Search engine optimisation is a constantly evolving field. The strategies that were useful five years ago may see your website receive a black mark against its name today. It’s the job of a search engine optimisation agency to remain on top of algorithm changes and new ways of searching that affect the way websites are built and content is displayed. One such new search strategy set to make a substantial impact on the search engine optimisation industry over the next few years is Google Multisearch.
Have you ever wanted to search for a particular product but can’t find the words to describe it accurately? Or perhaps you love the colour of your friend’s new dress and are keen to find a skirt in the same hue. How do you even go about doing that? Well, Google Multisearch could provide the answers.
What is Google Multisearch?
Google Multisearch is the latest search product set to be released by the search engine giant. While currently only available in beta form to American customers searching in English. Multisearch will no doubt become widely available in the next few years.
Google Multisearch allows users to search using a combination of words and images. Users simply have to download and open the Google app, tap the Lens camera icon, and search using either a selected screenshot or snap a picture of what’s in front of them. You can then add text to your search.
What would you use Multisearch for? Well, maybe your friend has a set of coffee cups you really love. But you want them in another colour, like orange. By snapping a picture of the cups and adding the search term ‘orange’. Google’s advanced AI and search algorithms will be able to identify products that might be suitable.
As is the case with all beta services. You can expect the early days of Multisearch to be accompanied by a few kinks. However, the possibilities of Multisearch are far-reaching, meaning teams that provide SEO services are certainly sitting up and taking notice.
Google Multisearch and SEO
Given users will soon have the option to find what they’re looking for online. Using a combination of words and images, how will this affect SEO services?
At this stage, the answer to this question is still a little unknown. Any good search engine optimisation agency is well accustomed to Google’s propensity for making improvements to their services — improvements that tend to have a significant impact on SEO strategies.
At this stage, the official word from Google is that Multisearch should not have a significant impact on best practise SEO. Google’s John Mueller shared the following when speaking at a Google SEO office-hours hangout:
‘If your images are indexed then we can find your images and we can highlight them to people. When they’re searching in this way…if you’re doing everything right if your content is findable in search. If you have images on your content and those images are relevant. Then we can guide people to those images or to your content using multiple ways.’
So, basically, Mueller is suggesting that SEO experts and website owners focus on implementing proven SEO strategies to help Google’s search engine bots find and index both images and text. What are those strategies?
How to Have Your Content Found on Google
To a non-professional, SEO can seem quite complex. A whole language is used to describe strategies and website elements, making the entire process of optimisation seem quite alienating.
A good search engine optimisation agency will explain everything. They’re doing this to help you better understand the improvements being made to your website.
The goal of Google is to provide users with a good experience. If someone uses their search engine to find a ‘plant nursery near me’ then Google wants to provide the most accurate answer in the shortest period of time. To ensure users keep coming back.
The role of an SEO expert is to adapt your content in a way that will make it appealing to Google. The more appealing it is, the more likely they are to recommend you to relevant users. How do you adapt content? Through a range of measures, primarily including relevant keywords in your written content (including blog posts, landing page content, URLs, meta descriptions, title tags, and more) and visual content (image captions, alt-descriptions, and meta-descriptions.)
It’s also important to ensure that your website runs as smoothly as possible, provides a secure user experience, and is seen as a subject matter leader in your industry. The latter can be achieved through outreach activities, like guest blogging.
For the time being, following these standard strategies should help your website be found however users are searching — via text, images, or the two combined. If you are concerned about how you are going to prepare for the future of SEO, speak to an experienced search engine optimisation agency today.