Google has paved their way through the crowd of search engines by doing everything that they can to ensure that their searchers are getting quality results. They’re able to do this by continuously updating their algorithms to eliminate low quality sites from the SERPs.
The latest update that Google rolled out is known as the Google Panda update. This particular one has caused a lot of controversy among the World Wide Web and many large websites (like eHow) have been knocked down in their search engine rankings.
You can either look at this as the end of the Internet or you can look at it as a learning experience. For those who want to run away scared, please do so now. This article is for those who want to learn more about how they can prevent being one of the websites deemed as a ranking disaster in the SEO world.
What the Google Panda Update Implemented
This update was just another step that Google took to assure that the low-quality websites flooding their search engine results pages weren’t the ones that would display first when their users entered their search terms.
There are tons of websites and blogs powered by duplicate content and content that simply doesn’t contain much of a value to its readers. Google wants to reward high-quality content with top rankings in its related keywords and this is exactly what they did when they rolled out this recent algorithm update.
Creating Panda-Friendly Content
Now that you know just how important having high-quality content is when it comes to having a good search engine ranking, let’s take a look at how you can craft “Panda-friendly” content.
1. Research the Topic Thoroughly
One thing that content farms are known for is providing articles that don’t have any research behind them. Many “authors” have written articles that are just simply a mix of words to make the search engines think that it’s high quality content when it’s not. Google is becoming smarter about revealing who has done their homework and who hasn’t.
2. Reach Out to Provide Value to Readers
Take a look from the readers’ eyes for a change. What would you expect from information about your particular topic? What can be done to make it even more informative and reader-friendly?
3. Avoid Repetition
Duplicate articles and content that uses only minor keyword variations is something that’s now penalized by Google. It’s no secret that using keywords that are just about the same and crafting some words around them used to gain ranking. These days are now over!
4. Create Content that Only An Authority Site Would Have
Google wants their top rankings for keywords to be authority sites that actually provide something unique and informational at the same time. Create compelling content that you would expect to see on authority websites like Mashable or CNN.
5. Have High-Quality Control Standards
Spelling mistakes and style errors are one of the things that Google has brought up in the Panda update. Many writers didn’t grasp the language that they were writing for and this led to a lot of junk in the search engines. We hate junk mail, why should Google enjoy junk content?
By following these 5 tips for Panda friendly content you’ll be on your way towards reaching a desirable search engine position. Let’s move onto the next part of this Google update.
What Google Panda Means for Link Building
Many webmasters have used tactics such as spinning articles and submitting them to hundreds, if not thousands of article directories in order to make Google think that they’re an authority site. This new update has put many of the article directories in a limbo as they lost their amount of power with Google.
It’s critical to aim for high-quality links and to produce nothing but a high-quality experience. This is one change in the way that search optimization is done and now only the strongest SEO experts in the field will continue to survive and rank websites in the top spots.
This new update is a miracle for many websites that strived to provide high-quality information but found their pages being ranked below poorly written webpages. For those who can’t adapt to the change it could be the worst thing that Google has done. What’s your take on the situation?
About the Author: Kristine Serran is currently working as an SEO Specialist for a reputable search engine optimization company, which offers a wide range of SEO services.