3. The Google Penalty Algorithm
Photoshop credit: Kevin Madden
• Farmer
• Panda
• Ads Above Fold
• Link Networks
• Parked Domains
• Over Optimization?
• Penguin
• Exact Match Domains
RT @RyanJones It’s time we stop thinking
about algorithm updates as “penalties” and
ask how we can benefit from them.
Google makes over 350 changes to
their algorithm EACH YEAR!
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@RyanJones
5. Good SEOs get hit by Algorithm Changes.
Great SEOs benefit from them.
Algorithm Change
RT @RyanJones Good SEOs get hit by Google algorithm
changes. Great SEOs benefit from them.
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@RyanJones
6. “A good hockey player plays where the puck is.
A great hockey player plays where the puck is
going to be. – Wayne Gretzky
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@RyanJones
7. “Good SEOs optimize for Google today. Great
SEOs optimize for Google of the future. – @RyanJones
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@RyanJones
8. “So What will the Google of the future
actually look like?”
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@RyanJones
9. “The Future of Search Is Verbs”
- Bill Gates
Searchers want to accomplish a task. Google rewards
sites that help searchers do something. Does your site
help users accomplish a task?
RT @RyanJones It doesn’t matter how many links you
have if your site is crap.
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@RyanJones
10. Don’t Ask: Do Ask:
“How Can I Rank For “What does somebody
___?” searching ___ want?”
You’re Doing It Wrong
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@RyanJones
11. Stop Chasing The Algorithm. Start
Chasing Visitors!
RT @RyanJones “Make decisions based on visitors and KPIs, NOT algorithm
changes.
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@RyanJones
12. Focus On The User
Google’s efforts are focused on the user.
So why are your efforts focused on Google?
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@RyanJones
13. YOU Aren’t the Typical Google User
Reminder: We (Marketers) are NOT Google’s main customer.
Most Google Searchers have NEVER heard of:
• Link Wheels
• Paid Links
• Xrumer/Scrapebox
• Link Directories
• Content Scraping
• Black Hat or Negative SEO
And they don’t care about. They care about QUALITY.
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@RyanJones
14. This Is a Typical Google Searcher
Maybe your cat stares because you keep winking at it?
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@RyanJones
15. “Jones, you’re full of shit. You sound
like a Google PR person. I have great
content and my site doesn’t rank.
- Somebody At The Breeze Bar Tonight
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@RyanJones
16. Make Your Site Unique
Vital. Useful. Relevant. Not Relevant. Spam.
Source: Leaked Google Quality Rater Guidelines
RT @RyanJones Google isn’t biased
toward brands, customers are.
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@RyanJones
17. Differentiate & Add Value. Quality is Sustainable.
HOW? Be that Vital result
Freshness
Better User Experience If people don’t find your
Better Content site when they search,
Most Popular they should think that
Schema.org search is broken.
Rel=author
Unique Content
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@RyanJones
18. How Do You Measure Quality?
• Bounce Rate
• Time On Site
• Conversion Metrics (KPIs, LFAs, Revenue)
• Referring sites
• Do people click those links you’re building?
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@RyanJones
20. Practice Sustainable Linking Practices
Internal Link Structure:
Bad: The Apple way:
www.company.com/2012/widgets/ www.apple.com/ipad/
www.company.com/2013/widgets/
External Links:
If the link isn’t sending traffic, it’s not sustainable.
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@RyanJones
21. Quit Blaming Your Suck On
Panda/Penguin/Google
3.1%
Percent of Queries
Affected By Penguin
Source: seroundtable.com survey Source: Google
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@RyanJones
22. @RyanJones
Manager – SEO Analytics
SapientNitro
www.SapientNitro.com
www.RyanMJones.com
THANK YOU
Pubcon Las Vegas 2012
Slides Online at www.RyanMJones.com
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@RyanJones
Editor's Notes
Lots of people react to Google algorithm changes. This isn’t sustainable SEO. Contrarty to popular belief.
When one site gets penalizes, another benefits
When people search they’re usually trying to accomplish a task. Google wants to reward sites that can help them do that. The quicker and easier, the better. All the links in the world won’t matter if users don’t find your site useful.
Search for ‘pad thai’ – I’m going to click the result with the picture and the star ratings.