How to Build a Google Algorithm Update Resistant SEO Strategy

Most companies face significant challenges in terms of innovation. The products and services that generate current income must be continually replaced by new and improved offerings to customers. The advantage that many companies have in terms of skilled labor and a strong market position is about to disappear as other nations, after radically increased investments in education and research, are emerging not only as efficient goods producers but also as new centers of knowledge and innovation.

We know with a high degree of certainty that the primary reason why large and previously enviable companies lose steam and finally cease to exist is that they are not able to keep pace with the rapid development that is now largely exponential rather than linear. To significantly strengthen the capacity for innovation, it is necessary to take into account the increased reliance on employees’ creative abilities and be prepared to challenge conventional management and organizational models.

Algorithms get a bad rep in the world of search engine optimization. The negative connotation comes from the thousands of changes that Google makes every year, some officially announced and others not. In reality, algorithms are set to make sure that websites are providing a user-friendly experience and relevant content since Google wants to provide the best results for every search a user enters.

Algorithm changes can affect the following things:

• Search ranking and visibility
• Organic search traffic
• Conversions
• Return on investment
• Revenue

There are many third-party sites that track Google’s activity and algorithm updates. However, Google spokespeople have warned against these tools, claiming that they are not always accurate. With that being said, these tools can provide an early warning that an update might be on the horizon, prompting you to check in on your analytics more frequently and study the results more closely.

What to do with the ever changing Google algorithm?

Google openly discusses that they make changes to their ranking algorithm multiple times throughout the year. These changes might cause dramatic changes in how sites are ranked for important queries and thus the traffic volume and recognition that brands receive. They might also influence how results get displayed on the SERP.

With all of these changes, it can be tempting to try and determine how to adjust SEO strategies and marketing best practices to align with the latest Google changes. This, however, provides organizations with a very short-sighted strategy and fails to take into account the dangers of this theory. Here is what people should know about how to adjust to Google’s algorithm changes.

• Remember Google will always change
• Focus on the same goals as Google
• Stay abreast of the latest changes

1.   Remember Google will always change.

All marketers should by now realize that Google will always change. It will never be a static algorithm that allows brands to analyze it and ‘master’ it. Since technology and customer expectations changes, brands need to be prepared for regular changes from Google.

Therefore, trying to always adjust your internal strategy to align with the latest changes from Google becomes very challenging. The algorithm updates come so frequently that you would need to revamp your marketing practices every few months. The lack of consistent, coherent strategies will also make it easy for gaps in your strategy to emerge.

2.   Focus on the same goals as Google

Rather than trying to analyze and guess Google’s strategy, brands should focus on understanding the same goals as the search engine.

Google wants to create a user experience that helps people find the information they need quickly and easily. For the search engine, the priority lies in giving people an outstanding experience so that they continue to return to Google to make searches in the future.

To this end, the search engine continues to look for ways to better understand what customers want to see and understand their intent when making a search. They also continually look for changes in consumer behavior online to better understand how users might make those important searches. The algorithm then adjusts as they work to better understand these behaviors and changes.

Rather than try to stay on top of the changes Google makes, you should instead focus on aligning your site goals with the same goals as Google. Create a site and optimize the content you produce with the intention of producing the optimal customer experience.

Your SEO efforts should work to make your content and depth readily apparent to the search engine spiders. You want to clearly demonstrate your expertise so that both the users and the search engines have reason to trust what you have to say.

3.   Stay abreast of the latest changes in technology and customer expectations

Google’s updates often occur in response to consumer expectations and technology. Therefore, make sure that you and your site are ready for these developments as well. Keep yourself up to date on the latest changes in the industry, including trends in user behavior and what the technology is capable of. This will help you ensure that your site is ready for what customers want to see and how the algorithm might adjust in the near future.

The Google algorithm regularly changes, which means that it is not an efficient use of resources to try and continually adjust strategies based on how the algorithm recently evolved. Instead, keep the site and your strategy aligned with the user experience and producing content that clearly demonstrates you are the best source of information and help when it comes to solving a pain point.

Prepare your site for future Google algorithm updates

Based on historical data, we know Google is going to keep updating their algorithm to put the best, most relevant results in front of users. Hopefully you gained some valuable insights on practices you can do to ensure your site is prepared for future updates, but if you aren’t well versed in SEO and this seems a bit complex — you may want to consider working with an outside expert.

Effective Spend has a team of experienced SEO professionals who can help improve the foundation and maximize the ranking potential of your site using a combination of content, technical, and link building strategies. Learn more about our capabilities on our SEO page or contact us for a consultation.

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