Panda Updates 2011 in Review – What’s going to happen in 2012?

My first week of 2012 has been filled with reading. I’m still on vacation, so I’m still enjoying the fact that I can sleep in and sit with my laptop in front of the TV in my jammies. I’m gearing up for the real world, though, which starts Monday for me. In doing so, I find myself doing a ton of reading – the latest updates, releases, blogs, etc.

Thankfully, for my holiday-induced sluggish brain, a whole lot didn’t happen while I was away. Now that I’ve started to shake off the holiday haze, I’m wondering when things will start to pick back up in the SEO world. By that, I mean when will Google start playing with new updates, when will Yahoo, Paypal, Facebook and all the other major players start wreaking havoc on us industry players?

That question got me thinking about Google’s Panda & Freshness updates, which by the way, were a God send, IMHO. As an SEO Copywriter and content marketing strategist, at least 50% of my day is spent writing and reading, and the rest into marketing, analytics, strategy, and so on.

So, to have a search engine finally put forth an effort to provide me with more quality content – well those were very exciting times for me – still are, actually.

Here’s what Google was up to in 2012:

• Panda Update 1.0: Feb. 24, 2011
• Panda Update 2.0: April 11, 2011
• Panda Update 2.1: May 10, 2011
• Panda Update 2.2: June 16, 2011
• Panda Update 2.3: July 23, 2011
• Panda Update 2.4: August 12, 2011
• Panda Update 2.5: Sep­tem­ber 28, 2011
• Panda Tweak:  Octo­ber 3, 2011
• Panda Tweak Octo­ber 13, 2011
• Panda Tweak: Novem­ber 18, 2011

So far, I haven’t seen or heard anything to suggest that Google will slow down on it’s quick-changing algorithms. Nor should they. I think it’s fair to say they made some great headway in 2011, and there’s plenty of room to continue into 2012.

What can you do to ensure you’re not negatively affected by these updates?

• Stop chasing the algorithms. They are designed to sniff out sites that are trying to trick it. So don’t. Instead, build a content strategy that focuses on building relationships online and off, and provide your readers with the information they want and need. If you do that, Google will naturally be drawn to your pages, which means higher rankings in the SERPs. Even more importantly it means users will share your content and continue to come back for more.
• Clean up duplicate content. This is a biggie. Too many sites aren’t even aware of all their duplicate content issues, especially highly syndicated sites. You can be sure that Google will continue to crack down this year, so take inventory of all your content and clean up the duplicates with canonicalization wherever possible, and cut back on low-quality syndications.
• Stop creating useless content just for the sake of putting words on a web page. This is the most common mistake I see from clients. Yes, you need to build content. No, you do not need to publish crappy content. It’s far better to put out 3 fantastic blog posts that will have readers sharing and clamoring for more than it is to have 20 blog posts that no one reads. No social sharing, no link love, no loyal readership. You do the math.

In another post, Less is More – Quality Content, I talk about writing clean, tight copy. The less is more concept also applies to the quantity of content you’re producing. Above all else, think high-quality (not high-volume) and you’ll be on your way to dominating the SERPs and increasing conversions in no time.

~Aimee

Everyone’s Crazy But Me ‘n Thee (& I’m not too sure ’bout Thee)

I just read a blog post that could be considered successful, in that I read most of it. I’m even writing a post about it. What I won’t do, however, is link back to it. They say that those bad commercials you see on TV are designed that way for a reason – even though they suck, you end up at the water cooler discussing the stupidity of each ad. Lo and behold, the company brand has you talking about them. They don’t care that you don’t like the commercial – they’re not in the business of selling great commercials (hopefully). They’re in the business of selling, oh hell I don’t know, platypus slippers.

Having said all of that, I’ve decided NOT to discuss and share the brand from which I found this information. I will not promote it here.  So what the heck am I talking about?

