Thousands of website administrators noticed a clear difference in May of this year in how their websites were indexed in Google. Many saw a significant difference in the number of incoming visitors, both negative and positive, and noticed that certain search terms were indexed in different positions than before.
A discussion soon erupted on the internet, and the first theories emerged about what might be the cause of these clear changes in the way Google evaluates websites.
A popular theory that was going around was that it would be a new Google Panda update…
The Google Panda update?!
We switch back to February 2011, when Google launched the infamous Panda update (a filter to the search algorithm). In the Netherlands, it was rolled out in early April of that same year. This filter was designed to stop websites with low-quality content on their way to the top of Google's search results.
This Google Panda filter was subsequently updated regularly. If you had been affected by a previous update, it was possible to climb out of the Panda black hole with a new update, provided you had taken the right path and made the correct changes.
Back to the present: It soon became clear that this update had something to do with the quality of the content present on a website. It was therefore logical that a link was made to the Panda update.
However, Google had already implemented a major update in April: the 'Mobile Update'. It is therefore unlikely that another major update would be implemented so soon. Consequently, a statement from Google soon followed, stating that the observed changes in the search index had nothing to do with the Panda Update.
What is it then?
Google is very reluctant to reveal how its algorithm works. We discovered most ranking factors through careful testing and experimentation by many search engine marketers around the world. Even now, we do not know exactly what happened.
However, Google has admitted that fundamental changes have been made to the base algorithm. It was also shared that this involves a page-specific algorithm. Therefore, it is not a filter that can cause your entire domain to drop in value. Nevertheless, there are reports from website administrators who have seen 75% of their online traffic drop due to this new “update.” So, if virtually your entire website consists of poor content, this update might indeed feel like a domain-specific update.
This update was soon dubbed the 'Phantom Update' because so little was known about it. It is now generally referred to as the 'Quality Update'.
The conclusion
It strongly appears that changes have been made to the basic algorithm: the way Google distinguishes between a valuable, relevant page and one of lower quality. Google may have given more weight to certain ranking factors of this basic algorithm and given less weight to others. Of course, ranking factors may also have been added.
Google is becoming increasingly better at distinguishing high-quality content from poor quality. This is because Google is actively developing new methods to show the most relevant results to its users and is attempting to distinguish high-quality content in new ways. Furthermore, Google is increasingly able to actually 'understand' texts.
Knowledge Vault
To support the above claim: Google is currently conducting experiments to its Knowledge Vault to link to the algorithm. Knowledge Vault is a massive database consisting of approximately 1,6 billion statements, which are considered facts by specialists and authorities. By adding this large 'fact database' to the algorithm, a website can be scanned for factual inaccuracies, and this could have consequences for a website's ranking.
Given these developments, Google will become increasingly smarter at assessing high-quality content.
Have you experienced any negative consequences from the Quality Update?
If you indeed experienced a drop in search traffic last May, I advise you to take immediate action. It is likely that Google will implement even more updates in the future to determine the quality of a website. Let this serve as a first warning to you.
If you haven't experienced any issues, that is of course great for now. However, it is wise to take a close look at your current strategy as well. After all, future updates could be more far-reaching.
Guidelines for a high-quality website / page
After launching the Panda update, Google compiled a list of questions you can ask yourself. If there are quite a few questions you can answer 'NO' to, then the question is whether you are on the right track.
Some questions:
- Would you trust the information presented in this article?
- Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature?
- Does the site have duplicate, overlapping, or redundant articles on the same or similar topics with slightly different keyword variations?
- How much quality control is done on content?
- Does the article describe both sides of a story?
- Is the site a recognized authority on its topic?
You can find the entire blog post with all the questions here.
Often 'no' as the answer? This is what you need to do!
Conduct a thorough review of your own website and ensure that you resolve any problems found.
Some problems you can solve:
[su_heading size=”18″ align=”left”]1. Little Content
Do you have few pages with content on your website, or do you have enough pages but they contain little text? Do something about it! Ensure that you merge certain pages and add new text. Pay attention to quality. Try to handle topics carefully, add external sources and citations. Write for the visitor!
[su_heading size=”18″ align=”left”]2. Low content quality
Do you have many pages of content, but is the quality not up to par? Make sure you revise these texts. Try to remove as many sentences as possible that were only intended to make your texts longer. Avoid a 'blah blah' article.
[su_heading size=”18″ align=”left”]3. Copied / duplicate content
Analyze whether you have used text from other sources, and you may have used sections of text on multiple pages. Copied content (duplicate content) can also occur because, for example, your CMS is not properly configured. Analyze the search index by typing 'site:yourdomainname.nl' into Google and check which pages are indexed. Are there pages in the index with virtually the same content? Ensure that a solution is found.
[su_heading size=”18″ align=”left”]4. Poor usability
If you have a website that is not user-friendly, it is time to do something about it. The navigation structure might be poor, finding content might be difficult, or the design might simply be unattractive. To determine the quality of a page, Google may take bounce rate values into account. So ensure that you provide an optimal user experience and that your visitors don't leave after just one page.
[su_heading size=”18″ align=”left”]5. Use of advertisements
Google considers the use of advertisements to be user-unfriendly. It has long been known that pages displaying ads above 'the fold' (the top section of the website visible without scrolling) are ranked lower. If the goal of your website is to get people to click on ads, you may encounter problems with this. Texts written in an overly commercial style lacking actual content can also be negatively affected.
And finally
Be critical of your own website and current strategy. Solve existing problems and start adding new, high-quality content today.
Curious if your website complies and is set up for the user? Contact us today!