Google Custom Search for improved SEO Performance?

Google Custom Search – It’s said that there are over 200 SEO factors, and you probably won’t find a ‘Google Custom Search’ on any list.  So, why have Digital Sales just integrated the Google Custom Search into their website???  Well, SEO performance…see our left hand menu on desktop and the footer on mobile.

Google Custom Search – A Little History

You might remember these Google Custom Search boxes on websites back in the day, they were very popular for a time, embedded into countless websites.  But the free CMS website software took over which allowed users to search a website CMS with ease, no need for a Google Custom Search anymore.  But still today, the keyword search string: ‘Google Custom Search’ is queried on Google roughly 12K times a month globally.  So, is there an upturn for Google Custom Search?  Perhaps.  And if so…Why?

Google Custom Search – SEO Advantages making it Popular again????

Well, we believe at Digital Sales that if Google are encouraging it, then do it.  Registering your website with Google Analytics and Google Search Console are SEO factors, so why not Google Custom Search?  You pull the API code from Google Search Console and we believe if Google have developed it, then best you listen up and take notice!!

Google Custom Search – A Little Caution

If we are being very honest, we don’t really foresee many users using Google Custom Search on our website and we kind of hope they don’t!!  Because if they search using our website ‘custom search’, say: ‘social proofing’, before Google displays the results within Digital Sales, they will show competitors paid ads.  Not ideal at all.  In the past you could pay to remove the ads, but this is no longer possible and maybe a reason many websites dropped their ‘Google Custom Search’ API.

Before you decide on a Google Custom Search for your site you should ask a few questions:

What sector is your business in?  Is it non-commercial, like an information or not for profit website that has no competitors?  So, if ads appear, will it bother you and might the user who is now on your site, drift off to a competitor’s website?  However, it will display everything within your website that relates to that search, which is a positive. Other possible factor to consider are:

• Is Google a strong market leader in your country?
• Is your Organic Search position poor?
• How big is your website (how many pages) and is it worth integrating it into your site at all?  Do you have a CMS within your site?  Can search functionality be integrated?
• Can you fit the Google Custom Search API nicely into your website?  Perhaps hidden away discreetly.

These are the type of questions you should ask yourself.

Need help with your Digital Sales and Marketing?…Contact Digital Sales

If you are a company that wants to build a world class website, needs help with your organic search position, Digital Strategy or generating online sales……do the necessary!!!…contact the Digital Sales team direct send us a mail at: info@digitalsales.ie, see our contact us page for our office locations.

Diarmuid Haughian – Business Development Director – Digital Sales

Dip. International Selling, Cert. Digital Marketing, MSc. BITS, MA Career Guidance