Google’s Latest Web Indexing Improvements
Posted by Sandy in 
Today Google published another list of search improvements. Here’s a list of some of the improvements that can affect your site’s ranking or your search results:
Related query results:
Sometimes Google fetches results for queries that are similar to the actual search you type. This refinement makes it less likely that these similar results will rank highly if the original query had a rare word that was dropped in the alternate query. For example, if you are searching for ‘Argyle pink diamond’, you might not be as interested in a page that only mentions ‘pink diamond,’ and so sites containing just ‘pink diamond’ will not rank as highly as sites containing the full ‘Argyle pink diamond.’
What can we glean from this? When writing your content, be as descriptive as possible, using as many specific keywords as you can. It can definately make a difference.
New “parked domain” classifier:
This is a new algorithm Google has for automatically detecting parked domains. Parked domains are placeholder sites that are often filled with ads and are generally of little use on the web. Therefore, in most cases, Google prefers not to use them.
Bottom line? It’s nearly impossible to rank with Google without quality content on your site.
Fresher and more complete blog search results:
Google says it will deliver fresher and more comprehensive blog search results.
If you write a blog, make it your aim to not only post often, but to post quality articles on fresh topics.
Original content:
Google is now able to make better predictions about which of two similar web pages is the original one.
Google has warned against duplicate content before by stressing the importance of unique content. Although not specifically mentioned, this is likely targeting scraper sites – spam websites that copy all of its content from other websites.
Image result freshness:
Google changed how it determines image freshness for news queries, helping to find the freshest images more often.
Thank goodness for this one – how irritating is it to scroll through old and unrelated images?! Hope it works as planned!
If you missed last month’s Google update on fresh content, read it here.
Fresh Content: Google’s Latest Web Indexing Update
Google’s latest web indexing update seeks out the freshest content on the internet. It is now more important than ever to keep your site current and fresh.
Google is constantly refining it search engine algorithm to ensure its search results are the most relevant to what the user is searching for. One important component of a relative search is the date. Even if not specified in a search, most people want search results that are relevant and recent. For example, if you were to search for ‘New Year’s parade’ you likely want information about upcoming 2012 New Year’s parades, not last year’s.
Last month (November 2011), Google made a significant improvement to their ranking algorithm that better determines when to give you more up-to-date relevant results for varying degrees of freshness:
Recent events or hot topics
For recent events or hot topics that begin trending on the web, you want to find the latest information immediately. Now when you search for current events like ‘occupy Wall Street protest’, you’ll see more high-quality pages that might only be minutes old.
Regularly recurring events
Some events take place on a regularly recurring basis, such as annual conferences or elections. Without specifying with your keywords, it’s implied that you expect to see the most recent event, and not one from 5 years ago. There are also things that recur more frequently, so now when you’re searching for the latest NFL scores, X Factor eliminations, or Dancing With the Stars results, you’ll see the latest information.
Frequent updates
There are also searches for information that changes often, but isn’t really a hot topic or a recurring event. For example, if you’re in the market for a new car and want Buick Enclave reviews, you probably want the most up to date information.
How to Use Google’s Fresh Content Ranking Algorythm to Your Benefit
I know I’ve said it before, but it is now more important than ever to update your site frequently. Google’s recent web indexing update confirms that newer information has more precedence over older information. Websites need to regularly add new content to their site if they don’t want to ‘get lost in the Google shuffle.’
So make it a goal to keep your content fresh. It could be as simple as regularly adding news and recent events, offering new promotions or discounts, or posting tidbits of helpful information. Blogs are also a great way to add fresh content to your website. Social media websites, like Facebook and Twitter, can also be of positive impact. Whatever you decide to do, you will be giving Google a reason to visit your site more often, and THAT is a key to improving your website’s ranking.
Quality Content Is More Important Than Ever to Google SEO
Everyone wants their website to rank better with Google. After all, Google is the king of all search engines…
On February 24, 2011, Google changed the formula it uses to generate search results, with a change code named “Panda.” In regards to these changes, Google states:
Our recent update is designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites, so the key thing for webmasters to do is make sure their sites are the highest quality possible. We looked at a variety of signals to detect low quality sites. Bear in mind that people searching on Google typically don’t want to see shallow or poorly written content, content that’s copied from other websites, or information that are just not that useful. In addition, it’s important for webmasters to know that low quality content on part of a site can impact a site’s ranking as a whole. … Removing low quality pages or moving them to a different domain could help your rankings for the higher quality content.
This part is really important: If part of your site has what Google considers low quality content, the ranking of the rest of the site could suffer from the Panda impact. The good thing is that the recent change will provide better rankings for high quality sites—sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on.
