Last month, Google changed. You may not have noticed it, but some websites couldn’t have missed it if they tried. Forbes reports that 85% of search engine rankings were lost for PR Newswire, PRLog, and other selected websites. In an attempt to improve users’ experience on the web, Google modified its algorithms as part of the 4th Panda update. What does this mean to you? Could your company’s website have taken a hit?
What Exactly is “Panda”?
In the Panda 4 update, Google changed the way it sorts through websites, meaning that it changed its algorithms. With this change, it removed high rankings from websites that re-posted others’ content. Essentially, Google was trying to improve their users’ experience by giving greater access to unique, quality content.
Has My Company Been Affected?
If you don’t re-use old documents already available online, your business’s website is likely safe. However, this should serve as a wake-up call. Google won’t stop updating its algorithms, and as it continues to weed out the great content from the less-than-wonderful, your company’s web presence could take a hit in the near future.
What’s Next?
While we can’t exactly predict Google’s next target, we can grasp the theme of their algorithm updates: Google is working to promote quality content. So now that you know that the pandas are on the prowl, take a moment to consider whether your website could suffer any consequences. Devise a strategy to keep your company’s blogs timely and updated. Avoid plagiarizing. Ensure that your website is dynamic and user-friendly. If you need to re-evaluate your current content strategy, consider hiring a qualified team like the people at WEBii to take on the responsibility.
Panda was bad news for some websites. And in the long run, the frequent and ongoing updates to Google’s algorithm could certainly hit your company’s web presence, and ultimately, its bottom line. But if you heed the warning signals and take the cue to keep your company’s web presence engaging and authentic, you may be on the right track and remain unaffected. In fact, you might benefit from the trim down of your competitor’s content if you continue to supersede them with your expert content.
