How will ‘Hummingbird’ affect my Google ranking?

Google launched its new search algorithm on 26th September 2013. This new algorithm is called ‘Hummingbird’ (being precise and fast). A ‘search algorithm’ is the technical term given for the method Google (and other search engines) sort through billions of web pages to return what it believes are the most relevant search results.
Hummingbird is the most significant change Google has made in a long time. Previous releases such as ‘Panda’ and ‘Penguin’ were changes to part of an old algorithm, but Hummingbird is entirely new.

Hummingbird is designed to better focus on the ‘meaning behind the words’ and be more ‘conversational’ in its approach. For example, previously if you had searched on “What’s the closest place to buy teeth whitening to my home?” Google would have focused on the word ‘buy’ and ‘teeth whitening’, but with Hummingbird it may focus on your actual home location as you may have shared that with them on your iPhone at some point.

It may also understand that ‘teeth whitening’ is provided by only some dental practices in your area and concentrate on these providers. In short, with the amount of personal data Google now has about its users it is going beyond just finding web pages with matching words.

So, how will Hummingbird affect your SEO? Google are stating that there is nothing new or different SEO companies or publishers need to worry about.

They have publicly stated that high quality content and keeping sites relevant about the services they provide will get the best results. Certainly, my own SEO team keep reiterating that ‘content is king’. If you have lost ranking since the 26th of September, you should contact your SEO provider to see what they are doing about it, or feel free to contact us at IDM for a SEO audit of your site.