Learned about a brand new upgrade to Google’s organic search ranking algorithm? Don’t panic! Columnist Ryan Shelley shares his tips for responding to these updates in a calm and constructive manner.
The only constant in the world of SEO is change. In fact, Google is reported to change its search algorithm around 500 to 600 times annually. While most of these updates are small and frequently are picked up by users and Search Engine Optimization, every once every so often, Google releases major updates.
Over the past two years we’ve found about nine important upgrades to the algorithm.
Early in my career, I enable me throw into a panic and would read post after post.
But not anymore. Nowadays, I have three simple guidelines I use to help make sure I don’t overreact — and that I do make the perfect move for my site and my clients.
1. Don’t panic
Important algorithm updates can be trying, I get it. So panicking about something we know little about, notably in the beginning, is really a waste of energy and time. Let’s take the most recent Penguin upgrade, for example.
With the launch of Penguin 4.0, Google did share advice about the update via the Google Webmaster Central Blog.
Penguin is now real time.
Penguin is more granular.
Before knowing this advice, many speculated what this update would bring. If you started trying to “guess” what was coming and panicked about the upgrade, you likely did a lot of unnecessary stressing. So when you learn an important upgrade is looming, don’t panic.
2. Wait to respond
After relaxing and not panicking, the next thing to do is wait to react. That could be squandered work, although it can be tempting to go out and make changes to your site or procedure. More often than not, in case you are doing Search Engine Optimization the right way, your website was probably not impacted negatively (and you could even find a boost).
Google is on a mission to provide the best replies to their users. That’s why they are continuously altering their algorithm to push webmasters to create better sites, encounters and content. These updates are around more than merely messing with SEOs. Actually, Google considers SEO is significant. What they wish to destroy is blackhat SEO webspam.
Before overreacting to an algorithm update, I recommend you wait a day or two or even weeks to see the impact on your own website or websites. Make a note of where you’re at the beginning and compare the metrics after a couple of weeks. When it’s time to make changes if your website seems to be affected, that’s.
3. Read credible sources and make adjustments where necessary
So you understood you must make some adjustments, waited to find the impact and ’ve not panicked.
Reading and assessing the Google Webmaster Blog is a fantastic place to start. Read over any information they’ve posted, and look at what the update was meant to target. If your site was reach, it’s probably these are the things you should work on. If you still need more, Search Engine Land has a number of columnists and great staff writers who cover all the algorithm upgrades very well.
Let’s take a look at the other recent upgrade, Possum, as we did previously. While Google never wrote about this update on their Webmaster Blog, there was enough shake up in the local results to activate the Search Engine Optimization community.
It can be quite unnerving when these sorts of changes are made without direct entrance to the algorithm from the team at Google. This is where we have to rely on other specialists. Columnist Joy Hawkins did an amazing research-based piece on Possum, what you should look for as a SEO or website owner and where she shared the upgrade five things that were impacted by the update. Since Hawkins examined the impacts and put in the hard work, you can be pretty sure that her insights are right on.
The key here is this: when Google doesn’t give you the dysfunction, simply go to sites that have credibility. There are many out there who do things that can help you get short term consequences but crush your site’s long-term viability in the end.
Be sure to make one change at a time, when making adjustments after an upgrade to your site. That way, have a better idea of what’s actually going on and you can see the impact of the adjustment.
Final thoughts
Major algorithm updates can be terrifying. But in case you are doing SEO right — like creating good, user-focused content and earning links from credible and niche -specific websites — you should be fine. If you’re spinning content and buying links Google is after you.
If you are alerted of a major update, remain calm, wait to see the impacts and make adjustments that are considered if desired. We do know their assignment, which will be to provide the most accurate reply in the shortest amount of time, although we may not know all the factors Google uses to rank. Concentrate on their needs and your users, and over time you’ll reap the benefits.
