Google's recently updated search algorithm nicknamed Panda is here to stay. Most businesses are having to make adjustments to achieve the desired online search rankings since the algorithm's launch. Here are some guidelines for the new Panda era:
Clean your own house first. The whole reason behind Panda is to improve the quality of Google's search results. To do this, Google is demanding that websites produce quality content that is useful, accurate, authoritative, current and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Objectively ask yourself:
Can visitors easily find their way around?
Is it the topic of each page obvious?
Is the content original? Is there unnatural or overused language?
Is the primary focus either user needs or business goals?
Does the content answer the search query better than other pages on the web?
New content, new strategy. Consider how your business can better provide high quality, useful content moving forward. This may require trying some new channels you have previously avoided until now. If your company is already producing regular blog posts and whitepapers that draw quality traffic, perhaps now is the time to consider video, webinars and/or podcasts. When planning website content, look carefully at:
Bounce rate, visit times and percentage of return visitors on page/site.
Number of quality inbound links or mention of quality social media links to a page/site.
Be social, but smart. If you haven't been taking proper advantage of social media until now, it's time to start. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are three excellent places to start, but they are only the beginning. Be mindful of the relationships you pursue, because the Panda algorithm will judge your business by the quality of the relationships you're able to build. That much hasn't changed. What has changed is the premium value Panda puts on today's content, and how it's distributed.