On Monday, Matt Cutts, Google’s head of search spam, released a five minute video, where he quickly and efficiently explained and disproved three of the biggest misconceptions in the SEO world: updates, revenue goals, and link building. To watch the video, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=K2mv1KSktLo
Below will be a brief summary of what Matt discussed in the video.
Algorithm Updates V.S. Data Refreshes:
An Algorithm Update is when Google changes how the search results are ranked, indexed or filtered. A Data Refresh is when Google updates the data where the algorithm runs. Just a few weeks ago, Google released a Penguin Update, and that my friend, was an Algorithm Update. When you look at the penguin 2 and 3, you will find that these are just Data Updates.
No Revenue Gain for Releasing Panda or Penguin Updates:
Many people believe that the main reason Google releases these updates, is solely for financial gain. What many people don’t understand is that in the short run, Google may actually be losing revenue by releasing these algorithms. When they release these updates, especially Panda, sites with low quality content are being completely eliminated. Matt made clear that the main goal of these updates is to ultimately make Google searchers happy.
Too much Focus on Link Building & Search Engines:
Matt believes that many businesses are focusing too much on pleasing search engines by creating backlinks, and not enough time on building audiences through social media. Businesses should focus more on social media and other areas to help spread the word about their business.
Matt has pretty much provided businesses with ways to rank high on a silver platter; it’s up to you to follow these words of wisdom! Remember to create your own content, link to reliable sources; remember to interact with your audiences through social media, blogging, etc. If you can do these things, and get the thought that Google is out to hurt you out of your mind, you will start to see some results!
Joe Giorgianni