With every Google algorithm update, the goal is the same: to provide search engine users the most relevant and useful results possible. The latest “update,” referred to as Google Hummingbird, isn’t really an update at all. Unlike the Penguin and Panda updates that affected certain aspects of search engine rankings, Hummingbird is a complete overhaul of the entire search algorithm, as it has changed the way data is pulled for search engine results.

With 90 percent of search inquiries affected, Hummingbird is seemingly a big deal. However, Hummingbird was released more than three months ago, though not publicly announced until the end of September. Most people didn’t notice a difference. Google said Hummingbird in large part focuses on “conversational search,” which means paying more attention to a search string as a whole, rather than certain words or phrases. Additionally, Google will provide results as if you were having a conversation with the search engine, picking up on context of searches — especially when it comes to voice search.

So, what does this mean for you, your business and, more importantly, your content strategy? With past algorithm updates, marketers focused largely on creating quality content that is of use to their audiences, which begs the question, “Should I change my content strategy in light of Google Hummingbird?” The answer: It depends, contingent on your current content strategy.

Our answer at Gaber Marketing is… “Not really.” If you’ve been writing content to target the reader in a conversational manner focusing on answering questions… all standard operating procedure, then nothing should change. Now you’ll be better recognized by Google for your efforts. Learn more here this is a great, short article about content marketing. The Content Marketing Institute: Google Hummingbird