With all the Google search algorithm changes, you will never know when and where your site will appear in Google search results. According to Google’s John Mueller, the search engine giant rolls out hundreds of  SEO updates to its core algorithm throughout the year. Nothing scares more than the unknown. There were times, when we knew menace by sight, we were given a heads up on upcoming updates and knew how to recover from them.  Now Google search is frequently invaded by a legion of search algorithm updates, which are like Agents Smith who keep order within the google search ecosystem by eliminating SEO threats assumed to be coming from humans’ never-ending desire to implement black and grey-hat SEO techniques. Welcome to the Google Search Matrix.

What is a Google Search Algorithm Update?

Google Search Algorithm Updates were originally designed as filters to track down and penalize websites that flooded search results with low-quality content, link spam or which provided a poor user experience. In the course of time, Google changed its manner of rolling out updates. As a result, some of the algorithm changes run on a real-time basis, others are integrated into the core ranking algorithm with no new refreshes or public announcements on new updates from Google.

There have been so many SEO updates released by Google over the last 15 years, that you might get confused.

Google Updates Related to Content Quality

November 2003 – FLORIDA UPDATE. This was one of the most noticeable updates that blew out the high rankings of some e-commerce sites and product affiliates like a hurricane. A lot of websites lost their top rankings and even disappeared from the search index itself. Among the key aspects of the Florida Update were:

• The SEO filter that was activated when the over-usage of search terms was detected;
• Stemming which helped to rank websites based on the matches to the search terms.

February 2004 – BRANDY UPDATE. This update resulted in the expansion of Google’s index, a better understanding of context and the consideration by Google of synonyms of search query terms. There was also an increased focus on anchor text relevance and close attention was paid to your backlink neighborhood quality.

May 2010 – MAYDAY UPDATE. As a precursor to the Panda Update, it penalized a lot of websites for using thin content.

February 2011 – The beginning of the PANDA era. The first Panda Update targeted websites which provided low-quality, thin and duplicate content.  Panda 1.0 affected 12% of search queries. Since then, this most important content-quality update has survived 26 tweaks and refreshes. The last update made Panda part of the core algorithm.

August 2013 – HUMMINGBIRD UPDATE. This content-quality SEO update was aimed at understanding a searcher’s intent and the context behind a search query. Made up of more than 200 SEO factors which affect both ranking and search, Hummingbird was designed to deal with conversational and voice search queries which are mostly popular on mobile devices. The update gave a boost to semantic SEO.

Google Updates related to Links Quality

April 2003 – CASSANDRA UPDATE. Cassandra was the first Google Update designed specifically to filter link spam. These were hard times for websites that built links from co-owned domains and hid links and text in order to manipulate their rankings.

May 2003 – DOMINIC UPDATE. The SEO community assumes that this update changed the way Google counted backlinks.

January 2005 – NOFOLLOW UPDATE. These were rainy days for black-hat SEOs and webmasters as Google, in cooperation with Microsoft and Yahoo, introduced the nofollow attribute in order to fight with spam.

September-October 2005 – JAGGER UPDATES. Google rolled out this series of SEO updates to filter low-quality link schemes, like paid links, reciprocal links and links built with the help of link farms. The updates took 3 months to fully roll out.

April 2012 – The beginning of the PENGUIN era. Google initiated a war against link spam. Penguin 1.0 affected 3,1% of English search results. Over-optimization, spam links, keyword stuffing were the reason of website penalization.  The next major and heavyweight Penguin Update (2.0) was rolled out in May 2013 and affected 2,3% of search queries.  On September 2016, Google released a real-time Penguin 4.0 Update and backed it into Google’s core algorithm. The key difference of Penguin 4.0 was that it re-indexed and re-evaluated sites in real time, demoting only specific pages with spam signals on them.

Google Updates related to Mobile Search Quality

April 2015 – MOBILE-FRIENDLY UPDATE. Dubbed as Mobilegeddon, the Mobile-Friendly update was not actually a penalty update, it just favored those websites with better rankings which were SEO friendly on mobile screens. Optimizing for mobile search has become paramount, and tools like the Website Audit can ensure your site is fully optimized for mobile users, addressing the critical factors that influence mobile search ranking.

Google Updates related to Local Search Quality

October 2005 – LOCAL MAPS UPDATE. Google merged two products, Local Business Center and Google Maps into one complex in order to simplify local search.

