Google Panda and its Effects on Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization has always been a big part of Skillman Video Group and the marketing campaigns of our customers. However, as Google integrates a new algorithm into search result rankings, known as Panda, companies that rely on SEO must wonder how these new changes will affect their business.

What is Panda?

Google Panda is an algorithm, which is applied to sites to determine and separate the high quality from the low quality sites. In other words, if one were to search “Boston Video Production,” sites with low quality content will be weeded out from the top results. Google also released this statement to put Panda’s algorithm into simpler terms: “Panda is an algorithm that’s applied to sites overall and has become one of our core ranking signals. It measures the quality of a site… Panda allows Google to take quality into account and adjust ranking accordingly.”

Google Panda will become the core to ranking searches, leaving SEO users to ask themselves what makes a site “high quality?” Here is a list of some questions a Webmaster should ask themselves about their website:

• Is the information given trustworthy?
• Are the topics genuine?
• Is the topic unique?
• Is the information and content original?
• Does the article give full details and complete information on the topic?
• Is the article solely based on quantity and not quality?
• Would the articles and topics interest readers?
• Would readers want to return to the website?

Although these are just a few of the many questions businesses professionals should ask themselves about their websites, Google has also provided information on content in websites and how it can be fixed to ensure high quality.

Removing Content

Panda’s algorithm has many people thinking deleting content off their website will save them from the changes ushered in by Panda. Yet, this is just a myth. Google states that removing content could be damaging for any website, for articles with large amounts of traffic could be deleted unknowingly of their positive effect. Instead, Google suggests using Search Analytics to determine what pages are driving traffic and what pages aren’t. However, Google still recommends that non-traffic driven pages should not be deleted but fixed.

Quality not Quantity

Similar to SEO, content should be unique, compelling, creative, and original. Content should not be written for quantity purposes and with a lack of information on the search topic. Panda is looking for websites that use specific keywords and give people what they are looking for and aren’t just trying to reach a word count. In other words, an article looking to reach a 500 word count on Search Engine Optimization and doesn’t include significant information on the topic means it won’t turn up on a SEO search. Websites should also watch producing similar content, for this can be considered low quality if identical articles could be made into one. The same can be said about affiliate links. Too much linking to an affiliate site will take away from an article, for it will no longer be considered original content. Take for instance an article about online videos and it links 50% of its information to another website, it won’t be considered as to having original content because the information links out of the article too much; and thus, will not show up as a top search result.

How will Panda Affect SEO

SEO is based on unique and high quality content, just like Panda. Both use keywords, links and depend on compelling content. Panda is being used to weed out websites that take advantage of SEO to generate high search results. It is easy to see that SEO and Panda are very similar on some aspects, especially when it comes to high quality. Some SEO users are concerned about the technical issues of Panda, but Google assures the technical issues are not a fault of Panda but SEO; and instead a website should focus on “content and overall value of the site.” However, for SEO driven sites, in order to ensure continual high search results, quality control should be done regularly on a website. Yet, as long as the website takes pride in creating unique, comprehensive, and compelling content, Panda should not negatively affect a SEO driven website.

Fortunately for SVG, we continually follow steps to guarantee our content is high quality and gives the readers comprehensive information on a topic. We don’t release content just to say we did, but do so to show our ability as a video production company and a video marketing company.

 Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.