Waikato Business News October/November 2022

Google’s Latest
Algorithm Changes and
What It Means for 2023
In 2022 Google made several algorithm changes with
how it ranks websites in search results. Their latest big
adjustment, called “The Helpful Content Update”, sends a
clear signal for what will affect rankings in 2023 and beyond.
Having your website
rank highly in Google
can have a significant
impact on your business.
However, what is required to
get a website ranked well is
constantly adjusting.
The Helpful Content
Update
With the “Helpful Content
Update” Google’s stated goal
was to, “ensure people see more
original, helpful content written
by people, for people, in search
results.”
Sounds fantastic, but what
did it mean for the average
sparky or plumber trying to
grow a profitable business?
A simple explanation is that
Google wants to see content on
your site that answers the questions
your customers are often
asking – and to do it in the most
accurate and informative way
possible.
Think of the kind of answers
you give to people when you're
on the phone with them or
standing on their porch giving
them a quote for work. That’s
the content Google is keen to
show in their search results.
Accordingly, they tweaked
their algorithm to start rewarding
businesses who clearly
demonstrated that they are
trustworthy experts with
well-established authority in
their field.
What happened as a
result?
For many businesses, not
much at all.
Google’s 2022 updates
appear to be taking a long-term
view. If you were already publishing
content in which you
had clear expertise that related
to search queries, you’re in a
good space. Your rankings are
likely to have improved a little.
But many businesses who
were trying to rank high in
Google by paying for backlinks
through overseas agencies felt
the hammer come down. This
is because most paid link-building
schemes use lots of short
articles that don’t really say
much. In other words, they
aren’t very helpful. And having
an SEO strategy that doesn’t
include content on your site is
not going to work well going
forward.
So, Google was cleaning
house and removing the junk.
Where did that leave small
business in New Zealand?
By people, for people
Google’s stated goal was to,
“ensure people see more original,
helpful content written by
people, for people, in search
results.”
The key here is not to try and
improve your ranking by tricking
Googles search bots, but to
simply write real content about
real questions for real people.
When creating content for
your site, Google suggests you
ask yourself a few questions:
1. Do you have an existing
or intended audience for
your business or site that would
find the content useful if it came
directly from you?
2. Does your content
clearly demonstrate first-hand
expertise and a depth of knowledge
(for example, expertise
that comes from having actually
used a product or service,
or visiting a place)?
3. After reading your
content, will someone leave
feeling they’ve learned enough
about a topic to help achieve
their goal?
If your team or SEO agency
is already doing this, you don’t
need to worry too much. But
if your SEO strategy doesn’t
include content, it’s time to
revisit it.
Go the extra mile
How original does it have
to be? Most blogs out there say
more or less the same thing
as their competitors. Every
plumber has a blog about how
to choose a plumber, when to
call an emergency plumber, and
how to unclog a drain.
You can do better.
THE DIGITAL
WORLD
BY JOSH MOORE
Josh Moore is the head
marketing fanatic at Duoplus,
a Hamilton-based digital
marketing agency that
helps clients get more leads
and sales through online
marketing. www.duoplus.nz
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 17
Our advice would be to write
articles that stand out from the
rest:
• Make sure your content
adds value to your readers
– you want them to leave
satisfied.
• Add something
unique to your content that differentiates
you from your competitors
and makes your offering
more compelling – make
them want to call you.
• Tell stories of people
you have helped to clearly
demonstrates that your products
or services are awesome
– so they see you as the expert
who can help them.
Understand the intersection
of their why and your why
Think about why people are
searching for the keywords you
want to target. And then find
where that intersects with why
you want people to visit your
site.
• Are they doing
research about a product and
want to know the pros and
cons?
• Do they want to
know which brand is the most
affordable, or has the best performance,
or looks the nicest?
• Perhaps they are
simply looking to see who
offers the best deal on a product
they have already decided to
purchase.
Write content that addresses
their why and be sure to remember
your why in the process. It’s
not just about getting traffic to
your site; it’s about turning that
traffic into potential customers.
So, answer genuine questions
with your content and plan how
this content can lead readers to
become a customer. If you forget
this step, you could write a
lot of content that gets a decent
amount of traffic, but doesn’t
produce any new customers.
Crafting a content strategy
Writing helpful content
isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. For
many marketing managers and
business owners, taking time
to write detailed content will
draw you away from where you
are most needed in the business.
But this doesn’t mean
you need to give up on having
strong Google rankings. Just
make sure that the staff or SEO
agency assigned to the work has
an intentional plan for developing
clear and helpful content on
your site.
Rich opportunity
here in world-class
Waikato
Along with investment in
world-class infrastructure
that enables the
Waikato to host a wide variety
of exciting and economically
important events, the region
is seeing the ongoing development
of experiences and facilities
geared not only to attract
visitors but also appeal to
mighty locals. An integral part
of strategic planning for future
growth is ensuring the Waikato’s
tourism and tourism-related
sectors continue to thrive
and therefore provide ongoing
economic and social benefits
across our communities.
