What to do and not to do after Google’s latest Penguin update

What to Do

First thing we need to know is Google and such search engines always have different rules and forums for all types of link building, when we are doing SEO; building our links through texts (Articles, blogs, classifieds, Press Releases and such) we must always follow the genuinity, and originality concept.

• Use original and genuine texts which are free from plagiarism.
• Never over stuff the keyword in your text.
• Give proper and genuine Tags and Meta tags.
• Use your own links and contents.
• Post texts into proper posts, and use only those key words which you really want for your website.
• Be genuine and never try to cheat Google or any other search engines.
• Use proper and quality articles to link it to your website (through clickable words).
• Keep your sites updated and clean.
• If possible use other sources and means to drive traffic to your website.
• Use available alternatives of Google, let’s say Bing or Ask.com.
• Never blindly change or delete your works and links, use your mind and try to modify it to reality and genuine

What Not to Do

• Avoid red widgets.
• Don’t use or borrow links from other websites as Google sees paid link as manipulative.
• Avoid Common theme and always push yourself to new levels.
• Don’t create links by spam texts: Don’t use your key word as your username for any website, never leave your key word as your reply or comment, and above all your signature must not be the keyword to build the link, it must be original.
• Don’t use links from website which are already into Google’s malware list or spam list.
• Avoid over use of same text or key word, don’t even use more than required key words for your website as that will spam your website and decrease its overall ranking.

Following these guidelines will help you be tension free and then, let Google change its algorithm as many times and as frequently as they wish, you will always be safe and secure, you don’t have to fear about any kind of penalty or loss.

The main aim behind this action is to help Google search users get refined and better results relevant to their key-word search. Google said that over-optimization leads to less useful and valuable contents in the search results, which are like web spam and to avoid this Google will penalize the websites which are not up to the mark or has bad quality contents.

This algorithm shift will now bring change in the way of SEO; people have to concentrate more on what really they want their website to offer than giving more than wanted results through stuffing keywords.

According to a press release published early this month, the algorithm shift is likely to affect those websites that are neither violating nor practicing the existing quality guidelines of Google. An approximate 3 percent of total search queries will be affected through this new algorithm.

An another press release has said that little adjustments and some minute changes will again boost the websites ranking, thereby it is advised to control your websites’ algorithm and manage contents according to the best of the website with utmost concentration on the quality of the content than on stuffing keywords in them.

Google has announced that this algorithm is not aimed to stop articles from being posted so expert and deep analysis of the contents will be done before punishing it as spam. This plan was announced in March at the SXSW Interactive conference by Matt Cutts, Web spam chief, Google.

The new 3.2 update has started discussions amongst all the webmasters, their experience of new ranking changes to all their web pages and the probable changes made by Google. Over the past several weeks, change in the webpage rankings had been noticed by most webmasters which had been previously indicated by Google’s new panda update.

Google Panda 3.2

The new update to the Panda algorithm is termed as 3.2 and not 2.x as certain 2.x updates that were recorded last year in November were labeled “minor” updates by webmasters which according to Google should have been termed as a major 3.0 update. The next November update was termed as a 3.1 update and hence, this new January update is labeled as the 3.2 panda update.

The new data refresh made by Google cost several high ranking Google web pages to lose their traffic and ranks. The updates are made only with the aim of offering the best details and websites to all Google users. This is yet another effort made by Google to stay as the best search engine online.

Before we start discussing about the true facts about reaching the top, lets first learn something about search engines.

Search engines have their own list of secrets and algorithms that they follow for ranking webpages based on their content and keywords. Each search engine strives to offer the best content to its customers and hence compete with each other. On the contrary, SEO experts study the functioning of these search engines and try to find loopholes in their algorithms that will help their clients reach the top of the ranking pages.

SEO strategies can be categorized into two categories namely, white hat and black hat strategies. The white hat strategies involve genuine methods and working based on the preferences of the search engines for bringing the client websites on the top. On the other hand, the black hat strategies involve working on the loopholes of search engines and cheating them for reaching to the top of the ranking pages. Black hat strategies work exceptionally faster, but Google experts will soon locate your strategies and ban you from their search engine. This is also known as being Google slapped. Recovering from this ban takes a long time.

The factors that contribute to the ranking system constantly keep changing which makes it extremely difficult to know which of these factors actually work for the success of your webpage. However, to help you improve your ranking, here are a few “white hat strategies” that have been successful over the long time period.

