Monday, May 19, 2014

Understanding Google Algorithm Changes



Ever notice how you often have to go back and make changes to your blog or website each time Google adds a new algorithm or makes changes to an existing logarithm? Some of the most significant changes that have been made since 2008 had an effected not only on individual websites, but how businesses market themselves on the web. Many of the changes Google makes to its each algorithm every year are designed to hinder fraud websites and cheaters from getting to the top of search results by abusing the system. Conceptually, it is very important to understand the changes and how they would impact your business or website.


The first notable change was made in 2008 with the Content Relevancy algorithm that introduced on page optimization. Prior to this, webmasters had to optimize entire websites with the same Meta keywords, Meta descriptions on every page. Optimizing each page based on their unique content meant that any inner page could be ranked and shown in search results. This meant that the homepage was no longer the default entry point for visitors on any website. All pages therefore had to be carefully prepared like the home page with visible call to action if needed.

In 2009, a lesser known update called Vice was released. Like other updates, it was designed to weed out cheats and fraudulent sites by introducing brand validation to determine whether a brand can be trusted or not. While the update initially raised an uproar due to a perception that it favors larger brands that could easily be validated due to their fame, popularity and importance, this was not Google’s intention. Instead it meant that smaller business needed to look for trusted and verifiable methods of validating themselves. After this update, multichannel marketing gained a lot of important as business started using different channels to market their brand. This meant more time had to be sped preparing content, distributing the content and engaging users beyond advertising.

The most famous update made to the Google algorithm yet are the panda and penguin updates. The most notable thing about both updates is their prioritization of quality over quantity. The penguin update changed the way Google uses links to determine page rank while with the panda update, Google started using the quality of the content on a web page to determine its rank in search engine results. 
After penguin, it became necessary to have authority websites linking back to your site. The update punished websites with many back links from untrusted websites and irrelevant sources with low rankings while rewarding those with high quality links with better search result positioning. With regards to panda, Google placed increased emphasis on the relevance of on on-page content. The higher the quality and relevance of content, the more likely the page will be ranked highly. This means that online marketers and business owner had to start creating highly informational content to inform users of the products and services offered.

2013 was a particularly eventful years in terms of Google search algorithm updates. Apart from minor updates to panda and penguin, Google also introduced a new update called Hummingbird. The update basically changed the way Google uses search queries to determine page rank. According to Google, the algorithm change was triggered by the way people use the search engine. With the introduction of voice search for tablets and smart phones, people now use longer sentences to conduct their search. It therefore means that web pages have to be optimized for conversational search. Social media signals also play a bigger role in determining page rank.

How to deal with Google algorithm changes
The need for an online present has never been greater, but the landscape has never been more competitive. To avoid falling foul of the updates and use them to your advantage, you need to build a foundation based on a good understanding of what has been happening over the years and what tactical and strategic benefits you can put this changes for your content marketing. Your approach to search engine optimization should be guided by the factors that Google has tried to search through its updates. These include:

*Creating regular, helpful content for your targeted audience
*Use social media platform to share your content, thereby increasing your reach and quantity of social signals for high search rankings.
*Increasing the number of authority sites connected to your websites.
*Put best website optimization practices into place- continually educate yourself on best SEO practices as they emerge and try to improve as much as you can.

Google algorithm updates are all aimed at increasing the relevancy of search results so that users get precisely the information they need when they type a search query in the search box. Google also hates spam, both in links and content and each algorithm change improves user experience and provides more user friendly results as well as reader friendly content while punishing or banning spam sites. Based on this trend, you can protect yourself from potential future algorithm changes by producing and promoting high quality content. This may also put your website in a prime position to earn higher rankings after future updates. Contact Website Optimization to learn more.

Website Optimization
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ANN ARBOR, MI 48103
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http://www.websiteoptimization.com/
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