Contributor: Angela Weber, CMO OrthoSynetics
Just a few months ago, Google made a change to its ranking algorithm that many in the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) business deemed “Mobilegeddon.” The change favors mobile-friendly sites and proved to be a major blow for sites that didn’t make the cut. Soon after, another mystery update seemed to be wreaking havoc in SEO land.
Google has finally acknowledged the change, which it has only described as a “Quality Update.” Characteristically, Google won’t reveal the details about what its tweaks entail, but one thing remains consistent with all the company’s updates: Google’s goal is always trying to improve the search experience for its users.
Although Google may change its approach from time to time, its changes are consistently underscored by the company’s desire to remain relevant by improving results. This mentality of improvement is exactly the one your practice should have toward its website. A website is not a something you can put on a shelf and tweak once a year. Rather, your website should be involved in a continuous process of refinement. If your site has suffered in its rankings because of Google’s updates, don’t waste time bemoaning the loss. See the changes as a challenge for you to step up your game.
Accept Google’s challenge by focusing on your site. Don’t buy into all of the hoopla about finding secret tricks to improve rankings. Don’t spend thousands on those SEO outfits who claim to have cracked Google’s code. No one has. Google is secretive about its algorithms for a reason, and I’d put my money on Google every time.
Ultimately, Google’s key to high rankings isn’t really a secret anyway. Remember, they just released a “Quality Update.” In other words, it’s about quality, not tricks.
Here a few tips for improving your site’s quality:
- Refresh stale, out-of-date content
- Make sure your site is mobile friendly or uses “responsive” design
- Check and correct broken links
- Remove videos and sounds that auto play
- Disable distracting pop-ups