Beat the
Tony Tovar
Google Updates t a e r With G t n e t n o C
· Issue 19 · August 2012
ar v o yT n o by T
2. Do use social media to identify and cultivate brand
G
oogle has a habit of choosing warm, fuzzy names
evangelists.
for the various updates its search algorithm has
Get used to the idea of interactive marketing, rather
been undergoing recently. The company’s latest up-
than top-down marketing. In the latter, you hand the con-
date was named Penguin; preceded by several renditions
sumer a marketing message via TV, radio or a magazine
of Panda.
ad. The new era of marketing is a dialogue, not a mono-
There was also Venice, which, while not as adorable and cuddly a name as Penguin or Panda, still has a certain romantic aura about it.
logue. The smartest way to use social media to create a Panda-era link building campaign is to develop brand ad-
Business owners negatively impacted by changes to
vocates amongst your Facebook, Twitter and other social
the algorithm would prefer an update name like “Google
media followers. Cultivate relationships with influential
Kraken.” A Kraken, is the mythical giant sea monster that
consumers and learn how to get them to generate quality
supposedly swallowed ships whole.
content that references your site.
If you are a site owner, take this advice to heart; Don’t fight Google. Join Google.
3. Do measure and refine your content. In the initial gold rush into social media, companies
All of Google’s multiple updates have the same goal
started churning out social content with an “if you build
in mind, which is to provide search users with the best
it, they will come” mentality, without much thought as to
possible search experience. No matter if the next Google
how they would measure results.
update is called Google Meerkat or Google Cockroach, your
Quality content, including social content, must be
website will be safe if you focus on developing relevant,
constantly measured and refined. With new tools such as
high-quality content.
the social media measurement update to Google Analytics,
Here are three content development tips for your site:
1. Don’t chase outdated black hat SEO techniques.
there’s no excuse for not optimizing content. In all, quality content gives the people what they
Black hat SEO is appealing to some, because it works,
want. Instead of focusing so much on SEO techniques, con-
at least for a little while. Things like article marketing,
centrate on delivering the creative, high-quality informa-
article spinning, link farms, link networks and so on have
tion that your website users want, then cultivate brand
all gained traction within the SERPs (search engine results
advocates to spread that content far and wide.
pages) before.
When you stop focusing on search engines and start
However, these are the exact techniques that updates
focusing on humans, you have found the talisman that
like Panda aim to eradicate. If you use these techniques,
protects you forever from Google Kraken or any other
you make your site vulnerable to algorithm changes.
Google update.
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Tony Tovar is the owner of an online company that provides content writing services.