We are sharing our experience on what we’ve learned from Google’s confirmed 2015 updates. After years of building custom websites, we saw the need to implement search engine optimization into our web services. With the help of AnnMarie, our lead SEO strategist, we were able to create our very own team of search monkeys. Our team of search monkeys are bananas about helping you get better results in Google.
Below you’ll find Google’s 2015 updates and what we’ve learned from them.
April 2015 – Mobile Update (Mobilgeddon)
On April 2015 Google did something surprising, they announced mobile-responsive websites will receive higher rankings in mobile search results. This caused many web developers like ourselves, to work overtime. We worked around the clock to ensure all past clients who requested their website be transitioned before the update. It turn’s out the outcome was not as monumental as suspected, however some websites did suffer.
What We Learned: After Mobilegeddon we learned the importance of having a website that works on your phone is no longer a luxury, it’s priority. Luckily for over two years, all websites leaving the Logic Web Media factory are created mobile responsive. Our mobile friendly web design is one of the first components we take into consideration, when building your website.
May 2015 – The Quality Update
After a large amount of websites received a drop in their Google rankings many search marketers were stumped. Google later confirmed first with Search Engine Land, they changed their algorithm in regards to measuring quality signals. Google has since than released quality guidelines, created to help Google’s evaluators better judge a website’s quality.
What We Learned: We learned there are many components related to how Google determines quality. Simply taking another persons article and regurgitating it into your own words is not quality. Quality is taking information and putting your own spin on the subject. Quality is about putting your website’s main content front and center where it’s easy for the user to see. We can go on and on about quality because there truly is so much.
July 2015 – Panda 4.2
The Panda update is primarily focused on the quality of your websites content. Google’s Trend Analyst, Gary Illyes, announced the Panda 4.2 update started in July and will slowly continue to roll out.
What We Learned: We learned the importance of content is dependent on value, originality, thinness and your content to code ratio. Your websites content also should be relevant towards your market and always be written for the reader not the search engine. Google is smart enough to know if you’re keyword cramming, and can even judge the style and intent of your writing!
Is it possible we missed any updates? Of course. Google is always making updates and tweaking it’s algorithms to improve itself. However our SEO monkeys, at Logic Web Media have found strategies that can abide by Google’s guidelines and provide the best possible results.
**Disclaimer:
We’e extremely ethical in our search engine optimization practices and frown upon “Black Hat” SEO tactics. If a web design company guarantees you first page organic results on Google… RUN! There is no way for anyone to guarantee what a 3rd party will do.
Googles algorithms are user-centric and extremely top secret. They are also way smarter than 95% of anyone, anywhere that is using the internet. If you try and fool the Google, you will eventually get caught and your website will suffer the consequences.