Google’s algorithm learns on its own without human intervention. Yes, programmers do need to alter this process with updates from time to time, but the algorithm itself can absolutely decipher so much on its own. That, my friends, is artificial intelligence.

Google’s RankBrain update does this with new search queries it’s never encountered before—via an evaluation that compares search terms entered to similar words and keyphrases searched previously. Then, based on its understanding, it delivers the most relevant results for the new search term. The big deal about this is that Google can understand the actual intent of your search. For searchers, this means they’ll receive results more in line with what they want.

Maybe Google isn’t always perfect, but it’s far more accurate than any other search engine out there.

Big Deal! What Does This Mean for My Business?

Well, for starters, this dramatically shifts your approach to SEO. For more than a decade, the process revolved around optimizing your page using the right techniques and keyphrases—with many SEOs continuing to adamantly swear by this approach and thus (for example):

• Including their most important keyphrase in their page’s URL
• Ensuring their most important keyphrase appears in the H1 title at the top of the page
• Including their most important keyphrase in an H2 sub-header (or perhaps a few)
• Keeping their most important keyphrase in the regular body text of their page a few times
• Ensuring each website page is at least 500 words
• Ensuring page load times are less than 3 seconds

Now, don’t get us wrong: this stuff’s still important. But now, almost everyone understands this—meaning these techniques won’t let you sneak ahead of the competition and merely represent a standard practice that’s required to keep pace. Nowadays, ranking is all about content quality.

What Makes Content Amazing?

Let’s consider a typical small business niche: DIY home repair. You’ll have no problem finding thousands of articles on nearly any DIY subject online. So, what makes one so much better than another?

Take a look at industry expert Bob Vila’s website. It’s loaded with dozens of “how-to” guides filled with:

• Detailed info explaining all steps and concepts so anyone can understand them
• Image examples to clarify ideas
• Product recommendations

Readers who consume these articles won’t have any questions left.

Won’t All This DIYing Negatively Impact My Business?

No. Some readers will of course always go the DIY route, and you’ll never alter these plans. Yet, remember that your goal isn’t to change their minds so you can do it for them and charge them a fee. Rather, it’s to provide such amazing value in your content that readers will bookmark you, share your content on social media, and otherwise never forget you. Then when they (and their peers) do have a need for your services—with many folks willing to pay, given their lack of a desire to DIY—they’ll remember you instead of your competition.

Wrapping Up

Content is a long-term game in this regard, and all those shares and links you earn only come with amazing-quality content. This creates consistency and predictability you can’t win with any other marketing techniques, so have at it!