The past 18 months have been something of a nightmare scenario for internet marketers across the globe. Google have dramatically moved the goal posts, and performed several major updates in a bid to “improve” their search results for their customers, the searchers. The updates have been to try and eliminate and de-index spammy content, and to de-index sites providing poor quality spammy links. It has very much left the internet marketer scratching their heads wondering if doing SEO after Penguin update is at all worthwhile.
This is an important question, and as the dust settles, it seems that SEO is still vital to do, but it must be done in a different way. This article will describe some new ways to market, that at present, Google appears to accept. Remember, the dust is still settling, and it is still very early to have firm definites as yet.
The first thing you should refrain from doing, (if you have not already done so), is to stop excessive keyword stuffing and over using exact match anchor links. This is what appears that Google has been trying to eradicate, and really, it does make sense. Content and articles with spammed keywords does not make for pleasant reading, it is rubbish.
Secondly, it still appears ok to use blog networks, but try to vary your anchor text links, and attelmpt to use them in better context with what you are doing.
Thirdly, consider curating. Because there is so much information on the internet, the vast majority of it is mostly rubbish. If you can set up your blog posts and minor pages curating quality information from other sites, you are providing a great service to your visitors.
So consider the following:
1. Create a blog with a long tail keyword.
2. Introductory paragraph that outlines the blog post.
3. Copied quality text from another website (no more than 40%).
4. Backlink to the source and attribution.
5. Summary of the article, providing your opinion (makes the post unique).
6. Add images and video to spice it up.
Google appears to love this, you are changing your role of author, to one of curator, one who searches the internet for quality, relevant information, and then bringing it altogether in one place. You would be doing your visitors a big time saving favor by doing the work for them, and it will also help bring back those visitors as you continually increase and improve the information on your site.
The net effect of these long tail keywords, is that they may have a low volume search rate, but the keywords themselves should be highly motivated in that they are so specific to the solution the searcher is looking for. Therefore this low volume keyword will have a high conversion rate.
For example, compare the keyword ‘shoes’ to the long tail keyword ‘ladies white running shoes’. the second is more specific and far more likely to get the sale.
So, as the dust settles on the latest Google shake up, things are looking actually more promising and interesting than before. Instead of creating spammy content, now the focus is very much on creating the quality information that people are actually wanting. Doing SEO after Penguin update is still valid, but the way it will be done will be different, and with more thought involved.
J Parker is an experienced writer, currently writing for www.make-a-web-site.com.
Doing SEO After Penguin Update
