Are you heading for a break up with Google? If you’re not quite sure how to answer that question, it might be time for a little bit of soul searching.
As Ellen Gipko pointed out in a recent blog post on Search Engine Journal titled, How to Break Up with Google in Three Easy Steps, heading to Splitsville with big G is actually pretty easy. (The article’s title is a bit misleading because, as Gipko points out, Google isn’t going to care if you break up with them.)
If you’re the type of partner who’s not interested in breaking up with Google (even if you want to still be friends!) here are three things Gipko says to avoid.
Don’t Think You’re So Smart
Just like a real-life girlfriend or boyfriend, Google doesn’t like it when you go behind their backs. Whether you like them or not, Google makes the rules and most of the time makes them pretty clear.
If you think you’re going to pull a fast one on the biggest name in the business, you’ve got another thing coming. Google will notice, we promise.
Pass Off Advertorials as Real News
In a real relationship, your significant other trusts you to do the right thing, like coming straight home from work and not getting too friendly with members of the opposite sex.
Though you may not even realize it, but Google also trusts you to do the right thing, too. So when you start masquerading advertorials as actual news content, it fractures that trust and leaves Google with hurt feelings.
Google’s made it very clear that they expect a clear line between advertising and news, so be certain to respect their wishes.
Be True to Content Marketing
Relationships take a lot of work – the good ones anyways – and so does content marketing.
Building up an audience that trusts your content and finds some value in it is definitely a long-term project. Between developing good content creators, e-mail lists and a solid social media presence, you’re looking a very big job.
But along with all that hard work comes big, long-term rewards like increased conversions and revenue.
Finally
Make no mistake about it, if Google were an actual person you probably would break up with them. The way things stand today, however, it’s best to do everything you can to keep Google from breaking up with you.
How would you survive a breakup with Google? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.