• Select a quality theme content that is keyword rich. However, this doesn’t mean that you stuff all your keywords together and make your content look theme based. Quality simply means providing high quality theme based information to your readers with proper use of keywords. Each day, search engines are getting smarter, selecting high quality content. They are no longer selecting pages with keywords, but also check the content information before ranking the pages.
• Link your website with other higher ranked genuine websites. Having links pointing to your website helps the search engine spiders to know the relevancy of your webpage. However, make sure you link your site with only those sites that offer related content. Your webpage will not benefit if you link it with non-related websites. Select authority sites with higher ranks for better results.
• Search engines rank older sites higher due to their durability and experience. However, they work best if they remain active for longer duration. Search engines love websites that are updated regularly. This helps them offer the best information to all their visitors.
• If receiving links can help your webpage, linking out to other higher ranked webpages also proves beneficial. Link out your website with other related websites and get more points on your website ranking.
• For any website, keywords play a major role in their success. Select specific short tail and long tail keywords that are related to your theme. This will help your local business as well.
• Unique content is the most IMPORTANT factor amongst all these strategies. Ensure you offer unique content to your visitors, and the search engine will take care of your website.

Myths about SEO

If an SEO expert promises you top ranks on the SERPs, they are lying to you. No SEO strategy can assure a place in the first page of SERPs. An SEO expert can only assure you his best efforts to help you reach the top ranking page. Well, there are mainly 6 ways that can help you get high quality links for your website from other top authority websites.

1. Buy links
2. Discuss with them about embedding your link in their site
3. Offering them unique content that they want on their websites
4. Get enrolled into their affiliate program
5. Get linked with a lower ranked webpage and wait until they reach the top of SERPs
6. Create a well designed, informative, unique and well optimized website that people freely add your website link into their website.

Do you believe the number you receive when you check the back linker? Well if you do, you are probably going the wrong way. The tool does not offer you an accurate result.

Search engines never want you to know their little secret about linking and ranking. After all, search engines are in direct competition with the SEO experts. However, if you want to find a more accurate answer about your links, type the following into your address bar:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=.yourdomain.+-+

Simply replace the “yourdomain” with your website URL, excluding the .com and also the www.

Finally, what is the most effective SEO strategy?

Optimize your webpage and also W3C amenable. Remove all excess coding by saving them into your external files. Ensure that the H1, H2 and the H3 tags are relevant to your website theme. Check whether the meta tags fit perfectly into the content.

Update your site with regular content. Make hundreds of pages, each pointing out to your website. Also make sure your content is unique and relevant to the theme of your website and also includes the keywords rightly. Submit your site to DMOZ and hold your patience. Also create a strong linking platform that will boost the quality of your website most. With this, you can safely ensure a place in the first page of the SERPs.

Bil Slawski indicated that many child patents were spawned after this one by Google during his search on 10 most essential search patents of time. These patents are mostly similar and some are with slight modified changes having latest discovery dated October 2011. The algorithmic changes seen mostly are improvements of the original concepts that Google engineers conceived few years ago.

Lately fresh website content was considered to be important as part of apt query results. The freshness of content can be weighed by the analysis and discussion in this article.

Search for fresh content by Google

Some search queries look at the fresh content whereas parts of the algorithm still takes into account the old method of ranking. The keyword types and specific searches will need updated fresh content:

• Events and related hot topics: NBA lockout, American music awards
• Events that are regularly recurring: “NFL scores”, “Exxon earings”, “dancing with stars”
• Updates on frequent basis: “reviews of Subaru impreza”, “best ip cameras”

The patents by Google give insight for evaluating web content and for using the signals that indicates fresh content for high ranking and adjustments accordingly.

There are no fixed rules related to patents and filings or SEO experiences as the long term experiments indicated. However it is best to look at the scenario based on your experiments and specific information discussed here:

Inception date related freshness

The date of inception that gradually wears off over time will determine freshness of web page. The piece of information and related queries will give content boost when it is fresh, later it can get degraded as time passes by.

The date is seen as Google first registers about your document’s existence, as Googlebot indexed document and related links.

Changes in documents

Webpage or domain is not all about its freshness. Search engine can track the specific content which may be related to changes and role of the website. One sentence change may not have same effect as compared to extensive change in the main document and text.

Frequency and freshness of documents

Content which is changed frequently will be rated in different manner as compared to annual changes on pages. People look at the USA today pages rather than change in research website if it has regular or daily update.

