Geeky Tips for Content Optimization for 2024 (And Beyond!) – A Chat with Jason Barnard from Kalicube

I recently had a chat with Jason Barnard on Kalicube Tuesdays, and we delved into some seriously and funny geeky tips for content optimization. We explored some very specific areas of SEO and branding, focusing on everything from images to semantic HTML5 to Google’s quirky behavior with SGE. I showed how I optimized my Edge SEO post. Watch the video or scroll if you prefer reading for a snippet of our conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUzIuE6smcw

Content Optimization: More Than Just Words

“Content optimization” might sound like a dry term, but it’s anything but. As we discussed, images, for example, form a vital aspect of content that’s often overlooked. While they may seem like a small part of your content strategy, they can significantly impact the overall user experience.

The Importance of Basics

When optimizing content, some people just want to know what moves the needle. But jumping straight into advanced tactics can lead to confusion and lack of context. It’s essential to understand some basics before moving on to complex strategies.

“Only what moves the needle” might sound great in theory, but it only works under certain circumstances. That’s why I emphasized focusing on techniques that are easy to follow, easy to repeat, and don’t require a strong technical background.

Understanding Google’s Unusual Behavior

During our conversation, we discovered a funny inconsistency on Google, where it mixed up my LinkedIn description with Aleyda Solis. It was baffling to see that Google totally ignores <aside> tag and picks its content as the main one to use as a description for the whole page. The same happens in BARD. Which leads to think that both Google Search and BARD use information from the same extractor ^^. Oh yeah, I know how it sounds 😀

Part of the proof is that it is not just an isolated instance. Jason found out that Google had done the same thing with Kalicube. This hiccup shows that Google makes mistakes in how it picks up information for search engine results pages (SERPs).

Optimizing Your ‘About Page’ for Generative AI Experiences

One fascinating discovery we made concerned generative AI experiences, particularly in how Google represents brands in search results. If your brand’s “About Page” is well-optimized, Google may pick up on it and feature a link to your website in its new SGE block.

Don’t overlook images on your About Page either. As I found, images add to the aesthetics, and if you don’t want to visibly include an image, you can insert it into your open graph markup, making it viewable to Google. Google treats OG markup as a very important source of information.

Building Understanding, Credibility, and Deliverability

The core of our discussion revolved around building understanding, convincing of credibility, and ensuring your content is deliverable. Whether it’s making sure your brand description aligns with how Google sees you or optimizing images on your About Page, these elements play a crucial role in how you communicate with both search engines and your audience.

The Science of Image Optimization in Search: A Deep Dive

Image optimization is more than just making a picture fit; it’s about understanding Google’s intricate expectations and meeting them. Here’s an inside look at what matters:

1. Specific Dimensions Matter: Google has clear expectations for image dimensions and sizes. Sticking to formats like 4:3, square 1:1, or 16:9 is crucial. If you stray too far, the image may not be even shown in the image tab at all, regardless of your ranking. Of course, it highly depends on intent. For instance, for a book or essay, Google will expect to see a vertical image.
2. The Art of Image Cropping: Google’s cropping is methodical. It tries to find where the essential content is and crop accordingly. But sometimes it fails to do that appropriately. You can provide one single image and ensure it’s croppable to fit these formats. Experimenting with a square image on my own site revealed that Google picked it up because it was within the allowed threshold, even without backlinks or other optimizations.
3. Metadata Considerations: While EXIF is not used by Google (contrary to some beliefs), there may still be value in certain IPTC and XMP fields. It depends highly on your niche and other factors. If your CMS or CDN strips this information, HTML5 markup can be used to include that data, but be aware of what’s essential and what’s not.
4. Seeing Images as Dynamic Knowledge Panels: Jason’s observations of Google’s behavior led to the realization that these images function similarly to dynamic knowledge panels. The approach Google takes to cropping and displaying images aligns well with this concept.

Understanding Trust, Metadata, and Context

1. Google’s Strict Trust Policy: Trust is not easily rebuilt with Google. Even a small factual mistake in markup can result in losing visibility in search results. This emphasizes the importance of correctness and consistency in your markup.
2. Focus on Markup: If you have limited resources and find it hard to optimize everything, focusing on HTML or schema markup can be very effective. It is considered more vital than IPTC and XMP. If you have no resources at all, just use the best structure you can. It is enough in most cases.
3. Trust and Factual Information: Trust is essential, especially with factual information in events, tickets, dates, addresses, etc. Small discrepancies may lead to big problems. It’s crucial that your schema confirms and reassures Google about the content of the page.
4. Semantic HTML and Metadata: Google pays attention to certain HTML5 tags and follows specific standards, treating some elements as part of the content. Understanding how Google interprets these tags can be beneficial in optimization.
5. Context and Basic Stuff Matter: The most fundamental aspect, often overlooked, is context and basic elements. Whether it’s images, tags, or keywords, getting the basics right plays a huge part in the optimization process.
6. Internal Links and <a> Tags: Internal linking and the use of <a> tags (HTML hyperlink tags) can be a critical factor in ranking. It’s not just about linking to another page. They influence the rankings of the page they are placed on for the keyword embed into that very <a> tag 😉
7. Branding and Perception: Your optimization efforts directly impact how Google perceives and presents you. Every detail, from images to metadata, plays a part in shaping this perception.

Conclusion: A World Where Details Matter

In the evolving landscape of SEO, the focus has shifted from merely stuffing keywords to a more refined and nuanced approach. Every tag, every image, and every line of code is now a part of the story you tell search engines about your content.

The insights shared in this post draw attention to the delicacy and complexity of content optimization for 2024 and beyond. From understanding Google’s strict policy on trust to recognizing the value of markup and the importance of getting the basics right, it’s clear that the game has changed.

Mistakes, even small ones, can lead to significant consequences. The priority now is accuracy, consistency, and a deep understanding of how search engines perceive and process information. Whether it’s semantic HTML, internal linking, or the critical role of context, the lessons are clear: pay attention to the details, be accurate, and never underestimate the importance of the basics.

Thank you for joining us in this exploration, and remember: in the world of SEO, details are not just details; they shape the very essence of how you’re seen online. Trust is hard-won and easily lost. It is important how Google perceives you, how it presents you. That perception is the result of careful crafting, testing, and understanding. It’s a science, an art, and a journey worth taking.