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What Google Penguin and Panda Updates Mean for Blogs

June 12, 2012 by Guest Author

by
Jen Thames

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Google Penguin and Panda Updates and Blog Search Engine Results

In the blogging world Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and placement in Google Organic Search isn’t usually at the top of the priority list. Bloggers blog to add value to the lives of other people. Google seems to have finally recognized this with their newest algorithmic update (still in progress) called Google Penguin.

Google has released two major updates recently in an effort to combat spam. They are called Google Panda and Google Penguin. It’s over simplification but basically:

Google Panda attacks the misuse of keywords
Google Penguin attacks the misuse of links

Great articles about Penguin’s affects on SEO in general can be found on the websites SEOMOZ and Search Engine Land . This article looks at what Google’s Penguin update means specifically for bloggers.

Bloggers Were Helped by the Google Penguin Update

Bloggers who are just out there producing great content may find their numbers skyrocketing after Google Penguin (most recent May 25th/May26th and June 7th/8th). Why? Well, the update looks to take away credit from linking strategies that have created unnatural organic placement for websites in the past.

Google uses more than 200 separate ranking factors for organic search. One of the results of Penguin’s update is that more “professional” sites are now trumped by smaller blogs especially for targeted keyword searches. As the larger websites fall the smaller blogs rise.

For example, researching a Lean Management book entitled Toyota Kata returned several small blogs in the top search positions. The author’s University of Michigan personal page for the book actually ranked below the blog reviews when searching for the words Toyota Kata Reviews.

Generally, longer blog posts seem to be doing well post Penguin update. Widely shared posts are doing really well.

Post Google Penguin: Things Bloggers Should Know

Despite the positive sides of Penguin for many bloggers the new updates can also cause a blog’s placement in organic search to decline. Here are some of the reasons your blog rankings may have declined post Penguin.

Penguin has hit many directories hard. Google has decided that many of the directories and bloggers rolls were just too spammy. They have lowered the ranking of many directories and this in turn can lower the ranking of your own blog.

Comments that have links to spammy sites and bad incoming links can negatively affect your ranking. Google is supposedly developing a disavow tool as we speak to give websites the power to remove unwanted incoming links when they occur. The ETA on this new disavow tool is 6 months.

Specific Blogs will do better post Penguin. Your blog may be too general and this can hurt your organic rankings. Here is why. Google places a higher value on incoming links that come from websites that are similar to your own. If your blog topic is too general the likelihood of other sites linking to you from unrelated sites is higher. For example, lets say you have a home improvement blog and somewhere along the line you wrote a large series on building doghouses. Through that series a group of pet supply stores started to link to your blog to show their customers how to build doghouses. Google’s computer bots might not get the connection between pet supplies and DIY.

Paid affiliate links can hurt if the ratio is too high. Provided the ratio of paid links to unpaid links is not too high the blog should be ok. However, this is something to watch.

Things Bloggers Can Do to Boost Traffic and Take Advantage of Panda/Penguin

Update! Update! Update! Do what you do and do it well. Google is completely on board right now with blogging. The more you update the better you will do in organic search.

Produce amazingly useful content that is widely shared. Here are three examples from blogs in different industries.

  • writing on Pinterest
  • The 10 Best Do It Yourself (DIY) Websites
  • Who and Where are the Facebook Four?

Accept posts and ask for guest posts from bloggers within your own industry. The links that connect guest posts are organic, useful for readers and OK by Google!

Do sign up for good blog rolls and directories. The safe list on SEOMOZ is a great place to start.

Learn Google’s rules and use their tools. Google tools are useful and they can quickly keep you up to date on all the new things happening at Google.

Don’t put all of your marketing eggs in one basket. Google is not the only search engine out there, and organic search is not the only way people will find your blog! There are a variety of other ways to market your blog that may be just as good at driving traffic as Google organic rankings. Alternative marketing strategies include:

  • Mobile marketing (for phones and tablets)
  • Local marketing (Google Places, Bing Business and Yahoo! Local)
  • Promotional product marketing (using real promotional products like green shopping bags)
  • Social Media Marketing
  • PPC marketing

Have a mixed basket and no matter what Google does in the future viewers will find you and the blog will grow!

