Web content that spans multiple pages can sometimes suffer with respect to audience engagement. To combat this, Google announced additions to its coding elements that it believes will eliminate some of the snags encountered with multi-page articles.
Making these adjustments will signal Google to treat content marketing material that runs onto a second or third page as a single-page item. For example, if paginated content has a single-page viewing option with comparable load times, Google will direct users to this page. Or when someone searches for a specific keyword that appears on a latter page, the search engine will generally still direct users to the first page so they can read the article in its entirety.
For content writers looking to produce content that reads naturally, the adjustment will eliminate the hassle of forcing a keyword into a paragraph early in the article, and marketers may find it increases reader engagement and dwell time. In general, the shift represents Google’s commitment to rewarding quality content designed for the user, rather than pieces aimed at solely at boosting search ranking.
In the post-Panda searchscape, some content marketers have struggled to maintain the success they enjoyed prior to the algorithm’s rollout. However, Brafton reported that businesses that produce high-quality content targeted at a highly specific audience will see strong results, and Google, itself, has advised marketers to focus on content quality for SEO.
