Google is a lot of things. It’s a source of information, a research assistant, a trip planner, a weather person. It’s also a constantly evolving platform that introduces small and sometimes large refreshes now and then.
Since its inception, it’s grown and changed in more ways than I can count. With every Google update, big or small, marketers must adapt to stay on top of Google’s algorithms and preferences.
Especially when it comes to those larger algorithm updates, SEO on Google can feel like an uphill battle. But when you boil the search engine down to its core components — search, experience and technology — it helps you face it with more confidence and less disdain.
So, let’s explore these three pillars of the Google experience and why they’ll always matter for marketers no matter how much the platform changes.
Search: A Source of Information
Google’s goals for search have never faltered. It’s always been about bringing the best information the web has to offer to the screens of the people looking for it. Whether we’re talking about organic search results, paid search ads, local search or something else, organizing and making accessible the world’s information is the name of Google’s game.
While its algorithms evolve, the fundamental principles of relevance, authority and user intent remain consistent. Since search is the primary way users find products, services and information, marketers must ensure their content aligns with user intent first. Valuable, search-optimized and high-quality content will always have a better chance of maintaining visibility even as Google updates its algorithms.
With that in mind, why don’t we break down the core components of the core components? For each of these three pillars (search, experience and tech), let’s remind ourselves how to set our campaigns, content and businesses up for success on Google no matter how much it changes.
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How To Find Search Success
Mastering search is all about building visibility and relevance. Regardless of the state of Google’s algorithms, there are a few steadfast strategies that are always beneficial:
Understand and Align With User Intent
User intent is one of those things that really has nothing to do with Google aside from that that’s where most searchers are searching. The information they ultimately want to find to satisfy their intention is up to them — but how do you know what they’re looking for?
Keyword research is one of the most effective ways to understand what your audience is searching for, which doubles as a blueprint for content creation. Tools like Semrush or Ahrefs provide insight into how and why users search for certain terms, ultimately helping you develop content that meets those demands and, hopefully, wind up satisfying them.
Invest In High-Quality Content
I can’t remember a time when Google’s algo preferred poor-quality content over high-quality content. Was there a time when quantity mattered a smidgen more than quality? Sure. But no one is really ever satisfied with poor quality.
Prioritize authoritative, engaging and relevant content that answers user questions directly; and don’t be afraid to try different formats! Blog posts, videos, FAQs and other formats all resonate on today’s Google and likely always will. So long as what you’re putting out is high quality and satisfies user intentions, you’re well on your way to search success.
Local SEO
It can be easy to forget about local SEO given the increasingly global state of, well, pretty much everything. But if your business has a physical location, Google Business Profiles, reviews and localized content are your best friends. This is another great example of why this core pillar of Google is unwavering regardless of algorithm updates. If users are likely to search for a specific location when Googling your business, Google is going to show them your Business Profile if you have one — so it’s important to pay it some attention.
Experience: Ease of Use
Google emphasizes delivering the best possible user experience (UX), from fast-loading pages (Core Web Vitals) to mobile-friendly designs and relevant results that meet user needs.
Additionally, Google knows something that we at Brafton are also privy to — it doesn’t matter if the answer to your question is right there in plain language; if the user experience is terrible, it’s more difficult to win. But it’s also a bit more complicated than that.
Here’s what Google says about page experience and ranking success:
Google Search always seeks to show the most relevant content, even if the page experience is sub-par. But for many queries, there is lots of helpful content available. Having a great page experience can contribute to success in Search, in such cases.
Relevant information mostly comes first. However, with so many pages fighting for a top spot in the SERPs, page experience provides the boost you’ll need to come out on top.
Experience goes beyond just rankings, too. When your website has a strong user experience, it influences how those users interact with your site, meaning you may be in for increased conversions and ROI from your search traffic once you’ve built a solid page experience. These are aspects of your marketing that, unlike SEO, are entirely dependent on you and your brand authority, website design and content.
How To Hone Experience
Smart marketers are obsessed with experience. That’s why UX is such a huge discipline, and why good graphic, web and page design matters in SEO and marketing. Here’s how to reign in your pages for a better user experience:
Optimize for Core Web Vitals
Page speed, interactivity and visual stability are important parts of your page’s CWVs. If you’re due for an optimization pass, look at compressing images, switching to a faster hosting provider and minimizing JavaScript where possible.
Ensure Mobile-Friendliness
A responsive design that’s compatible with mobile is a must to ensure a seamless experience across all devices.
Focus On Accessibility
Inclusive design practices, like alt text for images, captions for videos and keyboard navigation support are winners on today’s Google. As ADA compliance for websites becomes more of a priority, providing accessibility tools on your website is a great way to offer a heightened experience for everyone.
Technology: Adopting Innovative Ideas
Google’s empire wasn’t built on that empty white bar waiting for a query; it was built on tech. Where would we be without Google Analytics? Unsure of which channels bring us traffic or which pages bring us leads.
Where would we be without Google Maps? Literally driving in circles. Remember printing out MapQuest directions? Or even using a traditional paper map before that? Those were pretty wild times.
Technology is what brings search and experience together, and it’s what marketers need to understand and embrace to make an impact on our target audiences. That means understanding Google’s tech — like setting up your Google My Business or learning GA4 — as well as leaning into other technologies like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, Semrush and more.
The tech is what enables us to predict trends, understand user behavior and optimize strategies in real time. Google Analytics and Search Console provide actionable insights, helping us fine-tune campaigns based on data-driven results. Most recently, AI-powered features, like Google’s Gemini, allow marketers to optimize at scale without losing personalization.
How To Master Technology
The key takeaway here is to be open to innovation. Every day, technology gets smarter while companies like Google are driving innovation at every turn. Lately, that innovation has mostly been centered around artificial intelligence and automation. So, if you haven’t experimented with AI tools yet, I encourage you to start exploring.
Embrace AI and Automation
There are tons of great AI-driven tools out there and more coming online all the time. For example, you may be familiar with smart bidding in Google Ads or even ChatGPT as an example of an all-encompassing generative AI tool.
And while there are lots of platforms out there to suit a selection of marketing needs, maybe you’re searching for something more. Brafton was in that boat, and it’s why we started creating our own innovations: contentmarketing.ai is Brafton’s most recent answer to today’s complex marketing landscape. With this platform, we’re introducing some ease into our frenzied marketing lives.
Case in point, Google is built on innovative tech and it’s usually not enough to just know that fact. With the right technology expertise, you can optimize both the search and user experiences of your websites and content for the best possible results.
Getting the Basics Right
So there you have it. If you’re going to place bets on anything Google-related, these three core pillars are the low-stakes stocks that I believe will always make sense to champion regardless of how much the algorithm changes.
Google will continue to adjust the search experience, and we’ll continue optimizing for it and learning to make the most of the tools available to us. And you should too.
Note: This article was originally published on contentmarketing.ai.