Author’s Bio:
Jen Thames writes about marketing and business at SixSigmaOnline. You can find her on Twitter as @SixSigmaAveta

Thank you, Jen! Great information on the update. Love having it all one in place.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Filed Under: SEO, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, blog SEO, Google, Guest-Writer, link strategy, Panda Update, Penguin Update, small business, spam

If I Had a Dollar for Every Spam Comment . . .

April 23, 2008 by Liz

We’d Be Celebrating about Now!

Akismet has protected your site from 1,004,381 spam comments.

Even lost some in various upgrades over the years.

Well, we can dream.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Register now!

Filed Under: Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, spam, ZZZ-FUN

Holy Spam! Batman!

January 28, 2007 by Liz

It’s the Sunday Spam Report

This morning, I got a spam message from Jesus. He’s was talking about a website I should visit.

I was looking for a deeper meaning when I noticed I also got a greeting from Brittney. She’s apparently into over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.

I relaxed, knowing the universe had a weird balance.

Nice to know that they were thinking of me. . . . yeah.

I suggested they get to know each other and showed them the way out.

UPDATE: Just came across a message from Mars. I’m wondering whether I should start paying attention. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
About Spam in my Spam Filter
About Logging in to Leave Comments . . .

Filed Under: Business Life, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, spam, spam-filter.

About Spam in my Spam Filter

December 27, 2006 by Liz

Today It Was 309

Every morning as one of my start up routines I sift through my spam filter — to remove false positives. It’s bad enough that comments get caught there. I don’t want them to get eaten.

This spam cleaning ritual is extending my horizon.

I meeting some interesting people.

  • spammers with unusual names — Best regards
  • alien spammers with names I cannot pronounce — ixfwq.
  • lazy spammers whose sole message is one character — 2 or x, or /
  • efficient spammers who can pack what seems like 10,000 links into one message
  • spammers who try flattery “Thanks, guy, for a great site!” They tend to assume I’m a guy or amigo.
  • spammers who pretend to be looking for information
  • spammers who lie outright, “Great site. I’m bookmarking it right now!”
  • spammers who apologize “Sorry, but I need the money.”
  • shy spammers who only leave links without a message
  • celebrities who take to time spam me

I know where to go to find

  • hotel rooms available around the world
  • play poker
  • learn blackjack
  • win at slots
  • enjoy all of the amenities of a casino online
  • a range of pharmaceuticals
  • a variety of physical . . um, er . . . enhancements

In another life when I change my ringtone, I’ll have to try the one that sounds like a mosquito.

Spammers can teach how to get a mortgage loan, get the best shoes, finance my car, spruce up my blog, find quotes and other useful information. I can get enrolled for a college education, learn to garden, fix my home, and get household insurance. This past two weeks lead to a whole list of prom dresses and christmas list ideas. It’s a regular spam shopping mall behind my front page.

Then there’s the porn, oh my! Please someone write a plug in with parental controls for spam catchers. I’m not sure I’m old enough to read the titles in the name lines. I know I’m not ready for Granny’s sex life, but cartoon porn! C’mon I’m a visual thinker . . . I can do without images of Mickey and Minnie at 4:30a.m.!

I imagine great uses for this technology when I think as a mother. Clean out all of that ad spam and let me leave messages for my own and my kid’s spam dash board . . . mine would be filled with my calendar. His would be gentle reminders that said . . .

  • Sweeheart, clean your room.
  • Darling, don’t forget that spelling test.
  • Tuesday is take out the trash day. You’re so good at that!
  • Excuse me, the dishes are still waiting for you in the kitchen.
  • Remember, Mr. Streetwise, that gorgeous girl you’re talking to online (w00h00t!) — I know you showed me the photo –could really be a 65-year-old ugly, wrinkly online predator with one eye, a tattoo, and a taste for boys who don’t like to take out the trash or clean the kitchen.
  • Hey Guy, you have a dentist appointment on Wednesday.
  • Dad’s birthday is coming up. Have you decided yet what to get him?
  • Honey, change your underwear.
  • Ok, Mastermind, time for bed.

Now that’s spam that any mother could love.

Don’t get me wrong. I think spam is evil, but a nice girl can dream of a better day . . . can’t she? I’m still working on some sort of copywriting game using the spam ads as examples of bad advertising. If you have ideas email me. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Filed Under: Business Life, Successful Blog, Tools Tagged With: Akismet, bc, spam

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