If you want to improve your website in Google search results and are taking an increasing interest in SEO, you may have come across articles and blogs recently about Google algorithm updates. What do they mean about your website’s design and how your website performs in Google search?

What Are Google Algorithm Updates?

Google constantly updates and makes changes to its search algorithm. According to the company, it releases several updates a week. It does this to test various ideas, to implement small tweaks, and to make more substantial changes.

Many of these updates go largely unnoticed even by SEO experts. Others you will have seen yourself when, for example, the appearance of a search results page changes.

There are some algorithm updates, however, which are substantial and have a significant impact on many websites around the world, including websites in Auckland. These updates are usually named and are accompanied by a Google announcement with an explanation and advice.

Should You Care About Google Algorithm Updates?

If you offer SEO or website design services in Auckland, absolutely.

However, if you don’t, Google’s algorithm updates shouldn’t be of great concern. It’s something you should leave to your SEO provider or website designer to worry about while you get on with running your business.

What You Should Be Doing to Improve Your Website in Google Search?

This doesn’t mean you should ignore SEO or the ranking of your website in Google – far from it in fact. After all, the ranking of your website in Google is becoming more and more important.

This means there are things you should be doing and things you should be worrying about in terms of SEO.

Here’s the bottom line when it comes to Google algorithm updates: Google releases these updates to improve the service it provides to people using its search feature. A core part of improving this service is ensuring it presents to users the best and most relevant pages, i.e. the pages that are most likely to answer the user’s query.

So, if you’re a builder contractor in Auckland and want to be found on Google by people in Auckland looking for a renovation contractor, the impact of Google’s algorithm updates should be minimal (caveat alert! – see below).

Google is much more interested in the websites and companies that are trying to circumvent its guidelines, trick the algorithm, or anything else that gets a high Google search ranking but then delivers a poor user experience.

Right, Now for the Caveat

Yep, there is a caveat to the above: you need to have a good SEO foundation.

You don’t need to worry about the minutia of Google algorithm updates, not least because you’d need to work on it full-time with a team of researchers.

You do, however, need a website with a modern design and that delivers a great user experience. You need content on the website that is helpful to the user (in our example above, helpful to people in Auckland looking for a renovation building contractor), and it should include relevant and targeted keywords.

Plus, if you really want to enhance your chances of ranking well in Google, you should hire an SEO agency that will take further steps to improve your position.

As with most things in business, focus on what is important when it comes to Google and SEO, starting with your website.