Was your website adversely affected by Google’s Panda algorithm? If so, there is hope for recovery. Google refreshes the Panda algorithm about once a month, giving people like you a chance to redeem themselves and improve their site’s ranking. With every refresh, Google reassesses your site to determine how high the quality of the content is. If you have made changes since the last refresh, you ranking may adjust accordingly.
Every once and a while, Google will go a step beyond refreshing the Panda algorithm to actually change their criteria for quality content. This is called an update, and it could provide a significant improvement for your site’s ranking. There is no guarantee as to when an update may happen, but you might as well be prepared for it.
Get Rid Of Thin Content
Thin content is information that adds little to no value to your site. The content does not necessarily have to be short. It just has to be limited in the information it provides for the reader. Have you ever read a how-to guide that didn’t actually tell you how to do something? It may have talked about the process you’re looking for, but it didn’t provide step-by-step instructions. This is an example of thin content. Do all you can to remove thin content from your website, and you should see an improvement at the next Panda refresh or update.
Diversify Your Content
The Panda algorithm does not like duplicate content. Let’s say you have a blog for your website where you talk about home improvement, but all your articles discuss the value of home remodeling. Google is going to pick up on that and dock your site for it. You may have one article about the impact of home remodeling on a home’s real estate value, but then you need to have information about how to save money on remodeling or how to maximize someone’s return on investment. Diverse content provides better value for the readers, which is what Panda is looking for.
Improve Low Quality Content
Do you have articles on your website that you know aren’t written well? Low quality content will hold you back every time. You need to make sure that every webpage, press release and blog post you put out meets high quality standards. Go deeper than basic information that anyone can write about online. Make yourself an authority in your industry that your clients can trust. Not only will this help you in the eyes of Panda, but it will also give you a stronger client base in the end. People will come back for information when they see that your site offers quality reading.
Put Out New, High Quality Content
In addition to reviewing the content already on your website, you need to work at adding new content that will further improve your rankings. Target didn’t just apologize when their credit card breach affected 40 million people. They completely changed their processing security for the future. Sweeping old content under the rug may not be enough to get your site on top. You need to make positive changes that will set you on a good path for the future. Keep quality in mind at all times, and your content will rank itself.
