Connor BrookeGoogle recently released a new version if its algorithm called Penguin that was meant to undermine certain SEO practices. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let me give you some background as to what SEO is and why Google cares about this. When you search for something within Google, their algorithm searches and tries to bring you the most relevant content for your search. For example, if you were to search for “hotels in New York”, Google has to determine which of the hundreds of websites for New York hotels and vacation websites will show up where.
How does Google do that? Google takes many factors into account including how many people visit your site, how often you update your site (that’s why having a blog is great for your site), what keywords you use on your site that match the search and how many other sites have linked your site. It is that last factor that has enraged Google.
Search Engine Optimization is the process of improving your site so you get a higher ranking on Google and therefore more traffic. There are many ways to do that but one of the more dishonest ways is to pay someone to put a link to your site surrounded by certain keywords on all kinds of random sites throughout the web. This practice fools the Google algorithm into believing your site is more important than it really is.
Google’s new penguin algorithm is meant to change that. They not only will ignore links that they find irrelevant, but actually punish sites they believe to be behaving unscrupulously by banishing them from searches all together. This has frightened many in the SEO industry and led to confusion about how to legitimately improve your site.
So what can you do to improve your sites rank? One way is to use video. Video is being seen by more and more people and therefore Google is beginning to give it more weight in its searches than ever before. Someone who posts a lot of video, especially if its on different sites (we can do that for you on www.startcut.com) or has a decent amount of views can expect to show up more often on the 1st page of Google (53 times more likely according to one study). It is important to fill out the title, tags and description with words you think people who would be interested in your product will use in their searches.
How else can you improve your sites SEO? You can create original content for your viewers (if your company doesn’t have a blog start one and update it frequently). Making your site social and giving users content to share is another great way to boost your rank. In short, follow these steps and you will be on your way to SEO success.
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Connor Brooke.
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I think Google is forcing business owners to use Adwords to market their products and services. SEO and other techniques of marketing are stumbling to survive!
I totally agree with ‘anders’. I sit day in and day out, reading, watching videos, and implementing just about everything I can since the new algorithms have surfaced. Consistently I end up on page 2. Just can’t break the barrier.
Seems to me, no one has exactly figured out the new formula. Great guesses…yes, but when I start seeing more and more top sites being forced to Adwords…that was a wake up call.
I think Google penguin updates is good initiative. This will force the site owner to use white hat method. Unnatural links making tendency will decrease a lot. My believe is if some one want to rank their site, there will be a lots of white hat techniques. So they can easily use that , & in this process they will rank their site in a proper way.
Obviously Google’s #1 priority is to make money. However, in the end of the day when people search for certain terms they have to provide results. I think both of you should consider what search terms you are competing on, it might be those searches are just too competitive. As an aside, try implementing the methods mentioned above
Google knows that they are the No.1 Search Engine and grab the opportunity for business. Like what Anders said. But it’s good thing to know that Google still continue to campaign white hat SEO.