Tag: panda

With Google On Our Side

Penguin flapping wingsWhen people talk about the rise of China’s global economic power, I counter with: “Yeah, but we have Google.” Some times when people ask me a question I don’t know the answer to, I reply: “Google it.”

As a content writer, Google and I share a goal – useful, quality content on the Internet.  As stated in their Best practices #1: “Focus on the user and all else will follow.” It’s no longer a David vs. Goliath world. People and companies with good ideas and good products can prosper no matter what size.

A vice president at a telecommunications company said he was astonished by what Google knew about their customers.  The information was deeper and broader than anything the company had. It kind of scared him. With such knowledge comes revenue and responsibility. Decisions need to be made along the way. From what I see, Google is heading in the right direction.

Emphasis on Quality Content

I tire of seeing those who manipulate online pages be in more demand than those who create good content.  With its latest changes, Google seems to be tired of it too. Changes in its algorithm, Penguin, aim to rid us of schemers who use keyword stuffing and link tactics to improve rankings. Such practices are like playing multiple balls on each hole during a round of golf or adding clubs beyond the limit rule.

Panda bearFrom Google Best practices #3: Does this help my users? What if all the time companies spend on questionable SEO tactics was used instead to develop original, quality content for their audience? Another Google change, Panda, focuses on promoting sites with such content. Well-researched articles, in-depth reports, and thoughtful analysis are being rewarded with high rank. If you think this kind of content comes only from big companies with swarms of subject matter experts, think again. You may be surprised by what a company owner and a good content writer can create.

With Google on our side, content writers can empower companies by focusing on and helping their audience.

 

SEO Post Panda Puts Emphasis on Quality, Not Quantity Content

Big panda on rock

“Our goal is simple: to give people the most relevant answers to their queries as quickly as possible.” That’s how Google introduced its new Panda algorithm on the Official Google Blog written by Amit Singhal, Google Fellow, and Matt Cutts, Principal Engineer, in February 2011. They go on about the purpose of Panda……”it will provide better rankings for high quality sites—sites with original content and information…“ SEO aficionados looked at their toolkits and began to wonder.

On the official Google Webmaster Central Blog Amit offers guidance on what constitutes a quality site. Quality sites are trustworthy containing well-crafted content relevant to the audience’s interest. The questions below are the kind that Google staff pose when assessing the quality of a site. My advice for increasing your search rankings follows.

Trust

  • Would you trust the information presented in this article?
  • Does it carry authority from a knowledgeable author?
  • Is the site a recognized authority on its topic?

Who is researching, writing and overseeing your content becomes more important within the Panda paradigm. One way to build trust is to distribute original quality content throughout relevant networks online. You may gain inbound links that add to your authority.

Content

  • Is the content well edited? Does this article have spelling, stylistic, or factual errors?
  • Does the article provide original content or information, original reporting, original research, or original analysis?
  • How much quality control is done on content?
  • Does this article contain insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious?

Conduct a quality content audit. Review all of your pages and improve the content or remove low quality content. Eliminate duplicate content and keyword-stuffed pages. Hire an editor. Rely on people who can conduct an interview, research and write in a voice that conveys the proper tone, insight and interest. Create high amounts of content consistently.

Relevance

  • 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?
  • Would you expect to see this article in a printed magazine, encyclopedia or book?

I thought these last questions interesting because they align with traditional publishing print practices. Imagine a magazine putting fluff on its pages to entice but not deliver to its audience or reading a published article with blatant factual errors. It wouldn’t be in business for long. Know your audience.

Google is now rewarding trustworthy, well-written, relevant content sites with top slots in its search rankings. Do you have someone you can depend on to deliver such content? Have you hired any new staff to address Panda’s quality issues?