Google Algorithm 2012 – Google made big changes in last 12 months. SEO specialists have witnessed great changes in Google algorithm which impact their job. From my point of perspective, this was a good year.
Google finally devalued unnatural anchor texts, which affect just websites with poor content. Now more than ever Google is focusing on the real people, real companies and real business.
SEO has been cleaner and more inclined to producing quality work since the release of the Panda update. Let’s recapitulate the most significant Google changes for this year.
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Google Algorithm 2012
Rewarding Quality
Like I said, Google algorithm changes in order to identify and reward quality content. Since November 2011, Google updated Panda more than 10 times. Thirteen, to be precise.
After penalizing websites with poorly written content, website owners had to replace all of that with quality well written content. Also, before this recent change, Google was focusing on a-tags to direct traffic to your website with backlinks. Now, after the changes,
Google’s focus is changed to relevant content on your web page, which means less spam. Beside the content, web pages are now analyzed for site structure and other relevant data.
Social accounts
If you have social media profiles (of course, especially if you pay attention to your Google+ profile) you can count for more link love from the Google in 2013.
Google improved its comprehensiveness of social media. Like I said above- Google is now more focusing on the real people and real companies.
Brand Name Anchors Instead of “Manipulative Linking”
Years ago, spammy tactic such as so called “salesy anchor”and other “manipulative linking” strategy was a goldmine for SEO. Now it is finally changed. Brand name anchors are the most important anchors. All spammy anchors are devalued by Google algorithm.
Of course, it doesn’t mean the manipulative linking strategy will vanish, but it needs to evolve, together with manipulative content and manipulative web design.
All of this means Google won’t get rid of the all of the spammy tactics, but at least these changes will force all those spammers to be more creative and think about the new strategy which will provide more quality in the eyes of the Google.
Google’ s Semantic Search
This is not a brand new strategy, but it was improved to a high level with recent Panda updates. Keywords were always easy to manipulate.
Now, with the last update of semantic search , Google is answering questions itself. This means you won’t be just competing against other websites for ranking, but you will compete with Google as well. The solution is to write your content kind of in a semantic way.
Whatever you write, ask yourself – how does this sentence answer searcher’s question. Bottom point is – focus on natural language instead of focusing on keywords.
Disavow Tool
It was launched a few months ago. Disavow Tool is a great solution for every webmaster who have struggled to remove all those low quality backlinks.
If you became a victim of “Negative SEO”, being hit by the Penguin or if you received Bad Link warnings in your Google Webmaster Tools, you should consider using this tool which can help you to isolate the “diseased links”.
Google Algorithm 2013 Expectations
With all of those big updates from Google in 2012, we can only imagine what will happen in new google algorithm update 2013. Sure, google search ranking algorithm changes will continue to impact search engine optimization.
- Furthermore, there will be less poor quality content, thanks to the rise of social signals.
- Conversion rate optimization and tag management will become prizes assets in 2013.
- Big news for brands is that behavioral re targeting will grow and become even more effective, which will have a big impact on eCommerce websites.