In February 2011, Google launched a major change to its algorithm in an effort to punish low-quality sites, or according to Google, “sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful.” Since then the new algorithm, dubbed Panda, has undergone about 20 tweaks, each time causing fear and panic in the search engine optimization industry. Why? Because if you get hit by Panda, you experience a drop in rankings.
Panda is by far the biggest change to Google’s algorithm, initially impacting 11.8 percent of its search results in the US. So there’s a chance you were hit, or might be hit sometime in the near future. This is why many business owners seek the advice of experienced internet marketing agencies. SEO companies are experts in tracking and analyzing Google algorithm changes, especially major ones like Panda. And they know how to repair your site after such blows.
Panda isn’t all that bad though. In addition to punishing low-quality sites, the Panda algorithm is designed to reward high-quality sites with better rankings. According to Google, high-quality sites feature “original content and information, such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on.” This is an example of another reason to hire an experienced SEO company with the skills to outfit your website with quality content using proper white hat SEO techniques.
If you’ve experienced a major drop in your rankings and don’t know why, consider hiring a professional SEO agency to find out for you. For a list of the best companies in the industry, please visit www.topseos.com.