Google’s already infamous new algorithm known as “Penguin” continues the search engine giant’s effort to find and eliminate what it considers to be spammy links and tactics. Many SEO providers are nervous, and for good reason. It is no longer business as usual for SEO providers. Small businesses that use the do-it-yourself approach to SEO should also take heed. Those that don’t adapt to the new reality will find themselves in serious trouble.
The Penguin’s Bite
Penguin is a great leap forward in Google’s ability to detect spammy tactics and poor quality links. Google considers links to be positive, editorial “votes.” The site with the most links ranks highest, right? Wrong. That may have been true in the past, but Google updates like Penguin (and Panda) have changed that. Links are certainly important but if your website and content aren’t pleasing to Google’s customers, Google has no need for you.
4 Tactics that Get The Bird’s Attention
1. Links from Bad Sites: Links from sites Google has already deemed bad or dangerous. This includes sites flagged as malware and for other heavy spammy tactics. Avoid these sites! There is absolutely no reason to take such an obvious risk.
2. Suspect Paid Links: Links with exact match anchor text amid poor quality or irrelevant content.
3. Sham Article Marketing: Sites containing insubstantial articles with content unrelated to the customer’s search (i.e., sites that exist purely to create links rather than useful content).
4. Blog and Article Comments: Exact match anchor text links dropped into the comments section for the purpose of creating a random link. This adds no value and usually looks something like this: “Great article.” VisitMyCompanyNow.com. Though lots of people engage in this type of link building, your time is better spent creating valuable content that won’t get you into trouble with Google.
Lessons Learned: Think Quality and Diversification
