Tales abound of Google’s changes to its search indexation systems effectively wiping dozens of businesses off the face of the Earth pretty much overnight and robbing thousands of their sole sources of income.
And here’s the kicker – the stories are right on the money, it really does happen!
The number of businesses that have fallen foul to Google’s changes is as huge as it is impossible to pin an actual figure. But suffice to say each time a change comes along, SEO services bear the brunt and more casualties are thrown on the pile.
Despite all this widespread panic however, one thing the world’s leading SEO services will all tell you is that now more than ever it’s perfectly possible to avoid Google’s axe landing squarely on the back of your neck.
Sure you have no say in what Google does and now will you be give any warning as to when it’s going to happen, but more than enough time has passed to identify a few patterns and habits you can guarantee will play a part in future updates.
Robots Don’t Rule All
If there’s one habit SEO Services warn that you must break right away, it’s creating your website with robots in mind. There are tons of ways you can optimise your site to give the robots just what they like, but they've not been trained to pick up these kinds of effort and punish them, rather than reward them. |
| [Image Credits: www.thehackernews.com/] |
The purpose of every single Google algorithm update do far has been to make Google’s searches better for the people that carry them out – a pretty strong clue as to who you should be writing for as time moves forward.
Keyword Quarrels
Here’s another biggie that’s causing chaos for some – more often than not the highest keyword density you’ll get away with these days is about 2% or less. Admittedly this has made it harder than even to get picked up for your keywords of choice, but as the same time stuff 2011’s average quota of keywords into you writing and chance are it will score negative points and see you worse off than when you started.Social Favor
Another clear pattern is the way in which Google and Co. are with every year that passes giving more and more favor to those sites that have a genuinely strong social media presence. And this doesn't just mean operating a basic Facebook page with your logo on – it means running a Facebook business page with plenty of dedication, networking around the clock and earning those all-important likes and backlinks.Common Sense
Above all else though, the best approach of all is one of simple common sense. If it feels like what you’re doing is trying to force results or is something you wonder if Google will hate, chances are it’s a risk not worth taking. By no, you know what works and what doesn't, what’s safe and what isn’t – basically you have a blueprint at your disposal and no excuses for falling victim next time an update rolls around.
Rocky JohnAbout the Author:
Rocky John Tayaban has got over 8 years of experience in search engine marketing. He has helped hundreds of SMEs from the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and the Philippines to improve their online presence, increase their brand awareness and generate more sales from their websites. Follow his tweets on Twitter @SmartOnlinePros.