Penguin version 1.0 went in like a lion a year or so ago. Version 2.0 seems to be following in the footsteps of its namesake. Marketers bailed out of the business by the dozen as their businesses were decimated by the changes. However, the resilient marketers weathered the storms, rebuilt their web interests, and made changes that actually helped buffet them from some of the strongest winds of change that came in the wake of Google’s Penguin 2.0.
Now that Penguin 2.0 is here, many marketers who didn’t experience the same level of pain the first time around are scratching their heads wondering what to do next. Now is the time to consider lasting change that will shore your web properties up against the next animal Google throws in your direction.
Improve Your Content
Whether your web interests offer written content, video content, or audio, now is the time to make improvements. The best websites offer a fair amount of all the above content formats to appeal to a wider audience. The most important thing, even more important than making Google happy in the long term (since Google is such a fickle creature), is to make the people who visit your site happy. Some people prefer video. Others appreciate audio content, while still others prefer to read words on a page. Having a little bit of each makes everyone happy. As a result, Google is often happy too.
No matter what kinds of content you have on your sites, however, it’s important to examine it carefully and look for areas where improvements could, and should, be made. Matt Cutts of Google implies that the most important thing webmasters can do is focus on providing compelling, high-quality content and stop worrying about SEO. The more improvements you make now, and the sooner you make them, the longer your site will have to catch fire before the next Google release that leaves other marketers running for cover.
Become Involved in the Internet Community
Social media is an important tool every webmaster should be using daily. Today’s successful businesses are all about building relationships. The better relationships you build on the World Wide Web and via social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, the more value your website has to offer in the eyes of Google and your fans.
Ultimately, Google’s goal is to make the masses happy. Your efforts to build relationships and foster trust make people happier doing business with you and visiting your site. They’re happy. Google is happy. In return, you get to be happy with your search engine placement and profits as well. Penguin 2.0 doesn’t force you to go out there and get involved, but it definitely seems to reward you for doing so.
Penguin 2.0 can definitely work in your favor if you get out ahead of the crowd and make the necessary changes right away. The sooner you shift your focus from outdated or black hat SEO tactics to providing compelling content and becoming active in the social community of today’s internet, the better your results with Google and consumers is going to be. If nothing else, Google Penguin 2.0 forces marketers to shift focus to more profitable avenues.