SEO, Google Algo Changes and Your Website’s Organic Results
Google is fast revolutionizing the face of SEO. It has almost vowed to take strict action against duplicate content and different types of web 
spam. The last year witnessed a range of Panda algorithmic updates, both major and minor. If your website gets its maximum share of traffic from Google, you should keep yourself abreast of the ongoing changes in the search ranking algorithm.
Most of the webmasters suffer from a feeling of apprehension, as to whether they would be able to survive the next algorithmic update by Google. They start shouting at even a slight indication of change in their website’s SEO, as an algorithmic update is announced.
Gear Up
Google only seems to expedite the process of algorithmic updates with the passage of time. If you paid some attention, you can easily remember the updates that Google launched last month. ‘Search Plus Your World’ rolled out on January 10. It updated its Panda algorithm with version 3.2 around January 18 while the ‘Page Layout Algorithm’ was announced on January 19. Such algorithmic changes show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
All you need to do is pay careful attention to every announcement that Google makes about a new change in its ranking algorithm. Don’t forget to confirm an update by checking out official resources (Google blogs).
SEO isn’t Spam, and It’s Not Dying Either
Officially, Google has always claimed that SEO is not spam or bad. After Google started the socialization of its organic search results, webmasters thought it was the death of good-old-fashioned SEO. No, SEO is not dying! All it means is that you can’t limit your SEO efforts to previous traditional tactics or best practices alone. You’ll now need to focus on many other things. It’s just the beginning of an era where SEO and social media marketing are getting intertwined intrinsically. But, does that weaken the title of SEO or make it only broader?
What to Do
SEO is continuously evolving. Since Google won’t miss to update its ranking algorithm at least 500 times every year, it only makes sense to plan out an effective strategy so that you can shield your website against any kind of sudden algorithmic update or a Panda smack down. Here are a few quick tips you can follow.
Don’t Panic – If you start to get panicky at each ranking algorithmic update or announcement by Google, you won’t be able to focus on the big picture.
Live up to the Expectations of Google – Get a clear idea of what a high quality website should look like or include. For more guidance on how to enhance the overall quality of your website, you can go through this post (published on Google Webmaster Central Blog).
Analyze Organic Traffic Trends – Analyze the organic traffic on a month-to-month basis. Most importantly, check out those periods where Google didn’t roll out any algorithm update. If your website’s organic traffic was impacted during that no-algorithm-update period, you might have some usability or other technical issues to focus upon.
Think Before Taking an Action – Don’t rush, as it won’t help. Whenever you notice a change in your website’s SEO, give it some time. Relax. Take all possible aspects of your website (including on-page and off-page) into consideration before arriving at any significant SEO decision.
Do you love Google’s Panda or Fear it? Please feel free to share your views on the changing face of SEO and how it impacts a site’s search rankings.
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"Ask Gerald" Gerald answers SEO questions on a monthly basis through his newsletter.
About The Author
Obaidul Haque
Obaidul works as an SEO manager handling client projects. He focuses heavily on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Marketing (SMM). Also a passionate blogger and freelance writer, he shares his insightful views regularly on HelloBloggerz . You can follow him on Google Plus or Twitter.21 Comments
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Google changes its algo so many times in a year….alternative is to promote your site in social media.
Janice recently posted..Tattooed Eyebrows
Twitter: hellobloggerz
February 13, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Absolutely right, Janice! Diversifying the sources of traffic is always the best piece of advice that you can use to survive the after-effects of algorithmic changes.
Thanks for your comment.
Obaidul Haque recently posted..Dealing with Google Search Rank Penalties
It’s interesting to see different changes come about with Google Search and how to optimize to increase rank. This is why SEO isn’t a science and is more of an art. Think outside the box and accept change with a positive attitude, it’s the only way to survive. Thanks for the article.
You need to promote your site in social media..Because a lot of times Google is changes..
Nancy recently posted..how to improve eye sight
Twitter: hellobloggerz
February 14, 2012 at 8:18 am
That’s right, Nancy!
hi, your opinion is right, but I think google should be more updated. Can you provide a software of google search engine??
Thanks
Jesse recently posted..online dating tips
I agree with your suggested ideas which are to be follow to make the site safer against any kind of sudden algorithmic update.
Twitter: hellobloggerz
February 14, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Glad that you liked the tips, Tessa!
These tips are very good.Thanks for sharing with us.
Twitter: hellobloggerz
February 15, 2012 at 4:48 am
Thanks for your visit.
Every time there is mention of a Google change or update I know a lot of people freak out and start checking all kind of stats. I don’t worry too much about the changes. I haven’t had a problem or anything noticeable with my sites, but I don’t do anything out of the ordinary either. I know some people try to get away with things that they shouldn’t, and perhaps it is some of them that see negative effects.
Ray recently posted..Ads Above the Fold Don’t Get Hit by the Google Hammer
Twitter: hellobloggerz
February 15, 2012 at 11:54 am
Though you should never freak out at the news of a Google algorithmic or Panda update, you should definitely keep a close watch on how things are changing. By keeping track of such changes, you can take appropriate action in time in case something bad happens to your website or blog.
Thanks for visiting, Ray!
Obaidul Haque recently posted..3 Steps to Obtaining Success with Your Online Business
The Google update is good, but there are still too much fraud in it all, many SEO firms have lots of blogs and Web sites which contains nothing important, which they then add a bunch of links in between there blogs and Google rank them high in the SERP.
Twitter: hellobloggerz
February 15, 2012 at 11:51 am
Yes, that’s exactly what Google is trying to fix. Websites or blogs that apply spam techniques or try to trick search engines need to get serious as quickly as possible. Search engines are getting smarter. They can sniff out anything that looks manipulative.
Smart SEO is all about making people as well as search engines happy.
Thanks for your comment, Marbella!
Twitter: Chris_help
February 15, 2012 at 12:14 pm
It seems like in the past, SEO was a much more cut and dry process. For example, any guy off the side of the street could come in, start article marketing, and call himself an SEOer–and he could likely produce decent results as well.
However, what the more recent changes in the last year or so have done I think is separate those with a one dimensional plan from those who have really dug in an performed the research–from those who are experimenting constantly with new ways to produce top results.
SEO will never die. It will just get more difficult and more specialized. And eventually that will weed out the guys who don’t really have a good idea of what they’re doing. Survival of the fittest.
Twitter: hellobloggerz
February 15, 2012 at 12:18 pm
very true, Chris!
Only spammers should be afraid of algorithm changes as Google is trying to bring better content in front of searchers. The holy grail of SEO remains the the same – good content.
I have practiced black and gray hat seo techniques and I was building sites like crazy to fight against Google changes as each time something got changed my sites got affected heavily.
Mike recently posted..Vocabulary Level E Answers
Promoting the website through social media is one of the best ranking factor of google…Google loves it..:)
I agree that SEO will always be necessary to an extent, but my worry is that Google is really changing up everything with how much of an emphasis it is placing on PPC. It seems that the screen just keeps shrinking all the time for sites to rank organically. Even the number 1 ranking may be at the bottom of the page after the PPC ads, local results, etc. It is an exciting time to be a part of all of this, but I am hoping that Google doesn’t make it impossible for anyone without extremely deep pockets to compete.
Chris recently posted..Guest Post: Homeowners Rebate Repeal of Affidavit
Google algorithm always change and occurs many updates and I would agree with what other comments stated about the alternative solution when this occurrence happen promoting one’s site in social media that is so easy and absolutely less worries of fees.
What really makes me laugh is that people are still trying to get their anchor text into blog comments that make no sense