Tips to Keep up with Google Algorithm Updates

No matter if you have a personal website or a business one, you need it to rank high on search engine results pages in order to attract customers. For this to happen, you have to develop a solid search engine optimization strategy. If you’re prepared to tackle SEO on your own, without any professional help, you have to learn as much about it as you can. For example, you need to understand that search engine rankings depend on certain factors. Moreover, it’s also important to keep in mind that the algorithm Google, the biggest search engine in the world, uses is constantly changing. It can be difficult to keep up with every update and modification, but with the following guide, you should be able to stay on top of most of them and keep your website on the first page of the SERPs. Here are a few tips to help.

Understand Google’s factors

First and foremost, you need to learn to speak Google. If you’ve been doing your own SEO for a while, you’re surely already aware of the factors that are taken into consideration when ranking websites. However, if you’re new to this, you should understand that having unique, quality, and SEO-optimized content is one of the factors. What is more, you want a website that will provide visitors with an answer to a specific question as well as present you as an authority in your field by having several backlinks to and from other quality websites. Then, you also need to focus on the user experience. Covering all of these factors will help you rank high.

Remain informed about the updates

However, seeing as how these factors are just one aspect of ranking, it’s also vital that you try and stay informed about the updates that Google makes to its algorithm. If you’ve been in the game for some time, you know that Google doesn’t really provide users with hints of when updates might be expected and what they are going to be. It’s not unusual for them to be noticed by the members of the community before being confirmed by the search engine. This is mostly because they are updated so often. So, start by checking your web traffic and ranking as these SERP metrics can show you if there were any fluctuations. If yes, some changes were probably implemented. Moreover, you can also use SEO blogs to stay in the loop when it comes to updates. For example, Google Search Central Blog is a great place for official algorithm updates and announcements while it also offers some useful tips on the best practices.

Follow relevant hashtags

Another place you can turn to for some updates is Twitter. While it’s currently going through some stuff, it is still the social media platform where you can check up on the Google algorithm and modifications. Seeing as how you probably already have a profile, all you’d have to do is follow the relevant accounts and hashtags. Consider following the Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) as they share major updates and insights. In terms of hashtags, look up a few related to this topic, like #GoogleAlgorithm and #GoogleUpdate. People in this field will probably mark their tweets with a hashtag that will make it easy for everyone interested to find the necessary information.

Keep up with the SEO experts

Keeping up with Google’s accounts is useful, but you can take it to another level. You can also follow some experts in the SEO field. While Google might not update as soon as a new modification is made, these pros will notify you the moment they notice something new. Check their social media accounts or websites regularly or simply sign up for their newsletter or RSS feed. Some leaders to consider following include Matt Cutts, John Mueller, and Moz. Furthermore, if this all seems overwhelming at times, you can always rely on professionals to handle search engine optimization for you. For instance, you can find experts for SEO management in Sydney if you live in Australia that will stay on top of all the modifications that are made to the algorithm and immediately apply it to your strategy.

Use tools that will alert you of changes

There are also various tools that can help you keep up with the changes. For one, Google Alerts will scan the internet and provide you with the top results for the keywords you’ve picked. That way, you will quickly see what is being posted about the updates. You can also use the SEMrush Sensor, Rank Ranger, Penguin, Accuranker, CognitiveSEO Signals, MozCast, and more. You can customize all of these tools to suit your needs.

Implement changes one at a time

In case you notice that many changes have been made to the algorithm, don’t try to implement them all at once. A small change can bring big results to your SEO strategy. So, it’s recommended to make adjustments slowly and see what each one has changed in your approach. If you do it all at once, you will not be able to track which modifications have been effective and which you need to work on further. Overhauling your strategy for every update will be a big waste of time, money, and effort. Change elements one by one and keep an eye on the effect it’s having. Maybe you won’t have to alter certain parameters at all.

Produce content of high quality

One effective strategy that will always work, no matter how the algorithm gets adjusted, is producing high-quality content. By being consistent with what you publish, you will easily drive traffic. User-friendly, relevant content is a safe way to lessen the effect that updates to the algorithm might have on your ranking.

Come up with a recovery strategy

Finally, in case you’re not prepared for the updates and they affect your business without you being aware, it’s crucial to have a recovery strategy. While you can have some strategies in your back pocket, turning to specialists in the field should help you develop an approach that will minimize the negative effects.

 

If you’re working on your website’s SEO, it’s vital to keep up with all the changes that the algorithm goes through. These tips should be of great help.