July 2014 – PIGEON UPDATE. Local SEO changed dramatically after the launch of the Google Pigeon Update. By improving its location and distance ranking parameters, this had a huge impact on both Google Maps and traditional Google search results. Among the most significant changes was the boost in rankings for local directories, such as Yelp, TripAdvisor etc.

September 2016 – GOOGLE POSSUM UPDATE. The new local search update was designed to filter out local search spam, specifically in Google Maps results.

Google Updates related to User Search Experience Quality

July 2003 – FRITZ UPDATE. With this update Google switched from monthly index refreshes to indexing on a daily basis. This was a great improvement for the average search experience because Google started to return fresher and more accurate results.

June 2005 – PERSONALIZED SEARCH UPDATE. Another enhancement in the user search experience was the usage of search history in order to deliver more personalized and relevant search results.

August 2008 – GOOGLE SUGGEST UPDATE.  Search experiences were improved to a greater extent thanks to Google Suggest which eventually evolved into Google Instant.

August 2010 – CAFFEINE UPDATE. This update was designed for users and with the help of users. Everyone was invited to test the new infrastructure of the Google search indexing system and leave feedback. The key features of the Caffeine update were an expanded index, faster crawling and real-time indexation. As a result, Caffeine provided 50% fresher results than with earlier updates.

December 2010 – NEGATIVE REVIEWS UPDATE. The update changed the way websites are ranked based on experience provided by users.

June 2011 – GOOGLE SCHEMA UPDATE. This SEO update aimed at enriching search results by allowing users to optimize their structured data with the help of Schema.org.

November 2011 – FRESHNESS UPDATE. The update affected 35% of search queries, mainly time-specific ones. As a results, Google started to pay closer attention to fresh, regularly updated content which portends a good user experience. Searchers were now regularly filtering searches for content from the past hour, day, week, month or year.

May 2012 – KNOWLEDGE GRAPH UPDATE. This update provided direct answers to common questions about specific people and places and other subjects. In the long run, the Knowledge Graph feature evolved into Knowledge Graph panels.

In the next post we will give some advice on how to recover from Google Penalties, provided to us by a former Google Employee.

The post The Google Search Algorithm Matrix: The Timeline of Crucial SEO Updates appeared first on SEO tools & Online Marketing Tips Blog | WebCEO.

It took years for Google to adopt and successfully release their critters on the world, which now devotedly guard the Internet search domain from mortal transgressors. Each of the Google animals live in their own area of the search world with specific rules and laws. You can tame these beasts if you are fully dedicated to what you do, like Martin Lacey with his head in a lion’s mouth, or Roy Horn being grabbed by the throat by a tiger or Daenerys Targaryen, the mother of dragons, who raised three dragons (don’t tell us you don’t watch that series).

Google critters are really friendly to those who feed them with consistent food like fresh content, yummy backlinks, rich context and original local SEO cuisine. But when they meet intruders on their territory, who give no value to them and their search visitors, they run amok and can even harm you.  For you to stay safe from feral Google critters here is a short interactive SEO infographic. Keep your eyes open on Halloween and use WebCEO to tame the Google beasts.

The post How to Save Yourself from Sneaky Google Critters appeared first on SEO tools & Online Marketing Tips Blog | WebCEO.

Happy Halloween our dear SEOs!

All Hallow’s Eve is destined to bring a lot of frightening fun. With all those jack-o’-lanterns, trick-or-treating and dressing up in freaky costumes, being an SEO you should keep your eyes open. This year SEO Halloween is accompanied by a real SEOmbie Apocalypse. Yes, you heard me right! If you run an online business, the SEOmbie Apocalipse may come to you as well. Horrible SEOmbie monsters like a shambling Panda, a crawling Penguin, a peaky Hummingbird and a spooky Pigeon are crawling in pursuit of your site rankings’ freshness and your traffic savor. Are you equipped enough to protect your site against SEO-mbie attacks? We have prepared the SEOmbie Survival Guide for you to stay BOO-tiful and keep your site safe.

Moreover, you can use WebCEO’s Website Audit tool to fend off these ghastly creatures by keeping your site’s SEO health in top condition.

The post How to Survive the SEO-mbie Apocalypse With the WebCEO Survival Guide appeared first on SEO tools & Online Marketing Tips Blog | WebCEO.

Yesterday, we gave you some practical advice on how to avoid the Google Panda Penalty. Today we would like to get a view of how some websites applied (or did not applied) the SEO tactics mentioned in the previous post.

