Common Sense SEO

There has been a fair amount of confusion across the internet about what works in the wake of Google Penguin's changes to search engine optimization and search engine results. I have seen any number of suggested steps to take that promise to reverse the effects of Penguin. For websites that took a serious kick from the update, I am sure that any kind of quick fix looks attractive, but it is probably a bad idea. Because I believe those kind of quick fixes it what prompted the changes in the first place.

I have a lot of respect for the Google model. I think they have the best interest of the searchers in mind, mostly, with a healthy dose of looking out for their own interests mixed in. They are pretty up front about that, so I don't get heartburn when the Google Plus posts show up higher than other items. Like me, Google is in business to make money.

But trying to constantly find ways around the Google algorithm changes will probably land your website in a circular path of constantly having to react to more changes. With somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 changes a year, Google doesn't exactly sit around twiddling thumbs. If you are trying to out-maneuver all of those changes, you are wasting a lot of time.

How much easier to just get in there and provide good content for your customers. Make sure the basics are in place and then just do the same thing over and over. You know, slow and steady wins the race. Basic blocking and tackling. Choose your favorite allegory and run with it, but if you are talking to your customers in a way that makes sense to them, well you should be attracting the right kind of attention.

Need some help with that? Contact me, I will be happy to write, edit or help you develop ideas for your website. 

What Did Google Do?

OK, I never have copied a blog from my website to this blog, but this is such a hot topic, I thought I would go ahead. Truth is, the Google v. Twitter thing entertains me even if it doesn't really concern me much. I don't think it is a major endpoint in the game either way. So, here's what I said on my website blog (www.DeppeCommunications.com).

Wow, is there ever a hot debate flowing across the web tonight about whether Google’s changes to its search engine results algorithm is a good thing, a bad thing, or an unimportant thing. Read Tempest in a Teacup on TechCrunch, a pretty down-the-middle assessment of the issue, or In Tiff With Google, Twitter Turns to Wrestling, Mashable’s look at how Twitter is fighting back. I’ve been enjoying the comments across Twitter and Google+ and learning how passionate people can be about their search results.

My take is this: Google is a part of our world. Over 60% of all searches take place on Google. Google+ was created as a way to enhance the social networking of Google users. Google is not stupid and they are in business to make a profit, just like Facebook, Twitter and, well, me. Of course they are going to help their Google+ users find more relevant results by adding in Google+ information to the results page. That makes sense to me. I think it is important that they set it up so that you can search outside of this model simply by searching from somewhere other than your Google+ account. So you can still get the usual results page, or you can go for the enhanced results page - your choice. 

Now, most SEO folks are acknowledging that this change will make it harder for us to do our jobs. But the constant evolution of Google does that anyway, in my opinion, and it forces me (at least) to stay informed. Combine that with the ever-changing rules at Facebook, Yahoo, Bing, Twitter....well, you get the idea.

And hey, if you have a Google+ account, please add me to one of your circles. You’ll find me at +DeppeCommunications. And if you don’t, I’d suggest you think about creating one, I think you are going to need it.