New page creations and freshness

Most websites add new pages over the option to revise the old pages and edit them. Primary blogs also do the same. There are many pages that get freshness score as the pages are added to website as compared to low update statistics of other sites.

Many SEOs also show that you can add 20-30% pages per site every year. With this the chance to increase visibility among the search engine increases considerably. Opt for creation and posting of fresh content if you want attention immediately.

Links are important for freshness as well

The high freshness score of website can be linked to others with low scores to increase their overall score. You can find links to old static site and post it across the fresh pages to get more organic traffic.

New signal indicates growth

Even with logic, you will know site relevance among search engines increases if new signals are passed. The fresh and relevant content will indicate growth of the website. However, spam or black hat is also indicated if websites are checked thoroughly, as manipulative form of techniques for link building. Search engines red flag such form of behavior.

Important content changes make more difference

There are essential changes in documents which indicate of fresh content which are different as compared to the not so important content. Navigation, content along folds, advertisements and similar changes are not essential. Main text along the body is vital.

Anchor test changes leads to link devaluation

When website shows considerable changes the anchor text also should be altered as per the updates on pages. When you purchase domain for automobiles, changing it for a cookery website will include anchor text for cooking instead of that for cars.

Google notices it as a page changes and old anchor remains the same and will devalue your links gradually.

Queries benefitting through older documents

New results are not necessarily always considered as best. Some authoritative website may hold more credit and reputation as compared to a new site posting frequent content on the web. There are many aged documents that show as part of the search results even as it is old.

As per the patent content of the page and freshness will be determined based on the average age and results returned for specific queries.

Freshness and user behavior

There are instances when old and possibly outdated content was once in high demand. People will spend less time on sites that are not providing new recent news or relevant content. They will search for latest happenings and updates rather than going through same events and old information.

Google makes note of all these metrics and related scores so your pages are ranked accordingly.

Conclusion

Search engine works to return most relevant search results for users. It is in your interest to provide good and recent content which will make the site look efficient.

Old content will help in page view, but it will not be able to target high revenues. You will benefit from continuous content and fresh queries so the website is ranked high.

Make the most of the possibilities and how you can earn high ROI from the website.

Search Engine analysis related to the hospitality industry indicated of this unique development. Analysis of the search results for term ‘Las Vegas hotels’ indicated that this news is true.

Hotel Finder advertisement is shown as ‘comparison ad’ it is separated by minimum from possible regular listings of AdWords shown below it. It takes premium result space in Google’s outcome and the hotel ads are pushed further down with organic listings below the page. Comparison ad welcomes searchers to pick quality of hotel level and even click on the button ‘book hotels’. This is similar to the 2009 based Mortgage comparison ads launched by Google. The comparison ads are found for credit cards, saving accounts, checking accounts, CDs related to money.

As users’ clicks on Hotel Finder the comparison ad, it leads user to Google Hotel Finder which was launched by Google in July as an experiment.

Hotel Finder has a considerably more innovative search tool for hotels which separates other websites from itself by allowing the users to draw or identify locations on map so they can indicate where they want to start search for hotels and staying. Using the Hotel Finder, searchers get chance to book any hotel room using Google’s Hotel Price Ads, this is an ad program which includes advertisers belonging to third party and not the advertisers of hotels themselves.

We cannot talk for the entire hospitality business, but as per reports it is a big boon for the industry. The Hotel Finder ads when turn to a fully functional tool will be the first of its kind that is not exactly associated to the financial sector.

This year, 2 major changes were created by the search engine which struck all the internet marketers with massive force. These changes not only caused almost all marketers to lose their high rankings but also spread great panic amongst the marketers.

Being a SEO master, I simply know the methods that are currently working right for me and also almost all other SEO masters I am in contact. However, the fact remains that none of us know how Google functions, when and what changes it may bring-in into the SEO market. As a result, the SEO strategies work only based on the current SEO algorithms.

Create good sites and make your website panda proof. This is the very basic of creating a successful website that stands strong even against the Panda changes.

The main aim of Google is to provide its users with the best web surfing experience. This simply indicates to providing them with the best results on their searches. Thus, if you create a perfect website, with good SEO based design, high quality unique content that offers good information, your website will not be affected by the Google Panda updates.

In order to explain this to you more clearly, let us take an example. I will compare certain niche websites. Site 1 is monetized by Adsense and this is the first website created by me. Site 2 is a more recent website, has Adsense and promotes mainly the Clickbank products.

