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Danny Sullivan’s Take on Google Penguin

Google's penguins aren't so friendly.

In the wake of Google’s recent Penguin update, SEO practitioners, web publishers and affiliate marketers are asking themselves if the search engine giant has too much power over the Internet.

But in a recent column, Marketingland.com editor Danny Sullivan asks if web publishers are putting too much blame on Google. After all, he suggests, Google Doesn’t Owe You a Living, So Don’t Expect It.

Don’t Rely On Google

Sullivan’s main point is that, for many years, web publishers have relied entirely too much on Google. He recommends that anyone with a website take a more holistic approach to SEO. Google rankings should be just one component of a much larger marketing plan that includes forums, in/outbound links and news posting (to name just a few).

Putting all your eggs in one basket is never a good strategy. While we certainly sympathize with everyone who has seen their traffic fall off this week, Sullivan points that Penguin and Panda are hardly the first times Google has pulled the rug out from under web publishers. At this point, it seems fair to assume that change is a major part of the SEO landscape.

Still trying to recover from Panda? Check out Rebuild Your Rank After Panda

Spam is Not SEO

While Sullivan acknowledges that some sites may have been unfairly impacted by Penguin, others richly deserved to get knocked down a few notches. He points out multiple examples of forum posters who complain about Google updates, but are also clearly engaged in the type of black hat SEO the updates are designed to prevent.

Google has every right to clamp down on low quality content; unnatural link networks; or anything else. Sullivan correctly explains that Google is a business, not a public utility. Their primary customers are searchers and advertisers, not web publishers. These folks have been enjoying plenty of free business leads from Google and should welcome algorithm improvements.

Finally

No one likes to see small businesses suffer and the effects of Panda and Penguin are very real to many of our readers. At the same time, a clean up of web content and black hat SEO is long overdue and somewhat welcome.

Do you have a backup plan for a drop in Google rankings? Share your strategies on our SEO Forum.