The SEO world was thrown for a loop this month with a pair of key moves by Google that may eliminate, or at least radically change, the business for good.
If you’re someone who follows SEO news, here are a few headlines from September that you’ll definitely want look closely at.
Google Launches Hummingbird – Google’s new Hummingbird algorithm is designed to make search results more precise for end-users who ask natural language questions. The problem for SEOs is that search results that answer specific questions means fewer click-throughs. Expect to hear more about Hummingbird in the months ahead.
Google Kills Keyword Data – Secure search is another Google innovation that’s great for end-users, but not so great for SEOs. All those secure searches have cut off the flow of keyword data, a vital resource for web publishers.
Fake Reviews Net Hefty Fines -The New York Attorney General’s Office’s investigation into fake online reviews resulted in some big fines for purveyors of this common web marketing tactic. If other AG offices follow suit, the age of the fake review could be done for good.
How to Beat Google Updates -Even though Google isn’t announcing updates anymore, there are still plenty of web publishers who never adjusted for Penguin and Panda in the first place.
Post-Penguin No-Follow Rules Explained (Again) -When it comes to Matt Cutts’ explanations of the No-Follow Rules, you definitely want to read the most current information you can find. Here’s his latest take on this very confusing topic.
Quicksprout Opens Forums -Neil Patel’s Quicksprout site is a great resource for anyone who publishes on the Web, so we were very psyched to see the site launching a new forum feature. As an added bonus, Patel says he and/or equally qualified web marketing experts, will be answering every question that comes through the forums.
Facebook Graph Allows Enhanced Searching – Facebook’s Graph search feature is rolling out a new feature that allows it search the user’s own posts, status updates and more. Whether Graph is a long term strategy for competing with Google remains to be seen.
56% of Internet Users Google Themselves – A recent survey found that 56% of all Internet users admit to having Googled their own names. (The other 44% are liars!). That’s an increase of 20% from 2001.