21 Jun Did you get bit by Google Panda?
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve explored the cons (and pros) of Google Panda as well as some tips to make sure your blog meets the new criteria. This week, I want to look a little bit more generally at the things that you need to do if your website has already been hurt by Google Panda.
Say your rankings for certain search terms have fallen from appearing on the first page to the 12th (unfortunately, a common phenomenon). Here are some ways you can explore your content to see if it’s working for or against you:
- Run Copyscape on everything – one thing Google is concerned about is unoriginal content. Even if you didn’t mean to, it is always possible that your content will share similarities to stuff that appears elsewhere. If there are any matches, fix it. You might even find that someone else has stolen your content, and that could be hurting you.
- Check the strength of your links – if you’ve been linking major websites, see how strong they truly are. While it may not consider the exact parameters that Google Panda looks at – Alexa is a great option. Of course, it’s not ALL about linking to strong websites, but throwing a few in here and there will make Panda a little bit happier.
- Support your selling – any good website promoting a business is going to have a sales focus. If it doesn’t, you’ve got more to worry about than Google Panda. But anyway, if you’re making unsubstantiated statements, consider throwing in a little bit of research on related facts to prove why your strategies work. That will help tick the box of including quantitative data that Google wants.
Google Panda has definitely caused major headaches for many people. But hopefully our little series will help you ensure that your blog works to your advantage.
Want to read the rest of Beth’s series on Google Panda? Here you go:
Google Panda – pros and cons for your blog
Cuddling up to Google Panda