I am sure you are asking the famous million dollar question what is the Google Panda update! I am sure that you may have heard about it for some time
As many search engine analysts and gurus spend hours or days trying to crack the mystic code of search engine analysis in which Google defines, the “Oracles of Search” offer their opinion of the update or what they believe they know about it. Well, I am going to tell you the facts, just as Joe Friday from Dragnet always did. “Just the Facts ma’am.”
Google Panda Defined
For some time, Google had been working on a algorithm that examines the quality of the content along with looking at how well or if users are engaged with the content. The Google Panda Algorithm was released February 24th, 2011. Content quality is determined basically by coming up with various methods to review the information being indexed by the Google spider for inclusion in search based on how relevant Google believes the content is based on the particular term or phrase you are searching for. As to what those various methods might be you ask? Well, I will share with you such methods over time.
How to Rank on Google Today
Well I will give you a simple answer that requires work, however the fact is this. Google wants websites to bring unqiue value to the web, so for example, if you search for the phrase “how to make french toast”. you could get an estimated 2.5 millon results. Now, honestly, do you really need 2.5 millon results to tell you how to make french toast? Google realizes it must follow the “KISS” method.(Keep It Simple Stupid) Google needed to find a way to display quantifyable results to users who are searching for something.
Gone are the days in which backlinking and proper article writing along with massive syndication! Don’t misunderstand, those things are still important, but Google is now adding the value of social media into its ranking algorithm. How well users engage with the content by sharing and commenting will now play a role in your ranking efforts!
You have been hit by a Google Panda Update, Now What!
All Google is trying to do is find a way to evaluate search results the same way users do! To be perfectly honest, you should be able to tell intuitvely if the content you are producing is valuable to some degree and that users stand a chance of interacting with such content. But if you have seen a difference in user visits to a site over a period, like a major drop in user presence and interaction, you may have suffered a karate kick from the Google Panda. Here are some tips that may help you:
1. Remove the content entirely – this course of action should only be viewed as a last resort. (figured I give you the worst case scenerio first!)
2. Improve your content –Design your page with the user in mind, put yourself in other peoples shoes. What would you be searching for and how would you interact on a page, and what on a site or page would catch your eye to start that interaction
3. Utilize Analytics. – Utilize Analytics methods such as Google Analytics to measure “user engagement,” Check your page bounce rate which is the rate people stay on a page before they leave. Once you find your answers you can utilize steps 1 or 2 above!
Look, my recommendations may be obvious, but it is fact many people do not follow these steps. Now you can start today, you now have the ammo to move forward! As new updates come out I will post them here to allow you to be first to know and take action to be friends with Google’s Panda.
Hope this helps you, and stay tuned for future updates!