Google‘s last update, the Penguin 2.0 algorithm has left site-owners terrified and confused. According to Matt Cutts the latest algorithm isn’t just an update of the previous one. It has come prepared with a whole new set of features that have made things even more difficult for bloggers.
I have talked to several bloggers who have lamented about how much their pages were affected because of the big bad Penguin. Nevertheless, in the aftermath of Google’s changes, people have tried to put things back together. The fact of the matter is that, although Google has started to reinforce stricter rules, ethical SEO practices are still encouraged.
The question that has boggled many minds is: How can I Google-Proof my Website? Here are a few steps which will not only Google-proof your website, but also avoid problems in case of a new algorithm upgrade.
1. Do not Use Bad Links
When it comes to links, the conversation could go on forever. There are so many inefficient and unethical practices perpetuated online, that it would take a whole week to address them all. The first problem I would like to address, is related to purchased links. A long time ago, Google implemented a new algorithm which took into consideration what are called “back-links”.
According to the search engine’s logic, the fact that a site is linking to you is a vote of confidence. Obviously, black hats took advantage of this situation, and as a result thousands of back-links to a single website appeared over night. This was bad because it interfered with the internet user’s experience. When Google realized what had happened, they decided to end it all, with a new algorithm.
As a result, hundreds of sites plummeted in the SERPs. Nowadays, paid links are not tolerated. Another thing that isn’t tolerated are bad links. When I say bad links, I am referring to links to sites which aren’t the least bit related to the niche of the site, or links to lower authoritative pages. If you truly wish to make your way up from the dark pit of anonymity you should be willing to commit to a serious back-linking campaign which provides quality for the reader.
2. Guest-Posting
Guest-posting has remained, and will forever remain one of the best ways to create great quality back-links, as long as it is done right. I’ve seen that many sites have disabled their guest-post guidelines or site registrations, in fear of eventual penalties, but as long as you avoid keyword stuffing and linking to illegal sites, you should not be afraid of penalties.
The whole idea of guest-posting is to bring a fresh perspective on a certain subject, to promote other writers, and to create variety on your site. If you don’t have time to write guest-post articles yourself, you can employ Guest Post Shop guest posting services.
3. Stick to the Straight and Narrow
If you are thinking of cheating Google, don’t. Seriously. There is no way in hell you will ever stand a chance against a team of trained experts, not for long at least. Assuming that you care about your website, you should not risk everything for a get-more-traffic-fast scheme. Subsequently, although I agree with the importance of search engine optimization, I would like to add that your main concern should be the client/reader.
It is great to enforce certain search engine optimization practices on your blog, but do not make them a priority. Whatever the nature of your business, the target audience should always be the first thing you think about. Strategies, content, and future actions should be directly influenced by the way that your potential customer perceives your business.
4. Use Google+
Most site-owners aren’t aware of the many uses of Google+. It is especially useful for business owners because it can help promote content in a professional environment. I advise you to link all your articles to your Google+ account, in order to gain authorship. It is predicted that with the help of Google Authorship, good writers will have their articles better indexed by Google. Moreover, there is a Contributor section in the About me tab, which can be used to list blogs for which you have made submissions.
Unlike Twitter or Facebook, Google+ promotes Social SEO. In other words, what you post on it will help better determine search engine rankings for written content. The smart thing about this social media platform is the fact that it makes a connection between the author and the article. If you are an established writer, you are more likely to rank higher in SERPs.
All in all, there are a few other methods to Google-proof your site. For example, you should strive to create high-quality, original and informative content, conduct keyword search, promote your articles on social media platforms and optimize not only written content, but also images and videos. If you do these things you will surely survive this algorithm, and those that are to come.
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