So what does Hummingbird mean to small businesses? Hopefully not a whole lot if you're engaging in above the table, white hat SEO. Hummingbird is meant to reward user-friendly, frequently visited websites. How do you ensure your website meets those criteria?
- Write engaging, helpful content that your readers can easily comprehend. Regular Joes don't speak in tech-talk, they don't understand industry-specific acronyms, and they certainly can't handle pages with solid blocks of text.
- Make sure your website structure makes sense. Think about your website from a user's perspective. What will they search to find each page? From the landing pages, what questions will they have, and how can you provide clear links to that information?
- Links should go to pages, not photos, whenever possible.
- Draft a strong call to action (CTA) on every page so that prospective clients know what you want them to do and how they should do it.
- Put articles and white papers about your subject matter on your website. It's better when you commission these documents yourself so they angle the products and services you want them to, but third party content will serve your purpose. Customers trust white papers more than any other type of content. If you position yourself in the same line as "unbiased" professionals, you're more likely to sway the masses.