As well as ensuring the
experiences we offer will be the
sort that our future manuhiri
(guests) seek, it’s also vital we
invest and build so we are not
caught short in the future and
have the basics in place, such
as enough beds for our visitors.
In terms of guestrooms,
a report prepared for Hamilton
City Council detailing the
economic impact of the city’s
accommodation shortage
revealed that by just next year
a further 160 hotel rooms and
serviced apartments will be
needed in the city, and a further
850 rooms by 2033.
The report notes that more
than half of Hamilton’s motel
rooms are currently off the market
for use for emergency housing
– and that lack of accommodation
in the city means
facilities like Claudelands Conference
& Exhibition Centre
lose business.
While our mighty Waikato
region has room for growth,
this must be managed carefully
so we keep supply ahead
of demand and avoid any boom
and bust which would be to the
detriment of our region and our
people.
Although tourism, like
other sectors, faces headwinds
such as rising construction
and labour costs, together with
labour shortages, forward planning
and investment is essential
– and it’s exciting too.
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism
works to a strategic destination
management plan,
teaming with our councils and
economic development agency
Te Waka, plus a range of sector
organisations and central Government,
to deliver the best for
our region, both right now and
in the future.
I want to take this opportunity
to highlight some of the
many diverse developments
underway now, some due for
completion before the Christmas
break.
First-off, the investment
and work being undertaken by
owner Tainui Group Holdings
at the ibis Hamilton Tainui
Hotel is to be resoundingly
applauded.
TELLING
WAIKATO’S STORY
BY NICOLA GREENWELL
Interim General Manager,
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism
The 126-room ibis was one of
three managed isolation facilities
in the city during the Covid-19
pandemic.
The three-month $8 million
redesign and refurbishment
is due for completion in
early December. Amongst local
businesses involved is Designwell,
a Hamilton-based team
with expertise in interiors and
architecture.
Coming up at Hamilton Zoo
is a new entry precinct that connects
with the adjacent Waiwhakareke
Natural Heritage Park.
Hamilton City Council owns
and operates both and says the
vision in linking the two is to create
a visitor-friendly conservation
zone.
Honouring the Waikato’s
connection with the land and
mana whenua was front of mind
for designers working on the $15
million refurbishment of the
terminal building at Hamilton
Airport.
Along with earthquake
strengthening work, improved
passenger and departure areas
including dedicated workspaces
and a new café, the refreshed
terminal showcases the Waikato
Māori culture with several art
installations already in place and
further to come before the official
opening early next month.
Waikato Regional Airport,
which operates Hamilton Airport,
called on Māori design
specialists, Eugene Kara (Ngati
Koroki Kahukura) and Norm
Te Hira (Ngati Haua), to advise
on the cultural aspects of the
refurbishment.
Ōtorohanga Kiwi House and
Bird Park has celebrated its 50th
birthday with a number of forward-thinking
developments
underway.
Right now, the excitement
is all about 3,000 giant wētā
eggs that are about to hatch in a
breeding programme pioneered
by the park’s scientists.
This summer visitors to the
park will be able to take a backof-house
tour to learn about the
ongoing breeding programmes
being undertaken there, including
for the rare and endangered
giant wētā.
Also in the behind the scenes
tour will be the chance to see how
the park trains its birds to assist
in the monitoring of their health.
In other developments that
will eventually see a total rebuild
of the acclaimed kiwi house and
bird park over the next few years,
a new nocturnal house experience
and visitor facility will be
built.
These will be certified as ‘living
buildings’ by the International
Living Futures Institute
and constructed of materials
that are either recycled or free of
90-plus percent of the chemicals
identified on the internationally
recognised Red List as being
harmful.
The final stage of the 65km
Ngāruawāhia-Lake Karapiro
Te Awa Great River Ride – the
Hamilton-Tamahere section – is
nearing completion and scheduled
to open next month
Work is also progressing
at pace for the new Waikato
Regional Theatre, scheduled to
open in June 2024.
Located overlooking the
Waikato River at the South End
of Victoria Street on the site
of the old Hamilton Hotel, the
world-class performing arts centre
complex will include elements
of the heritage building.
With one of the largest populations
of Pacific Islands people
outside Auckland, the Waikato
will shortly see the completion of
the first ever pan-Pacific hub in
the country, the K’aute Pasifika
Village.
Being constructed opposite
the FMG Waikato Stadium on
what was the Hamilton Bowling
Centre, the hub is the result of
determined effort by K’aute Pasifika
over the past two decades.
Community and cultural
events will take place in the distinctive
traditionally inspired fale
building facing Seddon Road,
while health, wellbeing, childcare
and early learning services will
be located in the village development
immediately behind it.
There is indeed rich opportunity
here in the mighty Waikato
– right now with these developments
and others around the
region, and in the future.