Google Unveils Penguin – Inherent SEO Crisis Management Plan

Posted on May 9th, 2012. Written by Suhail.

Google has created quite a ruckus by introducing Penguin. As per previous Google updates, it remains to be seen whether this one will be a hit or a miss. Before venting our frustrations over yet another update, we have to take into consideration that in order for Google to retain its top ranking and throne, it has to undertake extremely meticulous endeavors to keep its Search Engine Result Pages or SERPs devoid of spam and keep them appropriate. The release of Penguin isn’t unprecedented as Google has released other similar updates in the past decade.

What all those releases have in common though is the focus on keeping the amount of spam to a bare minimum. Although Google’s classification of what constitutes as spam varies, yet they have done a commendable job of voicing their opinions through their personnel Matt Cutts who helms Google’s Web Spam team, plus they have their webmaster guidelines to use as a beacon.

Some websites assume that they can mint some fast money without giving a second thought about their clientele and visitors or they have been led astray by devious individuals known as black hat SEO or agencies comprised of such people who compel them to use banned tricks and techniques. Mentioned below are some of the things websites should steer clear of as specifically highlighted in Google’s Webmaster guidelines:

• Concealed doorway pages
• Purchasing Links
• Varying pages for visitors and separate for search engines
• Concealed text or concealed links
• Redirects

Anyone utilizing above tricks is walking on a dangerous road. Businesses that rely on their web presence for sustenance should first and foremost think about their clientele and how they can achieve the following:

• Enhance visitor’s experience
• Provide more value for customers
• Retaining a customer repository and have them returning for more

If you focus on the abovementioned traits instead of deviating and thinking of employing banned tricks, you automatically start thinking towards putting on relevant and quality content on your website which will no doubt have user retention.

Being an SEO, the top priorities on your list should be creating worth of your site for visitors using accepted white hat SEO techniques. If you set it as your top most priorities, it will certainly have a trickledown effect on the rest of your company ensuring that there would be no deviation to the forbidden side of SEO.

Let’s delve into a course of action which can immediately be adopted by in house SEO’s when algorithms like Penguin are unveiled and how to inculcate that course of action for the future:

Instantaneous Strategy

Utilize your analytics to gauge damage

 When faced by penguin or any other similar update by Google, revert to web analytics report. An aggregate report consisting of 30 day traffic activity should let you gauge the effects and reduction in visitors.

Verify your keyword referrer report 

When you become cognizant of the fact that you are getting reduced traffic from Google, immediately consult keyword referrer report which can aid you in seeking out keywords which have reduced traffic. An aggregate report of 30 days in this scenario can be helpful.

Keep a vigilant eye on your top keywords

This can’t be termed more comprehensive than the report but this is a standard SEO procedure. It’s always recommended to vigilantly check your top keywords.

Consult Google Webmaster Central

Google informs the webmasters of affects on their websites, so consult your webmaster account for a message. You can report to Google spam team if your website was wrongly marked.

Continual Planning

Companywide Strategy and Training

Part and parcel of an in-house SEO is to establish organization wide SEO strategy based on best and assorted practices of SEO, particularly on page optimization and striking the right balance of keywords in advertisement copy (this will ensure that you don’t come off as spam spewing). Other measures include: training employees about principals of SEO and make them aware of scenarios of companies getting affected by Google updates.

Financial Prediction of Loss

If you got affected by Google updates, then you’ll have to produce a financial prediction of just how much profit you were deprived of because of it. Use it as a guideline to make everyone in your company aware about the importance of SEO guideline and why they should adhere to it. A feasible way to inculcate this is to gather data based on the amount of traffic lost, keywords rendered useless, profits lost because of keywords and total profits lost.

Comprehensible Track for Programmers / Developers

People associated with SEO field might be aware of standard practices, but when it comes to programmers and developers they need to be given comprehensible guidelines and tracks on SEO practices. It may be an uphill task at first trying to educate them like this, but with progression of time and by working with them, you’d have to get your point through.

Keyword density on page

No visitor would want to read content overstuffed with keywords. This usually happens when an overzealous SEO tries to stuff keywords. Close vigilance is required to keep an eye on the content and avoid this mistake. Best way to avoid this is to educate the writers about the main subject of the content instead of giving them keywords to begin with.  This would allow them to produce organic to the point content with keywords incorporated naturally instead of overstuffing them unceremoniously.

Suhail

Professional content writer having experience in writing all types of contents like articles, blogs, ebooks, squidoo lenses, hubpages, reviews, web content, news, press releases, link wheel creation and much more.Check out my Gigs here: http://www.seoclerks.com/user/Suhail