Just before Christmas, Google had released their continuous scroll feature to desktop users in the USA.
This means that it is only a matter of time before we see this here in the UK and the rest of the world!
You’ve probably already noticed that the results, at the end of what used to be the index of pages, doesn’t actually end on your mobile device.
THAT is continuous scroll so it’s only fair that I break down what it is and how it may affect your website or online store.
What is continuous scroll?
Firstly, continuous scroll is not an infinite number of results that goes on forever and ever. But it does show you around 6 pages of results, if we’re talking old skool.
You’ve probably noticed over time the various features that come with a Google search. You have:
- Your ads (or sponsored) results
- People Also Asked
- Local Businesses Packs (Formally Google My Business)
- Related Searches
- Broaden this search
- Video suggestions
So, I think it’s a fair assessment that the content you’re now being presented with when searching, is A LOT.
Therefore, the continuous scroll kind of makes sense.
Why is this happening?
We’ve (humans) evolved over the years and are always ‘scrolling’ on our phones.
You now frequently hear: ‘Can you just stop scrolling for a minute and listen!’
Well, at least I do, when my partner is trying to talk to me about his day (Sorry, darling!).
We’ve also inherited the term ‘Above-the-fold’ when talking about digital content. This is actually derived from newspapers, when you’d see a paper folded in half and the top headlines jump out when they are on the newspaper stands.
So, the pages thing made sense, but it’s changed, and we have all adapted.
Scrolling means that we’re always looking for more content in a stream (in this case a Google search result) and a study was conducted to see how people interacted with content below the fold.
Here it is for reference:
So, the team at Google HQ have been clever in the way they have adapted this. Starting with mobile first, because we should always be optimising for a mobile-first experience, and now the time has come for desktop to get this upgrade.
What does this mean for my search engine rankings?
Whilst this is a big change, you could see it as a positive rather than a negative.
Gone are the days where we’re asking to always be on ‘Page 1 of Google’.
You actually have a better chance of brand visibility with the new continuous scroll.
However, brands are now looking at a shift in their thinking.
They now need to be focusing their attention on being in the top 3 organic results after ads (or as well as ads, whatever floats your boat).
How can I stay ahead of the curve?
I, personally, often use Google to get a credible answer to my questions.
So, I will be looking for the top 3 results to do this specifically.
The content you create on your website or online store still needs to be engaging, informative and authentic.
However, adapting your content marketing strategy to incorporating video isn’t a bad idea either.
As I said earlier, there are a lot of features in the results now, so leverage opportunities to appear here where you can.
Keywords can be competitive too.
So, find the keywords that are specific to your niche or industry, which will give you a better chance of being placed under: People Also Asked and Broaden My Search.
What is next?
So, keep developing your content and think about how you can best leverage other formats to get you seen in the features Google provides.
If it thinks that you are doing a good job at answering a question with informative content, it will eventually place you in the ‘Golden Features’ I mentioned above (this is now what I am calling them).
