A company’s online presence greatly determines its online revenues and ROI in obtaining online business. For this, search engine algorithms will play a key role in positioning your brand on the first page based on your SEO efforts.
As SEO marketers or business owners, we all have a fair idea about what it takes to rank high on SERP. However, many of us would have been surprised at a shift in rankings without any issues from our end. This may be because of a significant change in Google algorithm update recently.
What is covered in this update?
Just a couple of weeks ago, at SMX West, Google’s Quality analyst Nathan Johns featured in an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session with Michelle Robbins. There was a considerable amount of light shed on topics related to search engine developments in this AMA. It also covered a bit about the changes the update has brought about.
In his interview, Johns said that the search engine algorithm changes are an ongoing process. These changes would be made in order to bring to light those sites that otherwise go unnoticed and hence “under-rewarded”. He also added that a “speed update” is coming up sometime this July, thereby ensuring mobile-friendly and speedy searches.
Core engine update?
In the same session, Johns agreed to the fact that Google underwent a substantial search engine algorithm update. If you’ve had a webpage whose SEO ranking has been acting shifty lately, you’ve got nothing to worry. You need not think that your page has been punished. Johns confirmed that this is just a minor shift and is not punitive in nature by any means.
To authenticate the matter, Google tweeted about the same.
Which other features have been introduced with this update?
Voice search:
A series of sessions conducted during the SMX West addressed one of the most endorsed features of Google – Voice search. Ranking your page as per Voice searches is apparently a totally different scenario, and now site owners can optimise their websites and/or their content to surface during voice searches also.
Johns may have lacked the specifications in the matter but generalised the concern satisfactorily by saying that it is growing and progressively getting better constantly.
What about the Nofollow feature?
In the AMA, many questions regarding this particular feature were asked. The crux of all the answers suggested that there is no evident change in the way Nofollow functions.
The ones who come clean
Johns added that those who have been optimising their websites in a prescribed manner have nothing to worry about at least, not regarding “negative SEO”. He is of the opinion that using the disavow tool on Google Search Console will rid you of those apprehensions.
Catering to the needs of the user remains to be the central ethos of the existence of Search Engine Algorithms, and that should be the focus no matter what. Familiarity with the overall functioning is important and one is expected to know how it all works. The only guideline you can use when it comes to figuring out the correct method to up your SEO ranking is to improvise. Improvising is something that happens when you incorporate the feedback you receive from your users.
Do write to us and let us know if your website too has been getting mixed SERP ranking signals.
