As if you needed any more reason to prioritise communication for your business and brand, Google has recently unveiled a subtle but important change to its search algorithms.
As reported through Reuters in the Huffington Post recently:
"A little-noticed change in the way Google selects search results has allowed company statements to top the list of news links shown when users search for information on businesses."
Prior to this change, only content published through news and television sites would reach the top of the news page.
Make sure your information is credible and accurate
There are concerns from analysts that the shift will mean less credible information finds its way into the news agenda, which is a valid worry. The driver of the change is so that users can find 'the right information at the right time', and some commentators are worried this will give too much prominence to public relations materials.
It's important that businesses don't see this as an opportunity to publish false or misleading information. It's a poor approach and one that we don't take.
However, from the business communication perspective, we see Google's change as further validation that you and your organisation should be focusing effort and resource on planning, creating and distributing high quality, credible, accurate and shareable content for the web.
Rethink your communications
The change was made in September last year but wasn't announced, but users and publishers are slowly noticing the difference in search results.
Let me ask you:
Everything we do here at Clarity is based around compelling content.
We can help you to create:
As reported through Reuters in the Huffington Post recently:
"A little-noticed change in the way Google selects search results has allowed company statements to top the list of news links shown when users search for information on businesses."
Prior to this change, only content published through news and television sites would reach the top of the news page.
Make sure your information is credible and accurate
There are concerns from analysts that the shift will mean less credible information finds its way into the news agenda, which is a valid worry. The driver of the change is so that users can find 'the right information at the right time', and some commentators are worried this will give too much prominence to public relations materials.
It's important that businesses don't see this as an opportunity to publish false or misleading information. It's a poor approach and one that we don't take.
However, from the business communication perspective, we see Google's change as further validation that you and your organisation should be focusing effort and resource on planning, creating and distributing high quality, credible, accurate and shareable content for the web.
Rethink your communications
- Do you have valuable research or market commentary that would benefit your audience or the wider industry?
- Got an important event coming up, or a significant announcement to make that will affect your customers, employee, suppliers or the market?
- Are you taking part in a trade show or panel discussion to discuss your sector or your business?
- Have you been working on an innovation or process that will improve your business offering, or change your users' experience?
The change was made in September last year but wasn't announced, but users and publishers are slowly noticing the difference in search results.
Let me ask you:
- Would it be useful to have your company news, results, or wins, published in the news section of Google when people search for your company name, rather than through web search alone?
- Do you struggle to gain traction for important business updates, unless you buy advertising or seek media coverage?
- Would an increase in website traffic through Google be beneficial for your reporting, and create a bigger pipeline of prospective customers?
- Do you have different, interesting, and useful information that your stakeholders, shareholders or the wider community could benefit from, but it's currently only sitting in your company newsletter or on your website?
Everything we do here at Clarity is based around compelling content.
We can help you to create:
- Press releases and background materials including Q&As, company history, and profiles of your key people
- Visual material including photography, video, design assets and infographics
- Content calendars so your communications are planned and you can rest easy knowing your business is being promoted even when you are in meetings or out of the office
- Social media programmes so your published content can go further.