It’s been a few months seeing the drastic changes Google has made in the SEO industry. Being so fresh to SEO I never truly experienced what the impact of this buzz was all about. From my perspective of owning a business before was that this change was a great thing. I mean who wouldn’t want certain shady practices cleaned up and a true sense of marketing back on the table? If you own a shop don’t just expect to get traffic by simply having a website or opening your doors. From what I hear shady architecture, irrelevant, sloppy links and no connection to your targeted demographic is in any sense an idiot’s guide to bankruptcy. A well-built site that plays by the rules and relevant networking practices are what should drive the internet as well as any business.
So we have penguin, panda and now the hummingbird what I think they should have had was a flesh eating, four headed dragon, a zombie bear and a vampire seagull. Why make businesses that follow bad practices feel calm with cute animals. Well I guess it is a little more entertaining when you see a cute little bear tear the heads off of shady competitors. Sure, blackhat SEOs are under a lot of pressure to figure themselves out, but when I see the whitehats they primarily seem calm as Hindu cows; as Tyler Durden from Fight Club would say.
After weeks of Webcology broadcasts discussing change in the middle of change it really seems to me that a majority of these SEOs are uncomfortably welcoming in all of this and most have been prepared for months. However, the online businesses that sold their morals to the blackhat devil are under a lot of pressure. I don’t feel bad for them at all and they better feel lucky that there is an honest playing field to help them out of rough water.
Countless numbers of walking dead sites take position on the net and I don’t want them popping up at the top of my search any more. We are becoming more social on the interweb as well as practicing more translucent behaviors. It’s this translucency that holds these digital entities accountable and this is why there is a stronger presence in search. I always do social research before I engage in an online service and if they don’t interact or seem as an authority on a subject then I don’t bother with them. These companies need to do more than just operate and have a pretty looking web site, they need personality and social is what gives them this opportunity.
At one time I heard we had a thing called link building, but I would like to introduce it as “relevant networking”. This means – tie up your boots, get out there and start making connections like your Dad did; network with other companies or personalities who share a common interest and you will begin to gain traffic and business. Just like the good old days, call them up or send them an e-mail and get creative with campaigns to draw in your crowd. It really isn’t different from the good old Brick and Mortar mentality of running good inbound marketing.
Every industry evolves and this is what keeps life interesting. This level of search evolution is a great change and will bring together our advances in technology as well as bring back healthy, vibrant and honest business. We should all ride bravely into the sunset atop of our flesh eating panda and encourage the transformation of search innovation.
Pictures from Vanessa Mathews