"The recent changes in Google's search algorithm are expected to have a huge impact on the whole content and website development industry, and that too for the better. The move will help weed out spam and non-value added content from the search results", said a spokesperson for Godot Media, a well-known content writing service company, commenting on this recent development. Changes in Google's search algorithm are likely to impact the existing search rankings of webpages significantly.
Although changes were made in 2010, the Google team felt the need for further action to successfully tackle duplicate content. Google launched additional modifications in the second half of January 2011 to avoid duplicate content or spam from being included in the top search results.
Google makes use of an algorithm to rank websites and for providing the most useful search results. In this algorithm, more than 200 different factors, including use of keywords and link popularity, are taken into consideration. The quality of content plays a critical role in determining search rank of a website.
Google is continuously tweaking its algorithm to tackle duplicate content, and offer useful content to searchers. "The primary purpose of the recent modifications in Google's search algorithm was to reward the sites that offer useful and unique content, and to discourage those offering duplicate content", said Godot Media representative. Matt Cutts, the famous Google spokesperson, made it clear that the two major modifications in the search algorithm in 2010 were triggered by content farms and spam or duplicate content containing sites.
For search marketers, all these developments mean that they need to give greater significance to the creation of unique and relevant content. The Godot Media spokesperson also provided helpful tips for website owners to take advantage of these changes and improve their website search ranks.
Some useful suggestions for webmasters:
Invest resources into generation of Original and useful content for your target audience is the best way to promote your business or website. Avoid stuffing content with as many keywords as possible. Include optimum number of keywords and make sure that the keywords are included naturally in the content. Google has become more efficient at catching duplicate content than ever before. It would be best to replace definitions or direct quotations on your site with rewritten content. Ensure that your website provides up-to-date and useful content by revisiting the content.
Tweaks in Google's search algorithm have increased the significance of unique content manifolds. Unique and fresh content is vital to improve your website's Google search rankings. "The best approach would be to give more importance to the needs of your readers than fussing over your search rank", advises the Godot spokesperson. Providing relevant content is the primary purpose of search engines, so your search rank is sure to improve, if you concentrate on providing useful content to your audience.
