It’s no secret that Google tweak their algorithms on a daily basis. Some algorithm changes are minor tweaks most people would never notice, others are huge humdingers that set the search world on fire.
There have been 2 recent algorithm changes that have done just that.
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Exact Match Domain
These are domains rank for the exact keyword search query, for example greenwidgets.com. We use these types of domains regularly in local search to target locations, e.g bluewidgetswidnes.co.uk
Matt Cutts, head of Google’s webspam team tweeted the warning last week
Personally, I haven’t noticed any major changes in local search with exact match domains (but then I don’t sit online watching closely either – just the ones that affect me or my clients!). If you have seen a change, let me know in comments.
On a wider scale, the search world lit up with discussions on who’s affected, why and exact match domain use going forward. Just to muddy the waters, Google later announced a Panda update had rolled out at the same time
Google Panda 20
The Panda algorithm looks at website quality. Are you providing a useful and user friendly experience? Having low quality pages can affect the search rankings of the whole site.
While Google hasn’t come out and said, “Do x, y and z and you’ll create a quality website” they have provided questions you should be asking yourself on their Webmaster Central blog in the past. Leaked Quality Rater Guidelines provide further insights, I found this image on Cognitive SEO.
Panda 20 started rolling out on 27th September, this is what Matt Cutts told Search Engine Land.
“Google began rolling out a new update of Panda on Thursday, 9/27. This is actually a Panda algorithm update, not just a data update. A lot of the most-visible differences went live Thursday 9/27, but the full rollout is baking into our index and that process will continue for another 3-4 days or so. This update affects about 2.4% of English queries to a degree that a regular user might notice, with a smaller impact in other languages (0.5% in French and Spanish, for example).”
Other Google Algorithm Updates
Google also announced 65 algorithm updates for August and September. There are several that directly impact local search:
LTS. [project “Other Ranking Components”] We improved our web ranking to determine what pages are relevant for queries containing locations.
nearby. [project “User Context”] We improved the precision and coverage of our system to help you find more relevant local web results. Now we’re better able to identify web results that are local to the user, and rank them appropriately.
#83406. [project “Query Understanding”] We improved our ability to show relevant Universal Search results by better understanding when a search has strong image intent, local intent, video intent, etc.
#81360. [project “Translation and Internationalization”] With this launch, we began showing local URLs to users instead of general homepages where applicable (e.g. blogspot.ch instead of blogspot.com for users in Switzerland). That’s relevant, for example, for global companies where the product pages are the same, but the links for finding the nearest store are country-dependent.
What does it all mean?
Here in the UK, Google dominate search – for many people Google IS the web. Between Google uk and .com they currently provide over 90% of the search volume in the UK. This year they have turned search on its head with the number of major changes to how search results are provided.
Search is changing. We have little choice but to play nice with Google and that means playing by their rules. We all need to switch our thinking:
- Have a website that provides information for users rather than bots
- Encourage trust with transparency, include your contact details don’t hide
- Instead of Google rankings, think online visibility and PR
But most of all, never rely solely on Google search traffic for your business – search is great but eggs in one basket isn’t a good business plan. Search, even local search is just one small part of good marketing mix.
Over to you…
Has your website been affected by any of the recent changes? Are you still using old techniques to rank your website?
Recent Google Algorithm Changes: Have You Been Bitten? by Jan Kearney
Grab your guide to local search and learn:
- What elements are important on your website
- How to set up your Google My Business Local Page
- How Google Plus can help you zoom past your competitors
- Two things you should not neglect if you want to rank in the local search pack
- How to power past your competitors and dominate your area
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Jan, thanks for the Google updates. It seems as if Google is making updates every week now. I also agree that putting out relevant good content for you audience should be your first priority. What other things do you do to generate traffic?
Hi Adrienne, thanks for popping in and taking the time to comment 🙂 Google tweak most days – they have over 500 changes in a year, it’s enough to make the mind boggle!
As for generating traffic… What I tell my clients is, “What would you do if Google didn’t exist?”
The key is to find where your audience hangs out, get a good feel for what they want to know, their problems, questions, passions. Then use that info – take part in the forums and groups, read and comment on the blogs they read. Write for the blogs and news sites they use. Build your email list and use it. Use your email sigs, business paperwork – invoices, letter heads, newsletters, info sheets and handouts. Put your content with a link back where your audience is – on and offline. Basically, pretend Google doesn’t exist and do something each day to promote your business and include a link back to your website.
Take a look at a post I did a couple of weeks ago that give you some ideas you can do online quickly and easily, the link is below 🙂
Hi Jan,
I’ve been monitoring this closely. I’ve used EMDs for some time now but only for support blogs for clients. Only one seems to have been affected but it’s only dropped 1 place (national search for quite a competitive keyword) and still above the fold on page one.
As this is a tweak and not a penalty I’m quite happy that it’s only dropped a place, luckily its a quality content blog. This small loss would therefore indicate that not a huge emphasis was placed on EMDs although locally the effect doesn’t seem to have happened as yet. For one of my own search terms an EMD (not one of mine) has held top spot for some months. It’s a one page website full of spelling and grammatical errors but no matter how I try I can’t knock it off the top spot. I’d rather hoped it would fall from glory after this update but as yet it’s holding on!
Hi Steve, a drop of one place can easily be some natural movement. It’s a shame about that rogue page hanging on in there – keep picking at it, it will fall 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
Hi Jan,
I never really bothered much with Google, specifically because they change their minds quite often, which has me needing to do something else to update my end to keep up with them.
I’d rather spend that time doing something more productive. So far, sales haven’t declined and maybe if I did pay attention to Google sales would be higher… but for now, I’m ok with staying out of their way. LOL
– Bonnie
Hi Bonnie, you’ve hit the nail on the head – we shouldn’t be chasing after Google changes, we’d never keep up anyway! Thanks for popping in and sharing your thoughts, I appreciate it 🙂
Hi Jan
Yours was the post of the day for me. I completely agree with you that you should not put all your eggs in one basket. I have not been affected by Googles newest update and as a fairly new blogger I’m very proud that one of my articles on getting your blog noticed just hit the first page of Google yesterday and that’s directly related to plying by their rules like you said and I have learn ed how to follow a more natural process of SEO.
I think as long as you make your website appealing and not add to many make money making links cloaked or not cloaked, and update your content fairly regularly. As long as your not trying to game the system and follow a more natural process of good SEO then you should not have to wory about any Google stomping updates.
Thanks for a your great post
Best,
Bart Nash
BartNash.com
Hi Bart, lovely to see you here 🙂 One could argue that any SEO is gaming the system – but I know exactly what you mean! You’re right of course, keep things natural. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I appreciate it.