Complete Guide To Google MUM for SEO Strategy [2023]

SEO Specialist

Blog Writer

SEO Writer

Surfer SEO

Google’s MUM is the word, but it’s no longer a secret.

The good news is that MUM won’t change your SEO strategy, but it makes some new SEO elements more important. 😅

Look no further in the search results because…

This guide mostly talks about what MUM means for SEO. Plus, you’ll get a search engine optimization strategy checklist to prepare your website for the new Google algorithm update. 🤩

How does Google MUM work?

Google MUM (multitask unified model) is a new AI milestone that makes Google Search results even more precise. After all, Google’s mission is to help you find exactly what you want, as fast as possible. Read the official Google explanation.

Now let’s dive into the implications of Google MUM on SEO.

How will MUM affect SEO?

The MUM algorithm is rethinking search with not only text. More diverse media types like images, video, and audio files will be made available in the google search results.

In fact, Google can interpret audio and video like text and then relate it to other topics. During a search, you’ll also see relevant images at the top of the Google search results.

This means people will have to do fewer searches to answer their questions. In order to compete, your content should be as relevant to their needs as possible.

Context has overthrown the Content King 👑

MUM: The future is semantic search

Google has a deep understanding of someone’s search intent, but do you?

When people search for a topic like “what is SEO?”, they’ll soon want to follow the topic “down the rabbit hole”.

That’s why a new feature called “Zoom topic” gives searchers the option to learn general info or gain deep knowledge on related topics.

Google MUM: Search Ranking Factors

These core search ranking factors will remain the same.

High-quality [useful] content

High-value backlinks

Mobile first

Page experience [Google RankBrain]

Internal and external on-page links

With MUM, Do keywords still matter?

In the near future, Google’s natural language processing and AI machine learning capabilities will make matching keywords obsolete. Google can already answer complex search queries to interpret the context of the words entered in the search engine.

Itamar Blauer – SEO expert and ‘SEO Unplugged’ Podcast Host

Is google mUM a search ranking factor?

Currently, MUM is not considered among other search ranking factors yet. In a few years, after Google has tested the new MUM algorithm thoroughly to avoid search biases – it’s very likely to be one of the factors.

Google MUM: SEO strategy checklist

The SEO Strategy talk [skip to 12:53]

Digital marketing and SEO professionals will need to adapt their content marketing strategies again. You’ll need to create content that’s useful by predicting what people want to know and giving it to them in order to improve SEO. Just like Google does. That means making unique content, not just a better version of the same content.

Mordy Oberstein – Head of SEO Branding at WIX.

Google Mum: On-Page SEO

✅ Focus on fulfilling the person’s search intent, quality of content, reputation, and credibility of your website.

✅ Use the new “Things to Know” feature for content ideas.

✅ Use “People also ask” for article subheadings and FAQ sections.

✅ Work with internal sales and support teams to tailor content for the customer journey better.

✅ Dig into customer data, support questions, and sales team objections to customize content further to better understand the needs of your audience.

✅ Be relatable and speak empathetically to your audience.

Continue gaining relevant, high-value backlinks. Google assumes your content is high-quality if reputable (high DR) sites are giving you link love. Getting these types of backlinks is super tough, they are the currency of the internet. And so, they will continue to remain a major search engine ranking factor.

✅ Creating “share-worthy” images, videos, and audio is more important than ever because:

It will make Google MUM proud with a chance to become featured content at the top of search results, similar to featured snippets

Website owners are more likely to use your media in their own content and link back to you

✅ Crawling, indexing, rendering, and website architecture still matter.

✅ Technical improvements and structured data will no longer be important.

Google lens takes visual search to a whole new level by letting you take a photo, and ask a question. Your job as an SEO professional will be to make the most useful and easy-to-understand answers to complex queries. And if necessary, include detailed step-by-step instructions.

MUM, our advanced AI model, is coming to #GoogleLens early next year. You’ll be able to snap a photo AND ask a question, which can be helpful in those moments you need to fix a broken part and have no idea what it is 🤷🔧 #SearchOn pic.twitter.com/cmedce3dB2

✅ Aside from refreshing your content and updating it regularly, you’ll want to optimize your content based on how people speak, not how they type in search engines [according to BoostBlog].

For example:

typing: “65 miles to km” speaking: “how many kilometers are 65 miles?”

✅ Answering questions without having to dig for the information will increase user satisfaction. Google will reward you by showing your website again to someone with the same type of questions.

AI SEO Tools for agencies and SEO teams

Read reviews

Does using MUM result in “Zero Click Search”?

Publishers will receive attribution for their answers, and a link will be there to click on [according to Search Engine Journal].

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

“Zero-click search” will negatively impact click-throughs to a website because of the knowledge panel, direct answer, and other upcoming features. Around 50% of searches end without a click on an organic search result, says searchmetrics.

How do I make a b2B SEO strategy?

It’s best to follow a B2B SEO strategy guide to learn, test, and implement the best SEO tactics for your company. Google Mum expects you to continuously improve a site visitor’s experience and give them what they want. Otherwise, Google and other search engines will not give your site a high enough ranking.