I read a blog post/article about marketing. The idea of the piece was to show you how to attract returning customers. Sounds simple enough, right?  The message behind the article is to stand out from the crowd, earn your readers respect by being a leader, a true visionary. Speak your mind, be completely off the wall, and to hell with those you might offend. OK, I get that … to a certain degree. But this is where things take a turn for the worse.

I’m a strong believer in marching to the beat of your own drummer. More often than not, when the crowd is zigging, I’ll be zagging.  Sometimes I end up where I want to be and sometimes not – it’s a gamble, but one I’m ready to take most of the time. I am unique, and I do not live in constant fear that I might offend someone every now and again.

It’s one thing to say to yourself, “I can’t please everyone all of the time, and that’s OK.” It’s another thing entirely when you choose to reference yourself (and subsequently your loyal audience and potential prospects) as white supremacists. I understand the reasoning, such as it is, behind the horrific metaphor. It’s great shock value, and hey, it got me to read the article.

Mission accomplished? Not so much. I read the article, lost all respect for the writer and the blog editor. Their result? One less reader, one less possible consumer, and by excluding the name and link here, one less promoter.

I can’t help but wonder how much thought was put into this hate-crime reference. At one point the writer suggests that we (the loyal readership of online marketers) be controversial and radical so that all facets of our personality show through. And that we should endear to our target audience and basically f**k those it offends because we shouldn’t care about them anyway – after all, they’re not spending money on us.

Uhh, we might have if you hadn’t just solidified your reputation as an Anti-Semite!

So back to the purpose of shock value. Why in the world would anyone choose to categorize themselves as a Nazi instead of, say, a Greenpeace activist, or Mother Theresa or the Pope? Just in case you’re wondering, I’m not a religious person in any way shape or form. Never have been. What I do believe in is the law of attraction. Like attracts like.

My advice to everyone interested is simple. If you focus on negativity, you will attract it into your life. If you want to be a Nazi hate crime white power writer and marketer, have at it. Misery loves company, right?

If, however, you want to associate with the larger, non-fanatical part of the population, then keep reading.

If you want to attract success, wealth and happiness, not only for you but for everyone around you, lighten up! Turn away from the dark side of shock value and embrace the warm and fuzzy crazy that’s within. Be bold, speak your mind, stay true to yourself, but for cryin’ out loud, be kind and respectful … people will still listen!

That’s what the voices in my head keep telling me, anyway.

~ Aimee

Less is More = Quality Content

An email crossed my desk just a few weeks ago about using the phrase, “Does that make sense?” during a presentation or on a call. The email was basically stating that certain catch phrases really should be left unsaid. The email read, “…follow the advice of the Strunk and White classic, The Elements of Style: “Use definite, specific, concrete language.”

The Elements of Style is an excellent read – I turned to it frequently as a newbie writer, and I still keep in within arm’s reach today. Reference to this classic reinforces simplicity, when writing and speaking. It reminds us that less is more. I learned very early on to “write like you talk.” When you write a piece of content, read it out loud. If it doesn’t sound like something that would naturally roll off your tongue, it’s not going to read well to your audience. The Elements of Style taught me to eliminate useless fluff from my writing.

For example, “It goes without saying/needless to say …” OK, if it goes without saying then don’t say it. And if you can cut a sentence down from 16 words to 7 and still deliver the same message, do it.

As a speaker, according to Jerry Weissman, a corporate presentations coach, “…you must diligently delete meaningless words and phrases from your speech.”

What I gleaned from this is that the same rules apply to both writing and speaking – get to the point. Just the facts, ma’am. It does make me wonder, though, if you are supposed to write like you talk, should you talk  like you write?

In mho, that all depends on whether or not you can write like you talk.

Does that make sense? I’ve read very different opinions on this. What do you think? Are you showing your own uncertainty by asking “does that make sense?” Are you suggesting your audience is filled with drooling morons who can’t begin to comprehend your complexity? Or are you speaking from the heart with sincere vulnerability?

~ Aimee