Google’s Panda Algorithm Update – Steps to help your site now

Google recently announced a major change in their search engine algorithm dubbed the “Farmer” update. In short, Google is targeting content farms that host and hold massive amounts of articles and various content collection sites. These websites provide little to the searching individuals in way of content and relevancy.  Think of massive dumpsters collecting crap and said crap is served up (based on search queries] as high quality content.

Google does not like this nor do we, the searching public. Google wants high quality content which is the main reason they currently own 70% [or better] of the U.S. search market. Recent stories have gained high publicity and could tarnish Google’s squeaky clean reputation for serving up only the very best results. What Google does not like…Google changes…and fast.

JC Penny was called out by the New York Times for building links [without relevant and corresponding content] and Google took action ASAP. JC Penny’s rankings have tanked.  More companies are getting the SEO axe for paying for links and I fully suspect that many jobs will be lost, agency contracts broken, and more heads will roll. This could be the biggest change to the Google algorithm in its history.

Check out these recent stories [below] which led to the Enron-like [smartest guys in the room] crash of multiple online sites based on very bad SEO practices.

Bing Business getting punished by Google

Eyeglasses and bad reviews

Link building and the pet rock . Fist mentioned by Searchology last year.

So what does this mean for you? Why should you care? And is there anything you need to do?

First of all, do not panic. If you have been working with a reputable SEO firm you should be okay. Google claims that the new changes will affect about 11.8% of the current search results. It could be much more by the time the full impact of these changes comes full circle. Second, you need to care because it is all about quality content or as I stated in 2006…content is king. Google simply got gamed by the SEO “experts”.  Now, here is what you can do and need to do moving forward.

  1. Provide useful and unique website content for your visitors.
  2. Give your website visitors a reason[s] to come back to your site.
  3. Give your visitors a good reason to share your website with others via email and social media.
  4. Take over all of your social media profiles. Google and Bing have both suggested that social media “likes”, reviews, and fans may become a new metric for measuring websites and ranking websites. I believe this is the future of SEO. The Searchology SEO formula and methodology may look something like this; quality content [see 1 through 3] + likes + fans + reviews + universal search + links = killer search engine rank.

One thing has always been a constant. Don’t game Google or you will pay for it big time. Don’t buy links, don’t create subpar content, and always be creative with your content. The good news in all of this is companies and websites with good relevant content now have a golden opportunity to make positive changes which will impact their site ranking. As Google continues to lop off the heads of very big websites…they are going back to their roots of website content and said content ruling their SERPS.

Pay Per Click Does What it Can Not What it Must

Over the years I’ve been asked over and over again which is better…pay per click or search engine optimization. I’ve never really had a definitive answer for this question. It really depends on what your company objectives are and how quickly you would like to reach these goals. It is very important to note that pay per click is not what it once was; less populated, easier to use, and much easier to gain higher pay per click rank.

It is equally important to note that pay per click can be just as costly as search engine optimization. Here are a few things that you should know before starting any pay per click campaign.

  1. Your entire marketing budget should not be throw into any one marketing channel. A good mixture of advertising is the best if you have the ability to do so. Many avenues which allow your company to reach out to potential buyers and customers is always recommended. However, if you are limited with your budget, pay per click is fast and delivers good results.
  2. Be patient with pay per click results. With any marketing effort, things take time. Pay per click is not magic and is the fist step in reaching out to potential customers to engage in the sales process. It may take several touch points before anyone turns into a customer or buyer.
  3. Ensure you are using all of the new Google features to reach out to your prospective visitors. Mobile ads, Click to call, Google Boost, and additional deep links.
  4. If you are using a search firm to run your pay per click campaigns let them do their job. The majority of PPC firms and management companies know what they are doing and will produce results. The more you interfere…the more difficult their job becomes. Work with your firm not against it.
  5. The problem with online marketing is…online marketing. With proper analytics measurements, ppc campaigns, and other forms of online marketing you can really make a new site or current site hum. The problem is this; online marketing has more accountability than any form of marketing.  Because every click and visitor can be tracked advertisers expect much more than what can be possible with this form of advertising. Keep it real and make sure to remember pay per click is not the solution to all of your visitor desires.
  6. If you are willing to pay for your traffic while your search engine optimization takes root…it is a good way to go. In fact, it is better to hold two number one spots or more than one spot for any keyword which is important to your business objectives. IE ~ If you are targeting a specific keyword…it is better to hold to positions on page one which in turn will double the opportunity to be found and add in two touch points.
  7. 4 out of 5 web visitors ignore the paid search results and pay per click [depending on what vertical you are in] can be very expensive.
  8. PPC is a excellent way to augment any marketing effort and works very well. Just keep your expectations based in reality.
  9. Pay per click is here to stay and is evolving rapidly. The more changes that come…the better the results.
  10. Most importantly, you will not be the only one targeting your keywords. Remember the 80 | 20 rule. When competition is thick in your industry be prepared to fight harder for your results.