Google’s advanced search feature allows searchers to refine and specify their searches to make them as accurate as possible. Despite popular belief, advanced search is used by a significant amount of searchers. Allowing its users to effectively create their own vertical engines, the feature enjoys more users than you might first suspect. Infact, reports have shown that traffic from “advanced search” are actually more likely to part with their cash online.
An interesting update
Google have recently revolutionised their advanced search system with a “reading level filter”. The new filter separate’s the web’s pages into Basic, Intermediate or Advanced categories based on the page’s use of grammar, terminology and syntax. In theory a student studying A-level physics might select to see only intermediate results, whilst a post graduate physicist would select advanced.
But what does that have to do with SEO?
By typing in site:yourwebsite into Google, you’ll be able to gain an insight into how much of your website fits into each category. You may find that your introductory pages are considered basic, as you welcome customers, but then move to intermediate as you discuss your product or service. Unfortunately Google are yet to release the exact details on how they categorise the data and why.
Below I have speculated on what I think each term means, and thus its implications with SEO.
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Basic:
The words used on these pages are normally short along with the sentence structures. There is little industry terminology. Pages that are basic are normally very easy to read. After learning your websites category breakdown you should seek to make sure that your home page, and contact page boast this rank. Consider your product/service, and your audience and judge how much of your website should be considered basic. If you sell something that your potential consumers know little about, try to keep your use of complex language to a minimum. This will improve communication and consequently sales.
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Intermediate:
Slightly more sophisticated, web pages considered intermediate make use of industry lexis. The words used are normally only understood by someone who has had at least a brief education on the topic at hand. If you sell a product to consumers who know your industry don’t patronise them with a basic tone. Using more complex language may also help you to move up the SERP’s and thus accelerate your SEO success.
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Advanced:
This category is used to fit content that fits a post graduate status. Searchers are suggested to go onto these pages if they are very well-informed on the subject at hand. A university science paper, for example, would be considered advanced. From an SEO perspective advanced language can help lift the authority of your website, yet also decrease the effectiveness of communication between you and your traffic.
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