66 per cent of web traffic referrals come from Google searches, according to SEMRush. This means that for a B2B SaaS business, it’s in your best interest to have your website and web content search engine optimized for Google’s algorithm. You want the search results of your target audience to lead them to you.
The thing is that with the continuous Google algorithm updates, it can be hard to maintain and build search ranking results. So, how do website owners keep track of Google algorithm updates? How do you keep on top of these updates? And what do these changes mean for partnerships?
To answer some of these questions, we spoke with Thomas Phillips, Founder and CEO of DTCSEOAgency, and Tyler Nalbach, the founder of SEO Align.
Key Google algorithm updates in 2024
In the early days of Google, we saw updates pretty infrequently. But as artificial intelligence has improved, so have issues around user experience. Now, Google — who have been ruled as having a monopoly over the search and advertising market — makes a core update several times per year to address issues like content quality in order to improve user experience.
In 2024, we have already seen three updates, some of which have been major, like the March 2024 Core Update. Website owners must keep content responsive to these updates so the search engine will continue to direct potential partners your way.
March 2024 core update
One of the most recent broad core algorithm updates was in March 2024. It addressed low-quality content and included new policies on spam, with the June 2024 spam update further nailing down on spammy content.
Phillips says, “The goal was to reduce low-quality, unoriginal content by approximately 45 per cent —- more than initially expected. This update refined Google’s understanding of unhelpful content and poor user experiences, particularly targeting content created primarily for search engines rather than users.”
On the other hand, Nalbach says “A lot of stand-alone blogs got hit hard. Especially blogs that were pumping out a ton of AI content.”
The concern over the last couple of years with regard to Google searches has been over manipulating search rankings. Webmasters looking for quick money would create content of no real value and then plug in keywords at random to boost their search rankings.
The March 2024 core update is one of a handful of major updates Google has made to allow for more relevant search results. It began with the September 2023 core update, which was a helpful content system update.
For website owners, this means your entire site and all of your content that links back to it must be more than keyword stuffed blogs with unnatural links.
Related: How to talk to partners and prospects without AI.
Understanding the impact on partnerships
Why is all this relevant in the partnerships space? Because you want your partners to find you and the less often you employ a content and data refresh on your site, the less likely you are to dominate search engine results. Any B2B SaaS business should consistently show up in search for your partners (and potential partners) and make it easy for them to find you.
Search rankings and visibility
Google’s algorithm, as of the latest updates, is driving search traffic toward websites and content that offer credible and helpful solutions to consumer and business’ problems.
Phillips states that “partners producing high-quality, user-focused content may see improved rankings, while those relying on outdated SEO tactics could experience drops. It’s a constant reminder that we need to align our content strategy with Google’s evolving standards.”
It’s pushing down content created solely to raise revenue in favor of editorial integrity.
Content quality and relevance
Phillips says that “Google’s focus on reducing ‘unhelpful’ content sends a clear message: create for users, not for search engines.”
“Businesses that prioritize valuable, original content that genuinely addresses user needs will be better positioned to any algorithm updates and maintain their search visibility long-term,” he continues.
Yes, you’ll still need to pay attention to keywords. But you don’t want to stuff them in artificially since that may reduce the user experience, therefore potentially cutting your rankings down.
You might also like: Top growth marketing channel tactics for summer 2024.
Link building and spam policies
A big part of the latest Google algorithm updates has been a link spam update. Google is no longer tolerating web content filled with unnatural links and search spam.
External links should be relevant and lead to authoritative websites your readers can trust. This lends authority and trust to your website domain, which has been previously under rewarded.
Nalbach states that “if the content is posted on a trusted domain that Google believes has high-quality content overall, then that content will likely be successful. If it's a domain without trust, then it really doesn't matter the quality of the content, it likely won't rank well.”
Of course, there are exceptions to this. Even a trusted domain can post low quality content, in which case it will not rank as well.
Adapting your partnership strategies
Don’t worry too much if your past content has not followed all the broad core updates. Take the time now to slowly clean up your website, your landing pages and your blogs to better align with the direction Google is now headed in.
Enhance content quality
Nalbach says it’s more important than ever to “only be publishing the highest quality content possible. Google looks at individual content, but they also look at the quality of your content as a whole website. If you push out low-quality content, sooner or later you're going to get put into a "low-quality box" that's hard to get out of. That will then have a huge negative impact on your rankings and traffic.”
Review your content and update your current strategies to enhance the quality of the content you provide to your target audience by:
- Providing your reader with proof of your authority and credibility by listing your credentials, high quality product reviews and biography on your web pages.
- Ensuring your blogs and web pages are written by strong human writers. As of right now, readers can still usually tell if AI has written web content and AI still gets a lot wrong. (A recent Google search result recommended eating at least one rock per day for a healthy diet. Yes. Really.)
- Keeping your articles and web pages readable. These are not Wall Street Journal days of the early 1900s with pages of boring text to trudge through. Break up the text, make it fun and make it conversational.
Diversify link building techniques
Always double check the authority of any websites you link to and regularly check back with those sites to ensure they are still credible. Work with site owners as partners, so they’ll link back to your web content as well. This approach allows you to maintain a strong network and keep your linking diverse.
Monitor and adjust SEO practices
And of course, don’t forget to stay on top of Google’s core algorithm updates to keep your content fresh. You can stay informed by following top tech experts on X, who will tweet out any new updates as soon as they come through.
You can also sign up for Google alerts, so you’ll get news directly from the source as it happens.
Best practices for future-proofing partnerships
Even if you have a solid set of core partnerships, you’ll want to not only maintain those relationships but also stay on the lookout for new ones. How do you future-proof your partnerships?
Stay informed
Present yourself as the premier expert on your subject matter and on Google’s updates. That way, you can ensure the information you provide your partners is helpful and relevant to them and that they can find it on the search engine.
Regularly audi content
Keep someone on staff or on your marketing team who will regularly skim through your content, past and present, to ensure it is still relevant, helpful and easy to find via a Google search. Complying with Google’s guidelines will allow new partners to nd you and keep you credible with your existing partners.
Build strong, quality links
And finally, keep your links focused on quality over quantity. You don’t need dozens of links in your article or on your page. In fact, too many links can be distracting from your content. Just getting a few high quality links will establish your authority and respectability and keep you high up in the search rankings.
See more: How to build trust through partner-led motions.
In the end, building and nurturing partnerships in the B2B SaaS business is all about showing your partners they can trust and rely on you. In the digital marketing space, that means you must stay up to date on Google algorithm updates.
Phillips says, “In light of these updates, maintaining high-quality and relevant content is more than important - it’s a necessity for any business that wants to survive in the digital landscape.”
Fortunately, once you get up to speed on the helpful content updates that have rolled out over the last year, you can simply enjoy the fruits of your labor. All you have to do is create quality content to prove you deserve traffic.
