Hummingbird Update: definition and challenges for SEO

Through our SEO Agency Optimize 360

The world of SEO is constantly evolving, with regular updates to search algorithms.

One of the most important of these updates is Google's Hummingbird update, which was launched in 2013.

In this article, we'll look in detail at the definition of this update, its main features and its implications for SEO.

What is Hummingbird?

The Hummingbird update is an algorithm developed by Google to improve the relevance and effectiveness of its search results.

It was introduced because previous algorithms, such as Panda and Penguin, did not always meet users' needs in terms of the quality and relevance of results.

The main added value of the Hummingbird algorithm lies in its ability to better understand and analyse web users' queries, in order to provide them with information that is better tailored to their expectations.

How the Hummingbird algorithm works and what's new

Natural language understanding and keywords

One of the main innovations brought about by the Hummingbird algorithm is its improved understanding of natural language.

This is because it is able to identify not only the keywords present in queries, but also their context and their association with other words. This enables the algorithm to deliver more relevant and accurate results, even for complex or ambiguous searches.

Adaptation to voice searches

More and more users are searching the internet using voice assistants such as Siri or Google Assistant.

The Hummingbird algorithm has therefore been designed to be able to deal effectively with this type of query, which is generally formulated in the form of complete sentences rather than just simple keywords. This adaptation to voice searches reflects Google's desire to offer a more efficient and effective search experience. user experience ever more fluid and natural.

Mobile-first indexing

With the exponential growth in the number of users surfing the web from their smartphones, it was crucial for Google to optimise its algorithm for these devices.

This led to the introduction of the concept ofmobile-first indexing with Hummingbird.

Nowadays, the indexing and ranking of websites is based primarily on their mobile version, even if this is different from the desktop version. Webmasters must therefore ensure that their sites are compatible and adapted to smartphones, or risk seeing their natural referencing penalised.

Impacts and best SEO practices after Hummingbird

Content, the central element

With the Hummingbird update, content is more than ever at the heart of a successful SEO strategy. It must be unique, of high quality and meet users' expectations by addressing the subjects they are looking for.

In addition, it is recommended that articles should be long (over 1000 words) and well-structured, organised by securities (H1), subtitles (H2 and H3) and intelligent use of keywords.

Varying content formats: The Hummingbird algorithm attaches particular importance to the diversity of content formats. To take advantage of this feature, your site should include not only articles, but also videos, infographics, podcasts and so on.
Making content easily accessible: Le internal networking (the structure of internal links between pages) is another key element in optimising SEO after Hummingbird. It must enable Internet users - and indexing robots to navigate easily between different pages on the site, particularly those containing relevant content.

Focus on semantic search

Taking the user's intention into account is a key point in the way Hummingbird works.

To improve your SEO, you therefore need to pay particular attention to semantic research rather than focusing exclusively on keywords.

Be sure to identify synonymous queries, related terms and questions frequently asked by your target audience. This will enable you to create richer, more varied content, in line with user expectations and the Hummingbird algorithm.