Search Engine Optimization

Last week, Google implemented what is now being referred to as the Google “Farmer” update. Here’s the scoop, according to Google’s blog:

“…In the last day or so we launched a pretty big algorithmic improvement to our ranking—a change that noticeably impacts 11.8% of our queries—and we wanted to let people know what’s going on. This update is designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites—sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful.”

This recent change to Google’s algorithm is significant considering that around half a billion searches are performed per day in the US alone. Currently, the Google “Farmer” update only affects US search results, but the change will take effect around the world in the near future.

It is widely believed that Google updated their algorithm to weed out content farms from the search results. Content farms are sites that focus on quantity rather than quality because they make a profit off advertising based on the volume of content they produce. Content farms typically publish rehashed content that is focused on popular search terms and requires little thought, research, or resources to write.

The owners of the content farms that were affected by this update are probably pulling their hair out right about now, but all in all, Google’s “Farmer” update is a sign of progress and good news for both web users and publishers. It means that producing high quality content will become more important than ever before. To ensure that your website continues to rank well in the search engines and receive satisfactory levels of targeted traffic, here are a few things you can do:

• Get active in social media. Social media is becoming increasingly relevant, especially since Google’s algorithm takes social media popularity into account when ranking websites. Plus, if you generate plenty of traffic and leads via your social media marketing efforts, your business won’t take a hard hit if search traffic to your site decreases. Basically, you shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket; diversifying your marketing strategy is essential.
• Build high quality inbound links. Article directories, such as Ezine Articles and Articles Base, were significantly affected by the Google “Farmer” update. That likely means that links from those article sites will have less value from now on. Therefore, move your focus away from article marketing as a link-building strategy and instead focus on networking with other content producers in your industry to solicit high quality links.
• Hire a professional writer. Consider hiring a skilled, SEO and social media-savvy copywriter to produce content for your site. Your content is more likely to rank well in the search engines and be shared in online communities if it’s engaging, informative, and well-written.
• Publish more in-depth content. To please the search engines, your best bet would be to publish more in-depth content, such as “how to” articles, case studies, reviews, and analytical pieces. Avoid publishing rehashed content. In other words, if you don’t have anything new to say, don’t bother saying it at all.

Lastly, keep an eye on your analytics reports. If you notice that traffic to your site has gone down for certain keywords, analyze your content to determine why that could be. Work tirelessly to create highly valuable content that is useful to your target audience and the search engines will reward you. Furthermore, make an effort to build a loyal customer base via social media, in-person networking, list building, and other means, so Google’s constant algorithm changes don’t pose such huge risks for your business.