Everything You Need to Know About the ‘Quality Update’…
It seems every other week Google is releasing some manner of algorithm update, and whether we like it or not, as a business whose online platform relies on being seen to generate leads and subsequent sales, taking note of ranking changes is vital. Just last month the ‘Quality Update’ sent ripples through the online world, with many webmasters marking it as a significant ranking change, but what exactly is the update all about? And how will it affect how you operate online?
As a leading and experienced SEO agency, we make it our business to learn more about the latest algorithm updates so you don’t have to. Here our search engine optimisation specialists reveal all you need to know about the Quality Update…
What is the Quality Update?
Google has confirmed that the update will change how it assesses the quality of content. The change is no surprise to the SEO community and the publishers who produce content both on-site and off, two parties that have been noticing small changes here and there, and questioning what exactly is going on. After a series of denials, many christened the changes ‘The Phantom Update’ until last month when Google confirmed that it wasn’t a figment of our imaginations.
Google has since stated that how quality signals are processed and interpreted has changed. Whilst, as usual, Google has kept stum about the specifics of the update, we know that Google use vast criteria to rate the quality of content on a page or across the wider site, and it is thought that the update will mean some factors will outweigh others in importance and vice versa.
How has the update affected the web?
Like any update, determining what we need to do to avoid being damaged and to succeed in the wake of new ranking changes comes down to taking a closer look at the casualties.
According to Paul Edmondson, CEO of Hubpages, 22% of Google search traffic disappeared as a result of the Quality Update. Hubpages also came to the conclusion that the search engine giant was targeting ‘how to’ websites, with About.com, eHow, Answers.com and Wikihow charting the biggest traffic losses in the latest update. In the same breath however, Wikia, Wonderhowto, Instructables and Quora gained traffic, a move that left many a little perplexed! Credit loan and news sites have also shown similar trends.
If you have been affected by the update, an SEO assessment of your website is the best place to begin and there are a number of strategies that are certain to bring you back from the brink. Contact our search engine optimisation team today to get started.
