Google Nightmares!
Algorithm changes that will keep you up at night! (Audio/Webinar about this blog post)
If you are an internet marketer or trying to get better results for your website through search engine optimization, I’m sure you have a love / hate relationship with Google. Google and the changes they have made in the last 5 years have kept me up at night. In 2010, Google made 500 changes to their search algorithm. If I did my math right, Google is changing their method of displaying results organically every 18 hours. I love Google for the business it brings our customers, for the business it brings us, and I use it myself for everything. Especially now that I use Chrome – the address bar is my Google search, so I just type something right in and away we go on a Google search. I’m beginning to hate Google at times for what it’s taking away for organic search or the direction is it going with some of their algorithms. In the last 10 months, Google has made a TON of changes and now gives me weekly nightmares!
Dreaming about Google and work probably is a sign that I’m obsessed. Sometimes I solve problems in my sleep that actually are legit solutions and other times I have dreams that leave me shaking in my sheets. I love the challenge, I am obsessed, but I’m also a firm believer in what the internet can do for a company and I want you on board and buying into the strategies.
In the spirit of Halloween, haunted houses, and crazy corn mazes – I thought I’d share some of the major changes Google has made in the last couple of quarters so you can have nightmares about Google tonight!
A couple good resources / references for additional reading and further explanation and Halloween humor:
- Search Engine Land (Full details on algorithm updates came from here. Thank you!)
Google has 2 different types of “Actions”.
- Manual – Someone at Google has reviewed your site and “decided to issue a penalty against it.” ie.) Google penalty against JC Penney. You will get notices in Google Webmaster Central if you have this set up for your website.
- Algorithmic Actions – Google’s automated algorithm that affects ranking, this would include changes or filters to Google’s list of 200+ signals. Some of their “big” changes or filters have caused havoc in the search engine optimization world.
Some of algorithmic actions are:
- Invasion of the Google Panda – (Feb 2011 & Rolled out 20 time since then). Designed to fight sites with poor quality content. Panda (image credit)
- Elimination of the Top Heavy – (Jan 2012, October) It’s no longer your advantage to be top heavy. This filter prevents sites with “top heavy ads” from ranking well. Top Heavy
- Attack of the Penguin – (April 2012, 3 Updates) The Penguin updates was designed to get rid of web spam, by hitting sites that were buying links to boost rankings for their website. Penguin
- Robbed by Thieves. (August 2012) This hasn’t affected too many people in the industrial marketplace, but might be something worth looking further into. This penalty has to do with copyright complaints. Pirate
- Clone Killer. (September 2012) Designed to hit sites that were getting artificial rankings for exact match domains or keyword domains. EMD
A couple other major changes online that has affected some people in the industrial marketplace.
- Google Shopping going to all paid – Free Shopping Listings Disappearing
- What is displayed above the fold on Google, organic results pushed way down.
- Google Analytics data shifting from people logged into Google Account, using Safari on a Tablet, etc.
- Competing with the big guys. Amazon getting 30% of searches for people wanting to buy. Checkout the industrial section of Amazon.
- Lack of visitors or qualified traffic from vertical search engines or directories.
- Attention span of end users or the type of information they are now expecting.
- Changes with social media and the latest requirements of Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
Designed by Ecreativeworks
Thank you for sharing this very informative post. All internet marketers should be well aware of the changes taking place in this field or they will have to face the consequences for being uninformed. And as you say, they will have the nightmares in trying to find a fast and proper solution.
Comment by Mark Weyland — November 19, 2012 @ 3:05 am