New trends in search machine optimisation

Search machines like Google change the algorithms for evaluating Internet pages several times a year. But how can companies from the lift sector improve their position in search machines with this knowledge?

By Thomas Busch

When customers and specialists plunge into the Internet, small search machines are out of luck: according to the statistics page StatCounter, Google’s market share in Europe in February 2022 was almost 92.5 percent. Consequently, it is especially important for lift sector companies to occupy higher places in Google hit lists. This is the only way companies can survive in the long term in the competition for customers and above all the best specialists.

Regular optimisation of companies’ own Internet pages is advisable in order to keep good Google positions or improve rankings. This is because Google changes its algorithms for evaluating web pages several times a year.

As a result, companies can sometimes slip several hundred placements downwards overnight for key search terms. Moreover, competitors are doing everything they can to better position their own web pages and online shops. Companies with basic programming skills can either undertake the regularly due search engine optimisation (SEO) themselves or outsource it to specialised agencies.

Focus on speed

Currently, for example, Google is placing special emphasis on optimising Internet pages for mobile use. Consequently, all pages have to load fast and also be capable of optimal presentation on small displays - ideally, via automated adjustment of the design.

But also when it comes to search results on stationary devices, Google is consistently pursuing the central criterion of speed: for example, the search machine evaluates the loading time of all contents that are directly visible and the time to the first potential interaction with the web page. Ideally, this should not take longer than a few milliseconds.

User interaction decisive

Photo: © Vitaliy Vodolazskyy/123RF.com

The interaction of users with an Internet page is another important criterion for Google. In the medium term, many clicks on a search result contribute to improved rankings. The more time a surfer then spends on the page, the better. Google always evaluates this time in relation to the contents provided.

Furthermore, the search machine also checks how many users leave a page found without any interaction ("bounce rate") – and downgrades search results with a high bounce rate increasingly lower. This means that during search engine optimisation companies should foresee the requirements of customers and specialists: only user-friendly design and high-quality contents are capable of attracting interested parties to companies’ own pages and keeping them there as long as possible.

Arousing interest with videos

According to experts, one can expect videos to play a special role in search engine optimisation in the future: because many users on the Internet are looking for moving images - and these are a good way of keeping interested parties on your own Internet page for longer.

For example, videos can present a company’s own products, services or references. In addition, videos for specialists and trainees are also useful, because they facilitate authentic insights into the company, for example. To whet the interest of potential trainees, a trainee diary would also be conceivable, in which current trainees provide fascinating insights into their everyday life.

Thus, a multitude of criteria that interlock seamlessly will in future be decisive for good Google rankings. Consequently, lift sector companies should take care that they not only observe the usual SEO rules for a high ranking in hit lists, but above all provide high quality contents – and at the same time make sure users have a positive experience on their web pages.

Overview of selected SEO tools

Table as of: 14.03.2022. All information subject to correction.

Checklist: criterion for user-friendly web pages

- Loading times: The entire web page, including videos and images, loads and displays quickly (test: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights).
- Layout: The layout on every page can be presented optimally on any display size and adjusts automatically - without zooming or horizontal scrolling.
- Navigation: All navigation elements and links immediately catch the eye, are intuitively designed and easy to operate by mouse and touchscreen.
- Texts: All texts are easy to read at all times, without any zooming, thanks to optimal font sizes, types, colours and line spacing.
- Structure: Texts and other contents, such as photos and videos, are well-structured and have headings and sub-headings.
- Links: Links, including external links, are easy to detect and click.
- Interaction: There are interesting ways to interact on as many pages as possible so that users click on more contents - for example, videos, photo galleries, news-/blog articles, online shop offers, surveys, downloads, configurators, online tools (e.g. for calculating prices, sizes, products, services), links, social media or contact forms.
- Search: Every page must have a search function to ensure users can quickly find the desired contents on the entire web presentation.
- Plug-ins: As far as possible, all web pages dispense with plug-ins.

Important specialist terms quickly explained: Backlinks: Links from external web pages to your own web page.
Key words: The key words are part of meta tags and include search terms under which the web page is to be found in search machines.
On-page optimisation: Describes all optimisation measures on an Internet page itself (e.g. page title, formatting of headings, key word density).
Page rank: The search machine Google uses the page rank (PR) as the standard for mapping the importance of a web page.
SEM: Abbreviation for "search engine marketing". This comprises all measures aimed at using search machines to obtain customers.
SEO: Abbreviation for "search engine optimisation". This comprises all measures aimed at better positioning of a web page in search machines.