Google updates its search algorithms hundreds of times a year tweaking everything from how it presents Turkish weather reports to how it weighs factors like in- and outbound links.
While this constant updating is great news for Google end-users, it’s a genuine headache for web publishers who are left trying to figure out how these changes are impacting their traffic.
Google, of course, isn’t always particularly forthcoming when it comes to sharing update news, so SEO’s are forced to rely on other sources to suss out this mission critical information.
In a recent posting on CalvinAyre.com, SEO guru Nick Garner shared a few tips for finding out how, or even if, Google updates are affecting your sites. Here are a few of Garner’s pointers, along with a few of our own.
Use a Third Party App
SEO is a big business and there’s not shortage of third party web apps out there designed to help you navigate the mysterious waters of the World Wide Web.
Though there are dozens of products to choose from, Garner recommends a web analytic tool from Barracuda Digital. This web app presents a simple overlay of your traffic against an chart of known Google updates.
Like most products in this category, Barracuda pulls its data directly from your Google analytics account.
Look in the Mirror
Spend a few minutes browsing SEO forums and you might be forgiven for thinking that Google updates its algorithms hundreds of time each and every month.
That’s because plenty of web publishers have a tendency to blame every dip in traffic on Google, rather their own ability to compete in an ever-changing SEO landscape. Scratch the surface of these postings and you’ll usually find a site that’s practicing something less than white hat SEO.
Mozcast
Moz (formerly SEOMoz) is one of the most reliable names in the SEO business and are a go-to spot for Google update info. Every day Moz follows hundreds of keyword rankings to produce a Dow Jones Industrial Average-style report called the Mozcast.
Just like its Wall Street counterpart, the Mozcast presents a good overview