Recently Google announced their much dreaded overhaul of their algorithm for searches. The concerns were understandable. SEO marketers and their clients were panicked by the idea that they’d fall behind in searches due to the update. It’s important to delve into the issue a bit more deeply as to separate fact from fiction and reality from fear.
Updates to Google searches are nothing new. In fact, there are five hundred updates per year, albeit not with as high of a profile as the recent Penguin update. But, the idea that suddenly the world has turned upside down in the internet marketing world is overstated. Let’s explore the facts.
The truth is that only 2% of keywords drop ten rankings or more. Or, another way to look at it is that 98% do not. So, before panic sets in regarding the 2%, it’s important to take a broader perspective. Looking at these updates on the whole, they’re affecting a relatively small amount of searches.
Interestingly, even for the keywords affected, within sixty days most (over half) of them recovered to their previous ranking before the drop. SEO, as we’ve come to understand, is a long process. Over time, Penguin appears to be much less damaging to internet marketers than initially thought. Does it affect some searches? Yes. Is it rare? Yes. Is it going to negatively affect your business? Probably not.
In short, good content is paramount. With SEO, if you’re using real keywords that are applicable and related to your business, chances are likely that you’ll be unaffected. The purpose of these updates is to weed out spam and black hat SEO tactics. In truth, Penguin is an update that is likely to help your business. The harder it is for the bad guys to cheat, the easier it is for the good guys (like your business) to get noticed.