Monday, June 2, 2014

Panda Updates reinforce need for relevant content

As a partner to hundreds of hospitality related businesses over the years it has always been part of our business to advise clients on what we think works best for them. It's quite reassuring when we look back on our posts over the years that a consistent approach to "SEO" has given our clients little need to fear Google changes.

We have consistently maintained that developing good content is not only of benefit to searches but also for the bottom line of our business. It may not always be the easiest pitch to sell but telling our clients - in the words of one of our favourite Aussie rock bands - that "There's Now Way but the Hard Way (So Get Used To It)" but it is honest and provides them with a better understanding that much of the advice they were being given by SEO experts was simply smoke and mirrors and damaging.

Google's SEO message has in our mind always been pretty clear and Tina Courtney Brown in a Site Pro News Article reinforced it quite succinctly in this paragraph

How to Avoid the Wrath of Panda

Looking to avoid significant dings in your rankings? Here are the key points that Panda targets; make sure you are not guilty of any of the following, and you can steer clear of any penalties.
  • Never copy, steal, or scrape content from another site and claim it as your own.
  • Resist the urge to predominantly keyword-stuff your site’s content. Keyword stuffing is no longer a boon for a site’s rankings, thanks to Panda’s prowl, so cease and desist this archaic and damaging practice.
  • Ensure all your content is readable to humans, not search engine bots.
  • Create the highest quality, original content possible.
  • Every time you publish a new piece of content, ask yourself the following: “Would I publish this in a major news outlet and feel proud to put my name as the author?” If your answer is ever a no, don’t publish it to your site.
  • Publish content on a regular basis; sites with nothing but outdated and irrelevant posts are potential penalty targets.
  • Make sure all backlinks are high-quality; never accept links from questionable sources. If you have offending sites as link partners, your site is also implicated.
  • Double check that your site is technically sound, built with SEO in mind. Sites with security risks and obvious viruses are also affected.
All of our own online marketing strategies are built on all of these guiding principles and our a la carte Relationship Builder programme is giving not only clear guidance but is helping independent businesses develop better practice by reducing friction and converting more low cost DIRECT business.


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