Tweet

Google Panda and Your Search Engine Rankings

Guest post by: Charly Leetham

Article Overview: It has been a long held belief of mine that if you want your site to rank well and consistently in the search engines, then you need to be providing good quality information (content) to your visitors and a great user experience.I’m also an advocate of using articles on other sites as part of your marketing strategy…. But lately I’ve been hearing a lot about Google’s Panda update and what that means to this style of strategy.

Google Panda and Your Search Engine Rankings

It has been a long held belief of mine that if you want your site to rank well and consistently in the search engines, then you need to be providing good quality information (content) to your visitors and a great user experience.

I’m also an advocate of using articles on other sites as part of your marketing strategy…. But lately I’ve been hearing a lot about Google’s Panda update and what that means to this style of strategy.

However, reading the Google blog, I was pleased to see the following quote:

Our advice for publishers continues to be to focus on delivering the best possible user experience on your websites and not to focus too much on what they think are Google’s current ranking algorithms or signals.

It’s really important for us as “marketeers” to remember that the search engines want to deliver quality, relevant information to their customer – the searcher. If we aren’t delivering that, then we won’t be ranked.

The Google article then goes on to state:

Panda was just one of roughly 500 search improvements we expect to roll out to search this year. In fact, since we launched Panda, we’ve rolled out over a dozen additional tweaks to our ranking algorithms, and some sites have incorrectly assumed that changes in their rankings were related to Panda.

Whilst Panda may have bee one of the bigger undertakings for Google, it certainly isn’t the only change, or enhancement, they’ve made.

Google goes on to explain that the improvements in the algorithms (the formula used to determine search engine rankings) is aimed at helping people find “high-quality” sites by reducing the rankings of low-quality content and provides a series of questions used when they, Google boffins, are actually writing the algorithms…

• Would you trust the information presented in this article?
• Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature?
• Does the site have duplicate, overlapping, or redundant articles on the same or similar topics with slightly different keyword variations?
• Would you be comfortable giving your credit card information to this site?
• Does this article have spelling, stylistic, or factual errors?
• Are the topics driven by genuine interests of readers of the site, or does the site generate content by attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines?
• Does the article provide original content or information, original reporting, original research, or original analysis?
• How much quality control is done on content?
• Does the article describe both sides of a story?
• Is the site a recognized authority on its topic?
• Was the article edited well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?
• Is this the sort of page you’d want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?

This is just some of the questions that the Google engineers consider when creating the ranking algorithm. What I find interesting is that many of questions are the SAME questions I would ask if I was buying from a site.

Overall, remember that Google wants to deliver quality information to it’s clients and WE as site owners can help them do that…..

Related Articles
  Google Panda Update – How It Affects Search Engine Optimisation
  Solutions to Panda Hits Elusive But Solvable
  The Drive Of Google
  SEO Tip of the Day: 5 Steps for SEO Optimizing with DTD Statements
  The Insider Secrets to Google
  Most Effective Search Engine Marketing
  The SEO Fools Errand for the SEO Fool
  Seo Basics
  ••••••>Free Seo Tips: For #1 Search Rankings Be Descriptive With Your Images
  The SEO Halo Effect
  How To Easily Improve Your Google Rankings
  Being visible on Search Engines is a must
  Ever Dance the Google Dance?
  Higher Search Engine Ranking
  Affordable Search Engine Optimization - Making Google Happy
  BMW falls into the Abyss
  Why Can’t a Website Design be Successful without Search Engine Optimisation?
  TIPS TO ATTAIN PROPER SERP'S FOR A WEBSITE AND BLOGSITE.
  Top 5 Reasons Your Search Engine Rankings Dropped
  The Key Elements of Search Engine Marketing

Article Tags: marketing strategy, panda, search engine rankings, search engines
Referred by: http://www.outrageouslyhealthy.com



Related Forum Posts
What Do You Want To Be Taught? - Hi, My name is Jeff Foster, I will be moderating this new section. I want to get your opinion on topics you would like to discuss & be taught on. I see a great need for small business owners to learn how to perform basic Search Engine Marketing (SEM) which would include the basics about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). What do you want to be taught on? Jeff
Re: Search Engine Optimization - If you are interested to get more information about Search Engine Optimization you can visit Search Engine Watch site gives you a great way to keep up with what’s going on in the search engine world. This site provides a ton of information about a very wide range of subjects related not only to search engine optimization, but also the flip side of the coin; subjects related to searching online.
Re: How Google's Panda Update Changed SEO - Yeah, we definitely noticed some substantial changes in our rankings during the last phase of Panda but I'm not sure if it's due to that. However I like Panda because it makes me feel more inspired to use white-hat SEO tactics!
Re: Search Engine Tips and Ideas - Share Yours - Hi there, I answer this post, to start off. I am still learning a lot on all these subjects. Moreover, we have a wonderful tool to find out from previous posts. On the top right corner, use 'Advanced Search' and write 'Search Engine Tips'. It brings up all the previous posts with that information. Check it out. You will be surprised all the inherent information stored.
Re: How Google's Panda Update Changed SEO - Great link GT - thanks for sharing! And for the update about where the Panda name came from! I've read a lot about the Panda update since it came out and never heard that bit of info!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Build Corporate Credit for Your Small Business

How to sell a business

Four Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Blog

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.