Google Changes Things in Search… Again
Changes Google is making about their search algorithm and how to protect your website’s position online.
Word got out about new changes at Google with their search algorithm (code methods). The truth is that there are many changes which Google releases — sometimes daily. These changes are mostly to improve the results people get when they search online. It’s a balancing act of posting the best results to maintain your trust in their search while offering ads that may be best related or even better matches.
Over-optimization penalty
The new Google changes are nothing new in their desired outcome. They hope to protect the integrity of their search results. Last year there were numerous search code changes as there always are but it seems that they are getting more publicized online and even through traditional media and TV news. So what is different? These changes hope to go after the sites that are aggressive in their attempt to gain better positions in the search results.
- Too many keywords per page
- Keywords used too many times
- Over use of H Tags (H1, H2, etc.)
- Pages with too many cross-links
All of this on top of the recent Panda changes such as pages with too short of content, spam content and poorly written pages (yes, Google can now read your sentence and paragraph structure too).
Prepare for Google Changes
Some optimization firms say that if you are not doing everything, even those that may be a little no so perfect is the only way to get results. Well, time has proven and will continue to prove that this is just not true. When customers ask about seo tricks and such I always ask them, “how long do you want the results to last? How long are you going to be in business?” If you want to try to get quick results that may not work and will definitlely not last, then yes, try all the tricks that are not currently known to have too big of a negative impact. However, if you want long-term marketing results you’ll want to stay clear of such techniques.
Steps to Take for Best Google Results
It’s always funny to me. Google tells you how to get the best results. But we live in a time where patients does not exist. I say this is funny because I work in this industry and have for over a decade. But the right way always wins. Let’s spell it out as Google does in their documentation very simply put:
- Start with a good domain that is not too long
- Think about the areas for your website
- Have clear navigation going to these areas
- Use one (1) H1 tag as a title for the page
- Write a short but specific title for the page
- Take the time to write a few paragraphs
- You may have a few (2-3) links to other pages
- Links within content do help but limit them
- Don’t go crazy with over-use of your keywords
- Use a wide mix of phrases people may search
- Include a photo w/ title or alt tag with short description
- Include a video if it is relevant to your content is fine
- Lastly, write for humans first, then review for SEO
Google Changes – My Final Words
It’s easy to get carried away if you are in a hurry. If you have 10 keywords, think about the main keywords related to the page or article. If you have more keywords you really want to use to help their low ranking, then write another page or article that is more closely related to them. Google still loves content. They love targeted and focused content even more. Don’t let the new changes in Google search press you to make hasty decisions.
The last thing I want to ask of you is to have realistic expectations. If your site has 3-5 pages and you want to be in the top 1-3 positions online, it’s never going to happen unless you get written about on CNN and other large media websites. Even then, after a short period of time you’ll lose the high rank too. The days of creating a site and sitting back to watch the bank account is gone. And even then it was for just a short list of a few who got lucky. Take the time to build a good business online if you want good returns.
Call me at (323)546-7873 and I’ll share some more insight about the new Google changes, your site and what steps you need to take to be ready for Google’s next round or even future changes in search.