Google thinks that we are the kind of people who love surprises. We are not. At least when it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) we love certainties that allow us to create and apply winning website optimization strategies. Google doesn’t seem to care about this, since it constantly bombards us with algorithm updates and an ever-growing number of changes that usually take us by surprise and make us rethink or rebuild our SEO plans from scratch.
Interpreting Google’s New Makeover
At this point, all webmasters should focus their attention on Google’s sneaky redesign ideas that have recently been put into practice, probably while we were enjoying our beauty sleep. All in all, it seems that these changes have been made to boost consistency in design, create a cleaner look and perfect the multi-device navigation experience.
Here’s are the main alterations that impact both SERPs formats and AdWords blocks.
1) Search Results. Obviously, if you run an online business and your website is indexed by Google, you care about the way in which your webpage appears in search engine results. No, your eyes are not playing a trick on you and yes, Google does look a bit different. Here are the main modifications that should catch your eye: first of all, the new version brings a bigger, much more visible title font. At the same time, Google has decided to ditch the underlining and make the URL source just a bit smaller, without changing the mini links or the snippet.
The larger title font may make it easier for your visitors to find you, but this alteration has another implication that you may want to factor in: a bigger title font could reduce the size of some title tags and influence your conversion rates. According to Moz, this means that in the future you may be forced to create smaller title tags, at least for some of your most important pages. Furthermore, there is another important element that captures our attention: a horizontal divider placed at the bottom of the search result. This divider separates search engine results and makes it easier for visitors to find the sources of info that they would like to check out, regardless of the type of devices that they are using to surf the Internet.
2) AdWords. Google has also implemented a few basic changes, in an attempt to come up with a new AdWords format. Here we spot the main key differences listed above: the oversized title fonts, the horizontal divider and the non-underlined titles. But there are other changes that have taken us by surprise. First of all, the pinkish background and the “ads related to” feature are no longer a part of the picture. A yellowish, very noticeable [Ad] box is strategically placed in front of every single ad. The right-hand side column of the Adwords block displays fewer, less dramatic changes, which include just one [Ad] box for the entire right column, more vertical space and bigger titles.
Should We Work Against the Game-Changer or Embrace the Change?
So the question on everybody’s lips is this: should we feel intimidated by these sudden changes that caught us off-guard?
In November, Moz anticipated the fact that Google will switch to a card-like design, meant to ensure an ideal web experience for all Internet users. As mobile and tablets become increasingly popular and new types of gadgets, like Google Glass could soon change the way in which we navigate online, Google is going for much more versatile SERPs that could be easily mixed and matched to provide different combinations that are much more relevant to various search devices and situations. The horizontal divider used to separate search engine results may not represent a major change for now, but it can be interpreted as a first modification made by Google in an attempt to reorganize the old SERPs that we know and love into units that could be reorganized and displayed in different ways.
It doesn’t really matter if we like the new redesign ideas or not. We have no saying in this. It’s important to know that these changes have recently been confirmed by Jon Wiley, Google’s top search designer and that they may be a tiny part of a much bigger plan. In this context, it is important to find out how these alterations could impact your website’s visibility and profitability and act accordingly. Don’t hate the game-changer; hate your potential lack of initiative that could jeopardize your efforts to stay in the game.