Google – New Website Quality Guidelines

Latest dental SEO updates

In 2011 Google started to move the SEO goalposts by introducing the “Panda” update. This targeted low quality sites which published content primarily for the purposes of SEO. One of the main link building sources for SEO’s, article sites, became defunct virtually overnight. Google followed this up with other sweeping changes in 2012, starting in April with its ‘Penguin’ update – aimed at ‘over-optimised’ sites and unnatural link-building patterns. Many sites, including marketing and dental practice sites, were hit and demoted. Some suffered significant reductions in enquiries as a result.

However, Google has not finished its purge on ‘forced’ SEO and more changes and penalties are on the horizon. So what does Google have in store next?

Directory and Article sites already defunct – Social Bookmarking next?

During 2011 and into 2012, Google devalued mass links from directories and articles sites. With the exception of submission to good quality, local business directories (primarily to aid local search), use of these sources is now pretty much worthless. In the face of this, many SEO companies resorted to the only mass link-building tool left – social bookmarking. Whilst careful bookmarking using trusted profiles on reputable sites still does have a place, bulk bookmarking from low-quality sites is now in Google’s sights for the next tranche of ranking penalties.

Google quality guidelines

The recent update to Google’s search quality guidelines now clearly identifies low quality, mass bookmarking as being in scope for attracting ranking penalties. The door is shutting fast on all forms of unnatural, forced SEO.

Google is understandably very secretive about how its ranking algorithm works and consequently lots of conjecture and speculation exists on numerous SEO forums about exactly what is going on and how to work around it. However, we always recommend going back to grass-roots and reviewing in detail any formal guidelines that Google publishes. Where they make specific reference to certain techniques, for sure its best to take note!

Where does SEO go now?

The days of outsourced, mass, poor-quality link-building are gone. If your marketing partner continues with these techniques, your site will also fail. The future of SEO is still being shaped but will focus around earning links from broad content marketing strategies, social sharing and citations rather than forced link-building.

Please check that your SEO partner is up-to-speed and abreast of the latest Google changes and don’t risk a ranking penalty. If you need impartial advice on SEO or if you have concerns that your website may have received a penalty, please call us on 01332 672548.