How many times have you seen the service providers in the online markets go up in fury when Google announces changes? Be it SEO Services, price comparison services, or any other service utilizing Google’s search ranking as a base for their functions, most of the relevant agencies seem ever ready to scoff at any change announced by Google. Let’s analyze the criticism lashed out at Google’s latest change, the Hummingbird and whether the discussions and debates raging over the subject are merited.
In a nutshell, the introduction of Hummingbird changed the algorithm by which Google showed results. The focus has shifted from individual keywords to the phrase typed by the user. The user can’t be anything but pleased at Google’s latest ability to react better to longer and complex search phrases. However, another change that was made was the restriction of keyword data to the paid users. It is this change which has led some of the service providers to accuse Google of discrimination. Some suggested Google wanted monopoly, some said it will kill small businesses, and the discussion forums have been overloaded!
Most of anger directed at this change or any other change by Google is perhaps rooted in another cause. SEO Agencies spend enormous amount of resources in order to ensure that Google’s guidelines are followed. Changes in Google necessitate corresponding changes in the companies’ strategies. And when the updates and changes are made at intervals as regular as Google’s, the load on the resources increase. Additionally, this time Google stopped a few freebies like keyword data and that further increased the tempers.
However, if seen from a third person’s objective, the changes were not only required, but do not exactly merit the wrath that they have attracted. Firstly, if Google’s earlier guideline of good quality content has been already followed, there is no requirement for any major changes. This should have been the task of the SEO Service Providers from day 1. The question of cutting out some of the free services is a little tricky. But, providing free services and charging for them once they are popular is a common trend among online businesses. Any online application or service provider provides more for the ones who pay. Google cannot be accused of attempting monopoly just because when it starts charging a few new services a much larger base of consumers get affected.
Google’s Hummingbird brings on the changes demanded by the new voice search technology. Google is moving with the times, bringing in changes to utilize the latest available technologies. It is the job of the SEO Experts and Mobile and Internet Advertising Agencies to keep up.
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