Site 1, the first website, is a small website with just 10 pages, some 300 words reviews about products and just 1 article of 600 words. The site successfully made it to the top of the SERPs and stayed at the top for a long time, until recently it lost its position. The rank gave my site huge traffic and helped me earn about $200 every month. The site had absolutely no maintenance and did well every month. However, with the recent panda updates, the site lost its top ranking and the traffic decreased greatly having just 20 unique visitors every day. This also affected the revenue, making it nearly 1/8^th of the pre-panda effect.

Site 2 is comparatively a much larger website with above 40 pages and is still growing everyday. With more than 1000 words articles, pictures, videos, photographs, etc. the site is much bigger than the previous site. Any person interested in this niche will benefit a lot when they visit this website. As a result, the website is also ranked No.1 and has several other pages ranked in the first page. However, when the Panda update was released by Google, it hardly made any difference to the website and its ranks. Instead, it improved the ranking of my site.

The result obtained for site 1 could have been similar to the site 1, only if I had dedicated more time for site 1, selecting good content and information for its viewers. This step could have easily helped my site 1 stay on top and also saved the monthly revenue it collected.

This result taught me a lesson of offering only top quality information to all my customers and Google. Providing quality content to all visitors is one of the most essential aspects of Today’s New age SEO.

Significant Content

In certain conditions, merely 300 words is enough to express your message to your customers, while in other conditions, even 1000 words seem short enough to convey the idea. Thus, when Google considers ranking your small 300 word content, don’t be shocked to see your website ranked far behind other websites that offer you 1500 words information about the same topic, including images and also possible videos.

An awfully written content can turn-off your customers, and thus increase your website bounce rate.

Spelling and Grammar Check

Check your content for any possible spelling and grammar check to avoid mistakes which is surely not a favorite for Google.

Keyword using

Use your keywords rightly. Stuffing your content with keywords is no longer important today. Instead it will only affect your web ranking.

Use your keyword naturally in your title, content description, alt tag, H1 tag and in some places through the content.

Visuals

Pictures and videos always make a website look much more attractive than they usually are. This helps attract the attention of visitors and also keep them glued to the page for more time.

Subtlety

Add call to action ads to your web page. Place them right above the fold, a place where the readers can view it easily. However, don’t add too many ads on your page, such as across the sidebars, headers, below the header, etc. Too many ads make people irritated which make them leave your page instantly. Be decent and Google will like your webpage despite the Panda updates.

Adding an extra zing

Make it your full time career, giving your websites a lot of time which will help you update your website whenever needed. This will help you stay on top of the ranking pages and get good revenue despite the Panda updates.

Google may get a firmer hold on the web pages and the panda updates are indicative of how things could change, the way your website is ranked in the competition of millions. People want to get things easy; you must not fall into the trap set for such mentality. The SEO or search engine optimization is a process worth investing in; content is the prime feature of the optimization process.

If you hire inappropriate or unworthy services, you will have a hard time getting the desirable results. Make your business stand strong in the market if you are busy with million other aspects of the firm, you can hire the experts. How to find the right service provider for web content? You want to select the right services for content writing with the following questions:

Are you equipped with good writers?

The writing potential and skill is not like a degree you can get from education, it requires lot of hard work. The good writers can gather expertise with education and experience over time. There is a range of difference when credentials of a firm are being compared. You can rent the expertise without paying a fortune, but only if you ask the right questions. Ask for samples and check if the firm has the required background and experience working with such businesses.

Well informed ordering

You will find it easier to get the organized information from the firms that are well aware of your task. If you are being provided with the keywords and details of the project, the work may be done well. Otherwise, you need to take a look at the information, provide instructions and find out more about the content. A website with smart content will help you stand apart from the competitors in the market.

Retrieve details regarding the research, suggestions for titles and layout for perfect task. Professional assistance should not include any babysitting or step by step guiding.

Time required for the procedure

Professionals know the value of time and offer prompt services for your money. You should not wait for too long to get the services like blogs, articles or press releases done. If your firm is not accommodating the projects in a scheduled manner, you can switch to others who can give you the finished job in time. Rushing through work is another mistake most website owners do, this may only lead to erroneous task.

Genuine work may take a few days or some weeks depending on the quantity of assigned work.

Do you outsource?

The world is full of writers who can give inappropriately written content in a short period. Find out if you are giving the work to the justified writers.  You do not want to fall in the trap where you hear all the right things and then the service providers pass them to writers that are unqualified for the task. SEO content writers and the inexperienced writers have considerable difference.

