You might be hearing in recent news about Google’s plan to change its ranking criteria and how it assigns first page listings in an attempt to combat web pages using blackhat SEO techniques to manipulate search rankings.
Traditional factors that have shown to influence search engine rankings include content, links, meta information and tags, and domain registration age, to name a few.
Google’s new focus will be based on freshness of a site’s information – meaning that a search query will show the latest and most recently information regarding those keywords. The Wall Street Journal reported the example of searching for a celebrity, and the search results would show the sites reporting the most recent news about that person, before listing the celebrity’s official website.
So how does this effect SEO strategies?
Clearly the focus continues to be on the user experience and providing the most relevant content – however it doesn’t change the strategy at large. Content is still king, however it is definitely taking new forms, leveraging blogs and social media platforms. The goal is getting your site in front of real people in real time, and providing them with real information.
Link building is still very purposeful, and Google hasn’t commented on the “link velocity” factor. This concept refers to the speed at which new organic links form to a site. These link bursts have been a red flag and a way to identify a spammer trying to manipulate search results. However, in the age of more a live web then a static web, these links are also a sign of freshness, with the impact of social bookmarking, links, buttons, social networks, and real-time networks, i.e. Twitter and Facebook.
While Google’s emphasis on freshness has it’s challenges, continuing to focus your SEO strategy on unique, daily content targeted towards real people will definitely serve you well.
