Why We're Focussing Too Much On Panda And Penguin

As a community, we webmasters and SEOs have been focusing far too much on SEO lately. Apart from anything else this has simply been dull as hell for anyone who reads about the subject regularly.

Every other article it seems has Panda in the headlines and it really is starting to get old.

But that's not the only reason this is bad news…

Another reason not to keep banging on about these two algorithm changes is that it can distract us from the real problems, and that it can lead to a lot of whining and not a lot of action. Read on to find out why we need to forget about these changes and start focusing on looking forward…

An External Locus of Control

The first reason that we need to forget about Panda and Penguin, is that there's nothing we can do about it. Sure we can adapt, but just whining all the time isn't going to alter the status quo. The point is that Panda and Penguin have happened. They're not going to be undone, they're here to stay, and there's nothing we can do about it. Move on.

Constant Change

Another problem with focusing too much on Panda and Penguin is the fact that they're constantly changing. The situation that Google is in right now has been described by some as 'permaflux'. In other words, the algorithm is constantly shifting and altering and never staying the same: ultimately it's no good trying to second guess what's going to happen, or changing your entire strategy to react to changes… because it could all be completely new again in a short amount of time.

Image Credits: lerablog.org

The focus should be on making your website better for the visitor - not on chasing ghosts. And that's what Google is constantly trying to tell us. The other problem is that when many people attempt to adapt to the changes - with the best of intentions as well - they often miss the mark and end up creating more mistakes.

The most common mistake is to completely throw out all of their old SEO strategies and to focus completely on a new flavor of the month. That might mean RCS (real company stuff), it might mean guest posting, or it might mean link baiting and Google+.

Ultimately though, committing too fully to any new SEO strategy is always going to be a risk because it will be easy for Google to spot patterns. And when they do, they'll know that you're trying to manipulate the system again and you'll be similarly punished.

The correct response is to try and create a natural looking links profile that doesn't show any signs of 'trying too hard'. It's to create great content of course, and it's to try and generate organic links wherever possible. The point then, is that if you're focusing too much on Panda and Penguin, you're focusing on the wrong thing and you're somewhat missing the point. Forget those animals and start focusing on the people.

Keith Terrell

About the Author:

This post has been contributed by Keith Terrell. His company Orp Media specializes in search engine optimization services. He enjoys watching action flicks and documentaries based on historic events.