If you’ve visited the Google search page today, you probably noticed some big changes. Google has updated their look with a new left-hand side panel which offers search tools to help customize and refine results.

Snapshot of New Google Search Page

Notice that by default the choice is set to “everything” which is the norm for Google searches.  Google now offers the option to drill down into content type, such as images, news, blogs, video, etc.  There is also an “updates” category which pulls in social media results, essentially giving a bigger voice to tweets and Facebook posts about your company (whether you author them or someone else).  You can also choose a certain timeframe, filtering only the freshest content.

Based on these new changes, here are a few tips to improve your website’s Google rankings:

• Offer a mixture of content:  add video, webcasts and images to your basic content
• Submit your business address to Google for inclusion on Google maps
• Start (and maintain!) a blog
• Conduct media outreach, even if limited to basic online efforts
• Build up a social media presence

Also, use this opportunity to learn more about what your customers, prospects, competitors, and others are saying about your company and the products/services you provide by reading your own search results.

Google Search Results by "Update" Filter

Learn more from Google about this change, or contact TREW Marketing today for a custom search marketing performance audit.