuals, while logged in to Google+, results from the social network will be prominently displayed on the first page of results, along with other results from the wider web.
That is likely to have the effect of making existing Google+ users more likely to use the network, says Motors.co.uk, as they will see fewer results from outside it when they search for information. This is particularly important as c.90 per cent of clicks from search originate from the first page of results.
There has been a gradual shift from Google to introduce personalisation, meaning that there is no longer a single “correct” result from search. It means that dealers need to be more thorough in investigating the traffic gains from any SEO strategy – just because something ranks highly on their own computer, doesn’t mean that is what the rest of the world will see.
Phill Jones, commercial director at Motors.co.uk said: ‘Google seems to be forcing Google+ into search, making it vital for dealers to consider integrating Google+ into their site. The threshold for relevancy will be higher, so dealers need to make sure that the site has relevant content and any links pointing to the site are complementary. This should apply anyway, but the rewards and penalties will be higher.
‘This is a landmark statement from Google that could change the way search works forever. The change is being trialled in the USA first, so is not immediately applicable today, but should be considered in any SEO planning.’