The Google Panda 4.0 Update that was rolled out a few weeks ago has now shown some early results, which reveal both a negative and positive effect on the content shared on the web (depending on the point of view, a user’s or website owner’s).  Users are receiving more relative results for their queries. Given the first reports and complaints I would say that positive effects are greater than negative. Let’s have a quick view of the sites being penalized and rewarded by Google’s Panda 4.0.  The list is not comprehensive, but we can see a definite trend of search visibility losses/gains for some giant websites.

Among outsiders we can find websites which post and promote rehashed or duplicate information (Celebrity and Showbiz news portals etc.), create content that links to external sources (Discount Coupon & Codes websites etc.), or show skinny content from third parties (Weather and Price comparison sites).

We at WebCEO decided to take a closer look at those sites that were most affected:

Outsiders:

isitdownrightnow.com – 50%

aceshowbiz.com – 75%

starpulse.com – 50%

 Favorites:

Emedicinehealth.com 500 %

Medterms.com 500 %

Zimbio.com – 500%

Interesting fact is that very similar sites (starpulse.com and zimbio.com) appeared both in the lists of favorites and outsiders. But what makes them different? Is it really all about content quality?

I have made a quick competitive analysis of the backlink profiles of these two websites with the help of our Backlink Quality Checker. A website’s backlink profile is one of the main factors measured by Google, even if a Google update affects content only. Backlinks together with anchor texts linking to relative and useful content on other sites are considered to be part of the algorithm. This truth is confirmed by SEO experts like Jayson DeMers, Founder & CEO at AudienceBloom who has stated that one must: “Implement the three pillars of SEO: Content, links and social media, via a solid content strategy”.

In the Web CEO Online Competitor Link Profile report, we see few obvious reasons why the above two websites are on opposite sides of the Panda 4.0 fallout. Both of the sites have a high PR of 6. But a closer look reveals the factors that clearly caused starpulse.com to fall in the rankings and zimbio.com go up:

1. Zimbio had a greater number of backlinks.
2. Zimbio had more links with .GOV and .EDU link status.
3. Zimbio had more dofollow links as opposed to nofollow links.
4. Zimbio had a lower percentage of sitewide links which are considered more and more by Google to be more spammy.

Among absolute favorites there are websites which serve as original sources of interesting and helpful information. Their content is user-focused and that’s why they earn more points in the high quality content promotion battle.

The point is that you might source information from other related websites, but keep away from aping.  One of the winner sites with a well executed content strategy is buzzfeed.com. Though there is an excessive number of viral articles like “15 things you should avoid on the first date”, the content is diverse and fits almost everyone’s content needs. Are you raving for useful articles, would you rather read politics or business news, or do you just want to relax and look through interactive content? Buzzfeed gives people a variety of interesting content, fact and fiction, with strong visual assets here and there (video selections, quizzes, gif feed etc.).

Let’s take another one of the winner sites into consideration. Medterms.com has earned more Panda points (500 % improvement in rankings) than other websites. The SEO factors that might have taken them to the top of the favorites list are:

• Clear and clean navigation
• Well-implemented 301 redirects.
• User-friendly interface with a search box to provide quick access to desired content.
• Different types of content including original visual assets:  slideshare shows, image carousels, interactive content distribution like quizzes etc.
• Well-performed internal links optimization with diverse link text
• Strong presence on social media with a high social reach.

If you want to feel secure with the Google Panda 4.0 and become a favorite of users and of Google, be sure to implement the tried and true SEO tactics mentioned above.

The post Panda 4.0 Update: Favorites and Outsiders – What Are the Factors of Google’s Betting System? appeared first on SEO tools & Online Marketing Tips Blog | WebCEO.

As you know, Panda is a Google filter that seeks to stop spammy (low quality) sites from ranking high in the SERPs.

In late May the Google Panda 4.0 update was discussed all over the SEO community. The web is full of theoretical advice on how to avoid the Panda penalty. We have some practical tips.

Avoid Exact Match Link Text

Part of any site development is planning how users will navigate the content. In terms of SEO it means that your internal links structure should be well-optimized. Internal links optimization is often ignored, although it is a great method to improve landing (important) pages’ search visibility and to broadcast your website’s theme.

However, if linking is implemented incorrectly, it can attract Panda’s attention. The first thing Google Panda may react badly to is if you have an excessive number of exact matching link texts. The exact matching link texts can set off alarms with Google that you may be trying to manipulate the algorithm and get higher rankings.

