Google
is refining its search quality frequently. Hence, search metrics that a website
can pass through is becoming tougher and competitive. After Google Panda
update, many websites dropped in its search ranking and lost a huge amount of
traffic. It’s becoming a very difficult to maintain traffic and search rankings.
Why Google is so desperate to introduce new update in algorithm?
Before Panda:
Google
is trying to include new parameters or metrics to evaluate a website standard.
Previously it was just page rank algorithm and back Link concept that decided a
website’s visibility. Google relied on traditional search quality tactics to
measure a website. Hence, SEO guys were rocking with all white, grey and black
hat techniques. They submitted the website links everywhere on the web they
can. They did much tricky stuffs that absolutely dribbled search bots and got
the exact results that they were planned to. A few of those tricks were:
- Keyword Stuffing
- Hidden texts with links
- Doorway pages
- Content duplication
- Aggressive Link Submission
- Link Exchange
- Paid Link Services
- Blog networks
- Parked Domains
Many
other tricks and techniques helped these websites to beat the search algorithm
so easily. It was cakewalk job for SEO guys to place a brand new website into
#1 position in search engine results within a month or two. There were certain
services that intentionally selling back links with a minimal cost to increase
visibility. Hence, at particular point
of time, SEO was all about submissions. In between, they even started BOMBING. People appointed to monitor respective
competitors and started de-promoting these competitors. These smart boys were
totally mixed the search results according to the wish.
Therefore, the result was quiet predictable.
Websites that hired SEO services was placed on the top results of Google for
their targeted keywords regardless of the quality of service. Even many spam websites that just manipulated
certain parameters in such a way that they can rank well on search engine
within a short period. Eventually, Google’s search quality had started
reducing. All the qualified websites were left down on the search rankings. It
became a big head ache to Google in terms of quality of their service.
Solution:
Google
wants to reduce the importance of back link concept to crack down spam results.
Hence, Google search quality team started thinking to find other parameters
that can substitute the back link concepts. Finally, they decided to go for
user centric approach. How a user land up a webpage and whether they like the
page or not, are they spending more time on the site or not etc.
Later,
they listed out certain points that make a normal user happy and hence they will
stick with the service. It’s very common belief that if the service of a
website is fantastic, then users will find them so easily and will stick with
the service for a quiet long time. Even in terms of Google search algorithms
also, they decided to go with a user’s point of view. They created many other
parameters that can ensure user’s belief and collided into a single term called
“Panda”.
Result:
Panda affected websites |
- Many websites experienced a sudden drop in their organic search traffic
- Lost Page Ranks and Keyword Rankings
- Found many of the low quality websites
- Websites with much advertisement lost its importance
- It changed the definition of SEO
- Penalized paid blog networks
- Increased importance of Social Media Involvement & mentions
- Websites those who were into a business/service since very long time got advantage in terms of SERP rankings
Now What Next for SEO?
Since,
search metrics are changing frequently, web marketers has to step very
carefully. At present, whatever they do online, can also influence their work.
Submitting your links on many websites and driving traffic is not going to work
out much and all SEOs should find out a new way to tackle this situation.
However, all hope is that Google will surely support those who believe in “white
hat”. So happy SEO…