Over the last few years Google has gradually been introducing more and more measures that penalise businesses for not updating their website (they believe that websites with constantly updated content provide visitors with better information and a greater user experience).

Alongside its algorithm that targets businesses for not having a mobile-friendly site (if your site isn’t currently mobile friendly then read our blog post here and get moving before you lose out on any more business from smart phones! http://www.mihidigital.co.uk/blog/google-penalise-websites-mobile-friendly-ready/ ), Google will now be regularly filtering out any websites that have poor content as part of its latest Google Panda update.

This means you could be penalised if your website is out of date or has poor quality content.

The background

The update relates to the ‘Google Panda’; not a real panda, but a set of rules created by Google in 2011.

These rules allow Google to measure the quality of your website, with Google using its Panda algorithm to filter out poor quality content and allow better, more regularly updated sites to rank higher.

The update

Over the last month, Google has updated the Panda to become part of its core algorithm.

What does that mean? In simplified terms, it means Google Panda is no longer a separate search filter. Instead, it will be carried out at the same time as Google’s other ‘core’ checks on a more regular basis. This means your business needs to be ready.

How will it affect your business?

Google is striving to make its search engine even more user friendly by ensuring search results are more relevant to its users. If your business’s website is out of date or has poor quality content, you could therefore be at risk from the latest panda update.

In a world where relevant and recent content will benefit by being ranked higher in search results, now is the time to make sure your site is both of those things.

What you can do to improve your site

• Ensure your website has a constant flow of content. This could be by adding or updating your site’s news or blog page. Try putting together a content plan; a good brainstorming session will give you plenty of new ideas, with the plan making sure you allocate time to see them through to fruition!

• Make sure your content is relevant. Writing for the person rather than Google is key here. Avoid writing blog posts crammed with key words purely in an attempt to boost the number of visits to your site (it’s old hat and is becoming less and less effective). Always remember that if you’re writing about a topic then you’re going to be using those key phrases anyway, not just because you’re writing it for a search engine.

• Focus on providing helpful information that will benefit your visitors. Not only will it bring them back to your site, it will help you to rank higher as it will be far more likely to be linked to and socially shared.

Want more advice on how to avoid being affected by Google’s algorithm updates? Give us a call on 01566 232323 or email hello@mihidigital.co.uk