Google seems to have an identity crisis these days, constantly changing the requirements they have for websites they list. Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird have so many different things you need to take into account, it can be maddening. But before you hire a Fort Lauderdale SEO marketing firm to help you to get your website in order, it can help to sit down and understand the differences among these changes.
The newest of the three Google changes is Hummingbird. This is a search algorithm that helps Google to better categorize pages. It is designed to bring the high quality pages with relevant content to the top of search engine results while leaving rubbish at the bottom of the stack. To rank high with Hummingbird, you need to focus on quality and make sure when a person searches a term and clicks on a link to your website, they are receiving quite a bit of information.
Unless you work for a marketing firm, you are probably left thinking that was what Panda and Penguin already did. However, that isn’t exactly the case. For example, Penguin was more directed to manipulative links and how they were handled, rather than making a change to the general algorithm the company used. Panda in turn changed the rank associated with low quality websites and those light on information for a particular niche.
Hummingbird has also helped transform the Google search engine into a conversational search engine that focused more on how people speak and less on defined keywords. That means the search engine would look beyond hard keywords and explore phrases to give internet users better results for their searches.
However, there are different requirements and elements you need to take into account to maximize the impact you have online. While some business owners understand Google and how the changes directly affect their results, others are finding that using the services of providers like Fort Lauderdale SEO companies is an effective choice as they can deliver original, high quality website content that won’t negatively be impacted in Google.
Of course, the entire process is one that continues to evolve and expand over time. Penguin, for example, is at 2.1 right now and is penalizing websites that ignore the guidelines and use fraudulent tactics to boost their ranking. Panda is at version 4.0 right now and has helped make vast improvements to search engine results with continuous improvements that are less noticeable than when it was first released.
So what are the best practices to help you to avoid problems with Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird?
- Avoid duplicate content at all costs.
- Ensure there is value to each post you place on your website.
- Don’t pay for backlinks or use black hat exchange systems.
- Increase the value of all low-quality content.
- Improve the grammar, spelling and cohesiveness of the content on your website.
- Make certain every post answers the questions internet users have based on a topic when they perform a Google search.
- Avoid excessive advertising on your website, especially in text links.
- Verify that keywords are an appropriate match for the website and not designed to deceive an audience.
If you have been affected by any of these changes in Google, don’t fret. A professional Fort Lauderdale SEO company can review your website and show you some of the changes you can make. With a little effort, the damage can be reversed so you can recover from the hit and give users a better version full of quality information they can count on.