According to Google, Autocomplete is a “feature within Google Search that makes it faster to complete searches“. It is also important to note that Google refers to the feature as ‘predictions’, rather than ‘suggestions’. This is important because Google accounts for the language of the query, the location where the query is coming from, the current trending interests related to the query, and your own past searches. By doing all this, Google ‘predicts’ what you may be interested in. And it then offers up various Autocomplete options for you to choose from. It also assists you with completing the various words and phrases that people have looked up the most recently in relation to your query. So, it does not matter whether you are certain of its spelling. The question remains: how can you use Google Autocomplete to boost your SEO?
The first necessary step
As we’ve mentioned, Google Autocomplete partially bases its ‘predictions’ on your past searches. In order to bypass this and get the most authentic Google Autocomplete predictions which are helpful to your SEO, you need to activate the incognito mode. Why do you need to do this? Well, if you just use Google Autocomplete as-is, it will only cater to your own perspective.
In order to truly use Google Autocomplete to boost your SEO, you need a more ‘neutral’ perspective which predictions that are not colored by your previous searches can offer you. In other words, using the feature outside of Incognito will only reaffirm your current approach to SEO.
Getting content ideas
The first way in which you can use Google Autocomplete to boost your SEO is by using it as a source of content ideas. A large part of digital marketing for movers is running a blog, a guides section, or making helpful videos on various moving strategies. However, it can be difficult to continuously come up with stuff on your own. Not to mention that your content ideas might not actually cater to what most people going through a move are currently interested in.
On the other hand, Google Autocomplete will draw on the most popular recent searches in order to offer up its ‘predictions’. This lets you tap into the interests of all recent Google users who are trying to get more info on how best and most easily get through a move.
Better keyword research
Keywords for moving company SEO are always a large part of what you need in order to successfully pull off the task of optimizing your website. However, keywords are always shifting. Let us take the current situation as an example. In the past, the most popular keyword format was using short and to-the-point keywords. Now, on the other hand, longer keywords which are styled almost like a question are far more popular due to the growing popularity of Google Voice Search.
Google Autocomplete collates the data from ALL searches done recently in order to offer up its predictions. This means that it naturally also reflects the Google Voice Search trends. This allows you to better tailor your keywords to the newer trends. In addition, it can be hard to come up with new and interesting keywords that are still relevant to your business. Google Autocomplete can be a good inspiration.
Checking competition
Another way to use Google Autocomplete is to take advantage of it to scout out the success of your competition. A recent addition to the feature is linking ‘entities’ to predictions. Say you decide to look up “local moving companies”. By doing so, you will be automatically directed to the most popular and ‘successful’ local movers. Success here, of course, is measured by how well they’ve made use of SEO to boost their Google rankings.
If an ‘entity’ is linked to most local searches for its relevant keywords, it then generates a lot more organic traffic and customer outreach. By keeping an eye on your competition, you’ll know exactly how far along in their own SEO improvement they are. You may even be able to discover what they are doing right, and then copy their practices for yourself.
Checking SEO strategy results
Another way to use Google Autocomplete to boost your SEO is to rely on it as the benchmark of your SEO strategy’s success. We’ve mentioned the ‘entity’ linking already, and, obviously, your goal should be to get your own company featured in this. In addition, “entity” linking does respond to keywords.
This means that, if you boost your ranking for specific keywords, then you are automatically linked as an ‘entity’ related to that search. Such organic outreach very much matches the importance of backlinks for movers so you need to know whether you are succeeding in your SEO strategy quickly. If you’re not, you better come up with an alternative!
Spotting SEO problems
The final venue to use Google Autocomplete to boost your SEO is using it to check your SEO for problems. You see, sometimes, SEO efforts can have unintended effects. You might end up ‘trending’ for keywords that snuck into your content by mistake. This is actually harmful to you. Since Google notices the discrepancies, it results in a lower overall ranking for your site. Another problem that you can spot through this feature is bad reviews and comments about your business.
Obviously, SEO for moving companies is strongly influenced by such things, and bad feedback needs to be resolved quickly. If you sit on the issues, they can grow and negatively impact the success of your moving company.
Final comment
This should be enough to get you started on how best to use Google Autocomplete to boost your SEO. You will be able to take advantage of it and quickly improve your SEO strategy. Of course, do note that learning how best to use this feature for optimal results will take time. Just as with everything else related to SEO! Don’t let your impatience get the best of you, because your efforts will pay off!
