If you’re an SEO reseller, part of offering effective white label search engine optimization services is staying up-to-date with the latest Google changes—yes, it has to be the latest because a one-month-old algorithm update can quickly become obsolete. You rely on old knowledge, you die; that’s the reality of the business.
All that aside, here are the most important, and interesting, announcements by the leading search engine:
Panda 4.1
Probably the biggest update as of late, Google let everyone know a few days ago that it had made a slow rollout of a better Panda algorithm. As you may know, Panda is a filter that combs the Internet to look for and penalize low-quality content. Marketers call it Panda 4.1 because it’s just an iteration of a major algorithm update released about four months ago. Depending on the area, it may affect up to 5% of search queries.
The biggest winners in Panda 4.1 are sites, be it small or medium-sized, with high-quality materials, such as news, download portals, and content websites. Losers, on the other hand, are those that have “thin content”, like websites dealing with games and lyrics. Some sites that got a blow in the Panda 4.0 update have recovered in 4.1 after making the necessary changes.
HTTPS as Search Signal
In addition to its long list of ranking factors, Google has a new baby in HTTPS. This means all sites serving on a secure connection would get a higher place in search results. The opposite awaits, in essence, to those that won’t switch.
The Internet giant first mandated the use of HTTPS on Gmail to ensure no third party could get access on the information that travels between its servers to the users. This, however, is seen to affect just less than 1% of search queries around the world.
New My Maps
Another exciting announcement was the updated version of the My Maps. A true gift to local SEO, businesses can now enjoy more features to create customized maps—a powerful marketing tool that can potentially deliver a personalized experience to customers.
Google never gets tired of testing its solutions, ditching those that underperform, and launching new, improved ones. Always be on the lookout to stay ahead.