How to avoid this:

Go to the WebCEO Internal Links Optimization tool and check the “Link Text Analysis” report. The numbers you are interested in are highlighted on the screenshot below.

Analyze how diverse the internal link texts are. If you see that an exact link text is used with more than 20% of all your internal links, consider changing some texts to diversify you internal links profile.

Decrease Site Wide Links

When building a site’s navigation it is typical to create site wide navigational links to a domain’s most popular pages. Very often these links are found in the side bar or footer and are completely irrelevant to the topic of most of the pages that the link falls on. These links do not improve your page’s authority and should be minimized.

What to do:

Use the Page Authority Analysis report of the Internal Links Optimization tool to identify your most important pages for now. Are your landing pages (the pages you use to convert visitors into customers) the most authoritative pages?

View the details of a page you want to improve the authority of. You will get the list of the pages that are still not linked to your landing page. Use this list to find the best link donors. Remember that the best links are contextual links with natural link text places on the relevant pages, as opposed to links found in the footer of the page.

Avoid Duplicates

Panda uses multiple factors to identify your site’s quality. One of them is the absence of duplicate content pieces. You should use only high quality unique content; this is not even a point of discussion. However, sometimes duplicate Titles and Descriptions make their way to your pages and that can be very bad. It’s an easy mistake to make however.

How to avoid:

The On-Site SEO report of the Content Assistant tool will help you. Scan your website and get notified about all duplicate Titles and Descriptions found. Besides you will know if your site has other optimization issues preventing you from getting high rankings.

After you’ve discovered the duplicates, consider rewriting the Titles and Descriptions to be unique. Remember, that the Titles and the Descriptions are the pieces that prompt a searcher to click your link on a SERP. Make them descriptive and appealing.

Bonus tip: Ensure that your backlink profile is sound. Use the Toxic Links report of the Backlink Quality Check tool to find and remove harmful links.

The post How to Avoid the Google Panda Penalty with the WebCEO tools appeared first on SEO tools & Online Marketing Tips Blog | WebCEO.

Google changes its algorithm almost every day. However, search results were affected greatly by some major updates this past year. When you know the dates of the most important updates, you can understand changes in your rankings and organic website traffic and ultimately improve search engine optimization. Let’s see how Google changed SEO in 2013:

Panda

The year started with the animal that frightened every search marketer. The Google Panda update was meant to stop sites with low quality content from working their way into Google’s top search results. Websites that used scraped content were penalized by Google and disappeared from the Google search results pages. Google says it only takes a few pages of poor quality or duplicate content to hold down traffic on an otherwise solid site, and recommends such pages be removed, blocked from being indexed by the search engine, or rewritten.

Now Panda is a part of the Google algorithm. This filter makes the web a better place: good search marketers produce more high quality content and steer clear of any duplicates.

Penguin

In May, Google continued the war against low quality and rolled out a big Penguin update. This was aimed at websites with poor backlink profiles. Since then, the term ‘toxic link’ has become a search marketer nightmare. WebCEO reacted to the Google Penguin update with a great new tool that helps to clean up one’s backlink profile.

Link building will now never be the same after the Google Penguin update. Now SEOs carefully investigate who links to them and they disavow really toxic links to secure rankings.

Link Schemes document update

This was not a Google algorithm update, but it was very important. After Google updated the Link Schemes section of its Webmaster Guidelines, it’s been against Google’s rules to:

• Use guest posts for pure link building.
• Post press releases with keyword anchor text.
• Add optimized anchor texts to your forum signatures.
• Embed links in widgets distributed on multiple sites.
• Add sitewide links on multiple websites.

‘Not provided’

Late in September, Google confirmed that it would be encrypting all search data, regardless of whether a user was signed in or not. This means that now you can’t know what keywords searchers used to enter your website.

You can still view search terms at the Google Webmaster Center, but only the top 2,000 terms per day and only going back for 90 days.

Hummingbird

The Google Hummingbird update was rolled out to improve user experiences. As the number of mobile searches grew and voice search has been used more and more, Google started to pay more attention to factors such as a site’s theme, long tail keywords and structured data.

The WebCEO developer team promises to add more tools for you in 2014 and they will enhance the existing ones. Our new Internal Links Optimization tool will be available to you in late January.

The post The Most Important Google Updates of the Year and How They Changed SEO appeared first on SEO tools & Online Marketing Tips Blog | WebCEO.