The Latest in SEO: Mobile Algorithm Update
(Cue dramatic music)
On April 21, get ready for the biggest Google algorithm update YOU’VE. EVER. SEEN!
Ok well, at least it’s supposed to have a bigger impact than Panda or Penguin. This update underscores something I’ve been saying for a while now: mobile friendly websites are no longer optional or a “good” thing to have. They’re necessary. This update will hit hard on mobile search. Sites that are not mobile friendly will see their organic mobile rankings drop following this update.
The update is not expected to affect rankings in desktop searches, so you shouldn’t see an effect there – yet. “Yet” is the key word.
Test your site for mobile friendliness.
Further reading: Moz, Search Engine Land
Twitter +Google=?
In February, it became official. Apparently, Google and Twitter have come to an agreement that will allow Google to index tweets and include them – somehow – in your search results. If you’re like me, you get a lot of your daily updates from Twitter in real time, so this seems like a great idea. How exactly it will work in reality has not yet been made public. To index so many real-time posts is no small feat. We’ll see what comes of the partnership, but I have high hopes!
Further Reading: Search Engine Land, BGR
Doorway Pages
A doorway page is a page created solely to be found in search – they’re not very useful to people. They don’t offer unique, quality content, but rather funnel users to the same page through different “doorways.” You can read more about them on Webmaster Tools.
In March, Google announced they would be dealing with doorway pages more harshly in search (meaning they don’t like them, and you probably shouldn’t create them).
Further reading: Google Webmaster Central Blog, Search Engine Land
BONUS! Moz Tool Update
For Pro users like EVG, Moz now offers an additional function – called Spam Score – to the Open Site Explorer tool. For every backlink to the URL you’re checking, Moz will display a Spam Score in green (good), yellow (borderline), or red (spammy). The score is based on 17 spam factors. The more red you see, the more spammy your backlinks are.
Not sure what a backlink is? Simple! A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Good backlinks to your site show authority and trust; bad backlinks (spam) make your site seem less reputable and can hurt your rankings. So, use this tool often to check your backlinks and be sure you’re in the clear! Not a Pro user? You can still check your backlinks using Open Site Explorer and check each link’s authority scores. Lower quality links have lower scores.
Don’t fear the update! Use it as an opportunity to keep you website accountable for its work. After all, it should be doing as much work for your business as other employees.
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Laura Lee—Account Manager
