The search landscape has reshaped since the last few years. The core focus of users from large and horizontal search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo etc. have changed to Vertical Search Engines like YouTube, Amazon, Pinterest, TripAdvisor etc. for more specific results.
Now, the need of the hour is that you create a cohesive content strategy across a number of verticals and increase your connection with consumers and then grow your business. What is the role search queries play in the life of a consumer?
How will you optimize your business for vertical search? If you know how each type of vertical search engines work and which type of search suits you the best, the job will be easier. This blog will guide you to the ways to start growing your business with Vertical SEO.
What is the role search queries play in the life of a consumer?
The popularity of smartphones and its wider use along with cheaper internet availability have created a steep rise in the number of online users. So, whether you type, speak or tap something into the search bar, usually what appears is a search query relating to the input you gave. It can be relevant or irrelevant.
A search query is the main medium through which the consumers discover information and make informed decisions. So, what I am trying to say is people and businesses have started to think beyond the most common and top priority Google. Google gets over 3.5 million queries every day and which means it has to evolve constantly to ensure the content cravings of its audience.
Before a user comes to the search he or she may have some expectations in mind. If the user finds exactly he/she needs, their expectation level is met. With the Vertical Search Engines, it is all the more specific and the results are satisfying.
How will you optimize your business for vertical search?
Before you come to an understanding about how to optimize your business for vertical search engines, know:
What is VSO or Vertical Search Engine Optimization?
There are thousands of Vertical search engines on the internet and some of the most popular ones are YouTube, TripAdvisor, Pinterest, Amazon, eBay etc. Vertical search engine optimization is optimizing your products and services for your niche search engines, rather than Google. For example, the vertical search engine Yelp indexes for restaurants, auto mechanics, dentists, and any brick-and-mortar businesses. Similarly, Amazon has many products and services that makes it a perfect vertical search engine. In YouTube, people search for different types of videos.
While it’s crucial for your business marketing efforts to optimize the content for Google, your products and services will often benefit from vertical search too. A successful Vertical Search Engine Optimization is similar to Horizontal or general search engine optimization. Here's how you should do it:
The search mechanisms for each search engine vary and similarly the search results too. But the purpose is the same for all. Therefore, it's your job to determine which vertical search engine matches your business category.
● Use a particular vertical search engine to engage with its users.
● Determine if the Vertical Site you choose enables users to build and manage original content. Usually sites like LinkedIn, Slide
Share, Amazon, eBay, Pinterest, Facebook, Wikipedia, and Reddit allow it.
● Build out authoritative, focused, attractive pages for these sites which include the kind of images and videos that users like.
● Dedicate your time in metatags and descriptions.
● Always try to exceed the content development area of your competitors. This means content written in better quality and quantity along with helpful videos, supporting high quality images, reviews, comments or Likes where applicable.
● Ensure your Name, Address and Phone Numbers are correct and consistent in all horizontal and vertical search locations.
Best practices for any vertical search optimization campaign:
● Research the behaviours of your audience across different search engines.
● Maintain an integrated brand presence across all major social networks.
● Use structured data and Open Graph tags to help search engines understand and locate your content.
● Assess users’ behaviours across your websites and mobile apps.
● Clear any challenges users have in accessing your content.
● Improve site experience such as page load speed to benefit search engine performance.
● Adapt your content for each search engine as the audience may be the same people, but expectation levels vary.
● Use specific integrations that allow your website content to be served within each Vertical Search Engine results.
Conclusion
The growth of vertical search engines suggests a fragmentation of the search ecosystem. If you can identify the right set of vertical search engines to focus your marketing efforts, it presents a large opportunity.
While each vertical brings a new set of consumer demands, as a marketer, you need to look at the skills that are common to both horizontal and vertical search, and optimize your site experience to ensure the content serves their purpose. The same strategy applies to all search engines and social networking channels. While content marketing remains at the core of any successful SEO campaign, search engines still rely on contextual signals to filter through their vast index of content.
Here, the challenge for you is to provide a cohesive branding strategy across the increasing number of touch points other brands have with consumers. If you're successful at identifying and applying these strategies, the success will be yours. Therefore, be specific and go vertical. Now, SEO is recognized worldwide with their career opportunities and also preferable career choice available among younger students. If you are a fresher or an experienced one you must improve your SEO skills to be successful and fine best mobile app company.