Every year Google makes extensive updates on its software. This includes factors to enhance its performance and changes in its algorithms by up to 500 and 600 times. Based on the platform to provide solutions and not problems, it is all about the ability to search for the most relevant web pages through the use of keywords, a lot of which depend on a great website design (see our homepage). This is followed by providing results which are always given in a ranking format. Being the leading search engine embraced in all parts of the globe, regular updates of the algorithms is essential to ensure that it has the capacity to sieve through the ever growing number of websites that continue to be hosted daily.
Google Panda
Named after its founder, Panda is among the revolutionaries that have prompted businesses to pay more attention to the generation of information through the search engines. Owing to the fact that SEO is never constant and keeps changing day by day, the need to filter information on various platforms becomes a necessity. The main idea behind the development of panda was to ensure that poor quality websites do not receive high Google rankings. In its place, better-created sites and those that contain more recent information gains higher on the rankings.
The Panda update strategy changed the SEO world. This was through targeting the content, keywords and links available on a site. In such way, more relevant sites that are useful to the visitors can easily be accessed. This includes identification of spam sites as well as the determination of essential content on the sites. It is important to note that the description of Panda as an update is for the reason that it runs periodically and upon each successful run, the ranking of the available sites changes accordingly.
Since its inception, Panda updates have continuously seen changes tailored towards achieving better results from internet users. In this regard, various versions of the update have been experienced starting with Panda 1.0 to the most recent Panda version 4.0. With each of these updates, the results have been better performance as well as access to the most relevant results upon undertaking of every single search.
Google Penguin Updates
Unlike the Panda, the Penguin updates were created to feature more on algorithms. Its main focus is on new and incoming links. While most of the traditional link building processes have been left out and replaced with new models, most of these old websites still received high ranking even when they had outdated content. The main areas that Penguin updates include in Google rankings and other important link features. This is more so when the link is to a high performing website. Owing to the fact that there are dubious attempts to make the website rank higher through use of such links, the Penguin normally checks out the authenticity of the links and if they have been purposely used to gain high rankings. Otherwise referred to a link scheming, it is considered to be a vice and if found, there are outstanding penalties.
Another key feature considered by Penguin is keyword stuffing. Though it was initially thought to be convenient to use keywords in SEO, usage needs to be limited. It is in doing this that a free flow of the content can be attained. Also considered as a way to manipulate the rankings, such event when detected also stands to receive penalties. It is important to note the fact that keywords still remain an important part of SEO but Google insists that they should be used in a natural way. Finally, Penguin are also known to penalize for over-optimization. This refers to the act of over using various optimization tools. In its place, it is important to consider using internet marketing strategies and avoid engaging in schemes that would be disastrous when detected.
Some web developers will employ all possible means to ensure they are ranked highly. Among the things they use are unnatural links. These are links that may either be non-existent or a link to content that is not related to the topic addressed by the web page. Engaging in such is a vice in accordance to Penguin and will attract penalties.
Google Hummingbird
This is a creation of Google to ensure that undertaken searches take the shortest time possible while providing reliable and helpful results. Hummingbird is therefore tailored to follow the given keyword and deliver the results. Unlike the Panda and the Penguin, the Hummingbird is a new creation whereas the others are updates of an already existing version where new inclusions to the program are installed to enhance its performance. For effective performance, this new algorithm is created to use over 200 ranking features and ensure that after a careful filtering process there are reliable results. It is important to note that this new feature is created with the main focus being on clients and not the keywords. The little option left in using the keywords is mainly focused on long tail keywords which are given more preference by the update.
Ensuring success in Google rankings
With changing trends and the overwhelming number of websites being hosted daily, it is important to ensure that means and measures to rank a website are in place. In this regard, here are some of the key factors that should be put into consideration.
- Using Google Keyword planners. This enables one to create a more relevant phrase for the keyword and one that will be prioritized in the search.
- Creations of long-tail keywords that are in conversational tone. It is important to note that most of the searches undertaken today follow the conversational tone approach.
It is important to ensure that created content has the capacity to deliver in accordance with expectations of the target population. However, when this is being done, living up to the set standards is the key way to ensure that the website is never going to get penalized. In using the right content and keyword phrases, every web page has the potential to attract and grow adequate traffic that will see it ranking higher on Google searches.