How Does Google Work?
Let’s get a little insight into how Google works: When you enter your search query, Google’s Googlebot (web crawler) takes this query, then analyzes billions of web pages in a fraction of a second to see which pages are relevant to the search request. They then apply more than 200 signals, and their patented PageRank algorithm (which is top secret) to determine which sites will appear in the search results. Of the possibly millions of pages that match the query, Google claims only about 1,000 are displayed, based on their overall importance and query-specific relevance. Click here to view a detailed map of how Google works
Tips to Ensure Your Site Has Quality Content
The ‘Google Gods’ tell us that interesting, compelling, informative content is the #1 factor in website ranking. With that in mind, here are a few things to keep in mind when writing content for your website:
- Make sure your text is well written, easy to read, and without spelling or gramatical errors.
- Keep your content organized – break your content up into logical chunks, and use headings and lists where appropriate. This will help readers scan your content and find what they want faster.
- Create fresh, unique content on a regular basis. Try to offer something different on your site, or a different spin on a popular topic. New content not only brings people back to your site, but it attracts new visitors as well. This can be done on your website, via a blog, etc…
- Be sure to offer an appropriate amount of quality content. Little or no content can affect your page ranking, which can affect your entire site’s ranking.
- When writing your content, think about words a user might type into Google to find you, your services, or a piece of your content. Remember, there are all kinds of people searching for your content – people who know your industry, and people who don’t – and they will use different terms to find the same thing. To illustrate, someone unfamiliar with the Prosthetic industry’s terms might search for an ‘arificial limb manufacturer’, but someone who knows the field would search for a ‘prosthetist.’ Try to think outside the box. Anticipate these different search terms and use a good mix of them when writing your content.
- Google’s Keyword Tool can be helpful in discovering different keyword variations.
For even more content writing tips, read 10 SEO Content Writing Tips
10 SEO Content Writing Tips
Content is a key factor in organic SEO, and sites that have interesting, well-written, optimized content will fare much better than those that do not. Here are some tips to keep in mind when compiling content for your web pages:
1. Write for people, not search engines
All content and articles should be unique and relevant, and written for people who will be visiting your site. Don’t create unnecessary articles/pages stuffed with keywords (see below) specifically for search engines, hoping to boost your ranking.
2. Don’t stuff keywords into paragraphs. Focus on no more than 3 – 5 keywords per page.
Keyword stuffing is considered to be an unethical search engine optimization (SEO) technique. Keyword stuffing occurs when a web page is saturated with keywords in the meta tags or in content, in hopes of boosting search engine ranking. This is considered spam by search engines, and the website may be penalized or banned.
Instead, focus on having 3 – 5 relevant, well-placed keywords per page. Your readers will thank you, because no one enjoys reading reduntant information (and they won’t – they’ll leave your site)!
3. Headlines and titles should be keyword-rich and to the point.
Web content headlines should be keyword-rich and to the point. Short and sweet, but packing a powerful punch!
4. Use keywords in the introduction and conclusion when possible.
After placing your main keyword in your heading, keywords should be again placed in the first and last paragraphs. By repeating your main keyword phrase in the first paragraph, it lets search bots know that the copy that follows the title is indeed relevant.
5. Practice the inverted pyramid style of writing.
People read quickly on the web, skimming for information or keywords. If a site’s writing is not quick and easy to grasp, it is usually not read in full. Start with a concise but descriptive headline, and continue with the most important points. Use less text than you would for print, in a simple writing style that uses bullets and numbered lists to call out information. Place embedded links in your text to help visitors find more information about a related topic.
6. Use shorter sentences and paragraphs, focusing on one idea per paragraph.
Visitors want to see simple, to-the-point content that answers their questions or supplies the information that they are looking for. Make that information easy to find and read!
7. Utilizing lists and bullet points when possible.
The majority of visitors tend to skim web content. For this reason, lists and bullet points should be used whenever possible, as they are easier and faster to read.
8. Aim for quality over quantity.
When writing content, be sure to focus on the quality of writing rather than the length. Huge paragraphs and long pages of content are a turn-off for many web skimmers, so keeping it short and interesting will make audiences more likely to read your content.
9. Write in simple layman’s terms.
It is important to keep your content writing relatively simple, omitting industry-specific terms and jargon. Remember, you are writing for a worldwide audience that may not understand these terms. Keep your information clear, concise, and easy to understand by all ages or educational backgrounds.
10. It’s not just about marketing.
Ensure that the content is not sales or marketing focused. While the ultimate goal is surely to enhance rankings and increase business, the aim for content writing is to keep the website fresh, informative, and a pleasant read.