On average, Google makes about 400 changes per year to its algorithm, which determines the relevance and ranking of online content. The algorithmic changes are rarely announced, and often go unnoticed. But late last week, the search giant announced one of its biggest algorithmic improvements to date — a change that is projected to impact nearly 12 percent of U.S. search results.
Google says that this new algorithm is designed to reduce the rankings of low-quality sites that provide little relevant information, while rewarding high-quality sites that have original content and information like research and in-depth reports with higher rankings. Websites that will be negatively affected by this change are scraper sites, websites that simply copy other site’s content and make it their own; and content farms that produce very shallow content loaded with keywords. Both scraper sites and content farms attempt to manipulate rankings in an effort to drive users to pages that are loaded with cost-per-click advertising.
This latest algorithm change comes less than two weeks after The New York Times’ exposé on J.C. Penney’s search scam. According to the article, J.C. Penney had partnered with a third-party SEO company that scattered links across millions of bogus websites in an attempt to achieve the coveted #1 rank for a variety of search terms – a big no-no in the world of Google organic search. Is this search algorithm change a coincidence? Perhaps. Regardless, Google is sending a very clear message: “Don’t try to game the system.”
What do these algorithm changes mean for you?
- If you are working with an outside partner to manage an SEO link campaign, make sure you understand what’s being done on your behalf. If you’re managing your own campaign, double check that you’re only using ethical SEO tactics (AKA White Hat).
- Confirm that the sites that link to you provide good, original content that is similar to your own website’s content.
- Google search results will be more relevant to the topics users query, and there will be less competition from an organic search perspective – meaning higher rankings and more page views. Especially if your content is original, informational, relevant and updated frequently. Think about what you want to say first and weave your keywords in last. If your content is relevant, and you select the right keywords, you may have a chance of obtaining the rankings you deserve.
- And finally, keep a close eye on your Google ranking at all times – not just when the search goliath makes a big splash about an algorithm change. Google is constantly making tweaks to compete with other search engines, and your ranking could raise or drop from one day to the next, which might require website alterations or content modifications to maintain your rankings.
Remember, Google cannot be outwitted. Just ask J.C. Penney, whose results plummeted from #1 to #60-something after they were caught punking the system. So, the moral of the story is play by the rules, or suffer Google’s wrath.
MGH’s interactive marketing team is here to help and keep you ethical, so if you have any questions leave us a comment or email Cara Citino at ccitino@mghus.com
