…and when we say “panda”, we mean Google Panda.  About a year ago, Google changed the world of search engines by introducing what they dubbed the “Google Panda”.  The large, cuddly black and white bear that many internet markets used to love has now become their worst nightmare.  The purpose of “Panda” is to crack down on “content farms”, something which a lot of shoddy internet marketing firms counted and depended on to get a higher ranking on search engines, like Google. Content farms are essentially cheap and low quality sites that offer a ton of useless, garbage articles that are of little to no value.

Google’s number one goal these past few years is obvious: they want their search engine to not only bring up relevant results, but they want their search engine to be intuitive enough to bring up the BEST results possible. They want their user’s search experience to be a good one, which is a pretty smart move. After all, would so many people be using Google if all they did was bring up horrible and useless sites as answers to your problems?  This is exactly why several search engines that were moderately popular in early years of 2000 went down – their search results offered nothing but trash sites with no value.

So keyword spamming was taken off the table.  Useless content was taken off the table.  A lot of internet marketing firms have started to feel pressure and panic since they now have to go back to square one and learn about fair SEO practices.  Google’s official blog offered one simple piece of advice to everyone who wants to have a good search rank:

“Search is a complicated and evolving art and science, so rather than focusing on specific algorithmic tweaks, we encourage you to focus on delivering the best possible experience for users.”

And that is what you should do.

Also, check out our free eBook, “25 Simple Ways to Generate More Customers.”

What Google is Looking For

So let’s break down that rather simplistic statement.  What’s Google really looking for when you create an article or a website?  Here’s some of what Google says that we should ask ourselves:

  • Would you trust the information that’s presented in this article or site?
  • Is the article written by someone who has knowledge on the topic, like an expert or an enthusiast?  Or is it “shallow in nature”?
  • Is the site loaded with “duplicated, overlapping, or redundant articles” on the same or similar topics?  Are the keywords only slightly varied?
  • (Here’s a question I really liked): Would you feel comfortable giving your credit card information to this site?  If the answer’s “no”, then you know what to do.
  • Is the site or article loaded with spelling errors, stylistic errors or even factual errors (take note of the date the article was written, as “facts” can change!)
  • When you look at the article, ask yourself: Was this article written for the people who visit the site?  Or was it written for a search engine?
  • Is the content original?  Or is the reporting, analysis or research original?
  • Are both sides of the story presented in the article?
  • Is the site one that is recognized as being some sort of an “authority” on the topic?
For more on how to optimize your website for Google, check out our FREE eBook called “Google’s Latest Algorithm Change Hates Your Website.”

What Does this Mean for Your Content?

If you have content on your site, reading some – if not all – of the questions that Google asks us to ask ourselves will help you determine the quality of the content on your site.  These questions are what will help you keep on track when it comes to producing content, and will helpfully inspire you to create content that’s worthwhile.

This is where a lot of businesses have asked about different SEO practices that were used, and are still used, in order to gain a higher ranking.  Keyword stuffing is a practice that is still unfortunately commonly seen.  If that gets by Google, shouldn’t I just do that instead?  Simply put, if you keyword stuff, Google will find you.  Maybe not today, but soon.  And if you are a constant abuser of keyword stuffing, then you’ll be removed from Google’s search engines forever.  Stop and think about if the risk is worth it.

Key Takeaways

  • Gone are the days when shoddy content ruled the internet.
  • Websites with quality content are awarded by Google Panda.
  • “Panda” awards sites that have quality content by placing them higher in search engines.

Need Help?

If search engine optimization is something you are interested in but are having trouble getting started, contact us today to schedule your free marketing analysis!