Google Looks Set To Focus on Content and Authorship More Than Ever This Year

For many people working within the SEO industry, it has become clear that Google is now taking a hardened stance against spammers and those that would manipulate their systems to get better rankings. If you’re a business looking to market (and profit)through search engine campaigns then you will probably want to be aware of these changes. The bottom line is that Google no longer gives assured results for simply getting as many links as you can afford. In fact, they’re working harder than ever to assure that quality and trust is rewarded, leading to a more complex relationship with the search engine itself.

Google Wants Links to Become Citations

SEO is big business these days but Google are curbing spamming behaviour to gain rank because it was never their intention to encourage it. In an original dissertation written by one of the creators of Google, he gives the idea that linking a website is very much like giving a citation in a scientific essay. You do it because this backs up your point and it also benefits the person reading. This is the ideal relationship Google wants with links and they’re implementing a lot of changes (most likely coming to a head with the new Penguin algorithm update in the next few weeks) to back up this aim with real results. 

It’s All About Neighbourhoods

 If you give money to an SEO campaign and in a very short space of time they come back with a page of links then you may want to look at where those links are. Google has implemented the idea of ‘bad neighbourhoods’ on the internet, which recognises the links that surround yours. If you’re selling handmade pet coats and you’re on a site where there are other links for pay-day loans and gambling then Google knows something is off. Likewise Google now recognises if a page has a huge amount of links for no reason and will lower its power accordingly. Mass ads in directories may not only stop helping your business, you may find that they do damage as the search engine sees that you’re a repeat offender in bad neighbourhoods of the net.

Write Content to be Proud of

Content is the big contender now when it comes to business marketing online and creating good, engaging content that helps your customers and readers is going to be rewarded. Offering bland writing that does nothing more than point a link back at your site is sure to be the behaviour Google is cracking down on. And as sharing and customer engagement become more and more powerful with regards to rankings, it makes perfect sense that you’d want to offer content that people want to start sharing and engaging with!

What Does This All Mean?

This year looks set to be one that rewards businesses that approach SEO with creativity and ingenuity. With that in mind it’s becoming the best option to have some creative around you with genuine enthusiasm and talent at hand. That could come from a trusted agency or in house, however it’s best for you to promote yourself. Aim to inform and supply with sincerity and make connections with other leaders in the field so Google can mark it. Not only that but if you’re a trusted source on your topic (and Google knows it) then you may find that it’s easier and easier to move up in the rankings thanks to these new updates.

Customer trust, excellent content and linking that benefits both parties is probably going to summarise a great SEO campaign for 2013 and beyond so make sure it’s a part of yours.