Content writing will have proper quality product that can bring you the desired results.

How do my queries get solved?

When you approach the company with queries, the way they answer and handle your problem will also give away any secrets they keep regarding the work.

You can order the product with due interaction and clarifications of any possible doubts in your mind regarding the payment and final outcome.

Once you are done asking, you can easily rely on the services for authentic content that takes your web profile to new heights.

The announcement by Google says: The personalized search result and delivery of protected outcome is high priority. Customized experience for every search is being enhanced for the signed in users.

More information on the specific changes will unravel as you read on further. The specifics important for a webmaster about SSL Secure Sockets Layer search are as follows:

Sign up for SSL

If you are on Google.com signed up with a secure connection, you will face the impact of change. As per the estimate single digit Google searchers may come across the modification. Secure connection will have a small lock icon rather than regular http:// website address. Mainly the SEO analytics or third party may not be able to see what is searched by this secured user. Google is keeping schools and educational institutes in mind where privacy and security matters.

Caller ID blocking

Just like your travel map or caller ID, the search sessions indicate how the trawlers passed from one website to next. This data is also known as referrer data or browser reports. Now Google will block this referrer data. The only information site owners will get is users came across them from Google search.

SEO analytics change

Any details of the particular visit will not be provided and this may even act as a block for the Google Analytics. There will not be much information associated with the organic and free searches.  The reports of possible visits even from the users who are signed in while searching will not be provided. Google clarified that this change will only impact a minority of your clients as the query data and regular visits will continue appearing.

The SEO masters do get information about the keyword search and the majority of conversion analysis. Highly sophisticated search results will get filtered for ranking related to Google SSL search. In case you are not running any kind of advertisements, you may have trouble with targeting and referrals.

Google takes over search terms

Sites get to discover which keywords are being used along with the terms for search on specific websites at Webmaster Central. The loss of data in form of referrals can be overcome as you use this service. There are speculations if the Google Analytics may merge data associated with the search statistics. More experts are indicating this is a way of supporting itself by Google.

Advertising still enjoy referrals

There is no blocking of these referrals when you are looking at the Ads. Advertisers continue to obtain information with unencrypted web searches. As per Google, this piece of information is required by the campaigners.

Is privacy change error free?

Preventing the use of this referrer block not just puts the SEO masters in jeopardy, but customers are equally affected by this. People will engage in sensitive searches and may reveal specific information that is private. With time more facets of this change will come forward revealing how the privacy saving SSL search could have loopholes that are not evident right now.

Second take on encryptions

The search encryptions used by Google last year were not up to the mark. There have been many positive aspects of Google, but the referrer data restriction is not valid if you pass from one encrypted server to the next.

Conclusively referrers may pass away

You need not suddenly pass into a shocked mode, but it is true that Google is putting an end to the Search Referrers. The conversion analysis will have lot of data to compare and evaluate in form of the search terms and referrer data only contributes to a fragment of it. The SEO webmasters can feel sad about the referrer data, but users certainly have a reason to cherish.

This move by Google is just another way of blocking that will gradually turn out to be a strategy totally followed by the browser.

Google like always, showed its commitment towards the users, with another attempt to provide its users with genuine search results. The approach was a success or not is yet to be determined. Roughly 500 changes have been applied to the previous version of Google Panda for deriving good search results. This time again the SEO masters wait with bated breath to know, how their efforts will be awarded or turn out to be a total waste with Google Panda 2.5.

Quality of the links had been the concern for Google even in the past. Now the quality as well as quantity will matter. You must reconsider if the websites you post your links on are authentic or not. In company of the unpopular websites you may damage your image as well. The websites and their existence in the market also are being graded for good ranking. If you have a domain that has been in use for a long time, you may be trusted more. With the inexperienced websites Google will be precautious. You do not want to invite suspicion with constant changes in the content as you edit the pages often. Stable websites and content that is well thought ahead will be rewarded.

Google without doubt is investing in the online properties that are focused on long term goals with the Panda 2.5 update. SEO masters have lot to figure out in the meanwhile their rankings will change. Some have come across a drop in their rankings. With proper evaluation you can figure out why the algorithm has affected your website.

As you follow the rules of Search Engine Optimization and keep your knowledge of the algorithm updated your rankings may remain safe. No need to get all panicky, you can re-strategize the plan and get added to the good books of Google for better profit and e-commerce.