Google’s algorithm updates are a regular concern for SEO experts. It’s the love/hate relationship at the center of their efforts to achieve and maintain high rankings for their clients’ businesses.
Most businesses have been able to bounce back from negative hits resulting from algorithm updates. But recently they’ve faced a new challenge: extended rollouts.
Rather than having to navigate one update, they must now face extended ones that can wreak havoc on their search results.
But there are ways you can avoid the effects of an extended rollout on your business. The following outlines the new problem businesses face and the ways they can stay on top of their search rankings.
Extended Rollouts
The latest Penguin 3.0 update in October was unique. Rather than being a new algorithm as in previous cases, Penguin 3.0 was considered a “refresh” to address some of the issues Google was having with its previous Penguin update.
In order to improve the results they offer to users, Google implemented this update as an extension of what was already in place, and businesses were left confused when their search results began to show unexpected movement.
In addition, businesses and SEO experts faced a new challenge. It was confirmed that a Panda update had been implemented during the rollout of Penguin. This led to even more unease in the online marketing world and fear of negative impact to their SEO efforts.
Effects of New Updates
The effects were seen on sites that had been affected by Google’s Panda update, but not by Penguin. Many wondered what the exact cause was in order to effectively address the situation.
Between Panda, Penguin, and Pirate, there was now the possibility that three updates were being implemented simultaneously. Businesses now face the reality that Google will do this as a way to analyze their results and tweak the algorithms as needed.
What to Do
The good news is that the concerns associated with this type of extended rollout can be eased by following some key steps in your SEO efforts.
The first step is to analyze your site for potential weaknesses. By uncovering issues and addressing them now, your business can maintain its search results in the face of future algorithm updates.
Implement a system for tracking any search changes. This is fundamental to your SEO efforts and should be consistently implemented. Most businesses have a dedicated spreadsheet with all of the relevant information to allow them to track any changes.
You can also use Google Webmaster Tools to gather monthly data that helps you recover from any negative impact on your rankings. This includes your link profile, which should be assessed regularly to eliminate any unwanted inbound links.
Future algorithm updates are inevitable. But facing extended rollouts is a new challenge that businesses must face. Ultimately, the updates seek to favor high-quality content that is most useful to users. But creating quality content isn’t enough.
By analyzing your site on a regular basis, tracking all of the results, and maintaining an ideal link profile, you can keep your business on top of the search results pages.
Has your business faced any challenges in the face of extended updates? How have you been able to avoid any negative impact to your search results? Let us know in the comments below.
