SEO Landscape changing

By Howard Farmer • Feb 6th, 2009 • Category: SEO Advice

SEO Landscape

Is the SEO landscape changing? We are all familiar with the ever changing nature of the Google algorithm and we all take educated guesses at the factors involved. Of course, we are guessing as Google will NEVER reveal the real factors. So we have all followed the Pied Piper and used link exchange, directory submissions, article marketing, PR releases, social bookmarking and worse …. Google are acutely aware of these strategies and how it manipulates the SERPs. Their policy is to deliver the best possible results and try to negate the tactics employed by webmasters and SEO experts. Google can identify reciprocal link exchanges (& 3 way links), excessive directory submissions, etc and penalise paid links so DO NOT THINK THESE TACTICS WILL GIVE YOU THE SAME END RESULT in the future.

Google have freely introduced Google Analytics, Google toolbar but to what purpose? OK, they are no doubt useful products but what is the hidden agenda? Could they be used to monitor you own website for Google’s algorithm – you bet!

What determines a good website? If surfers revisit websites frequently, bookmark it, spend much time on the website, navigate deeply into the website and use the facilities / tools on the website then perhaps the website has something of value to visitors? On the other hand high bounce rates, little navigation of the site, wtc. then Google would be inclined to think poorly of the site. No wonder old domain names seem to get browny points – if they have survived and prospered for many years perhaps visitors appreciate them. Who said registering your domain name for 10 years was a waste of time? Commitment?? So Google can monitor the trends of real visitors via their free tools and use the data to update their algorithm accordingly!

So what should you be considering with your website? Content, content and more content. Not spun articles, spam, or ripped off material but memorable unique content. You have to provide what visitors want. So you need to be visitor driven – put yourself in their shoes, see it from their angle, and re-design the site if need be! What else? Provide good navigation, ease of use, tools, a “social community” and you will be in the driving seat.

Will the algorithm change overnight? Probably not – but the algorithm will change to reflect the new SEO visitor landscape. So be prepared, it may already be part of the landscape …