Great Scott Batman, it’s Google Penguin!

2012-09-24 12:13:08 by Jenni

Google rankings are critical to some businesses, not only as a means of being easily located but also for gaining online transactions. However, new regulations from the search engine giant have unearthed a multitude of SEO sins, and they are taking no prisoners.

With Google’s latest update, Google Penguin, websites and blogs that indulge in ‘black-hat’ SEO tricks such as excessive link building, deceptive doorway pages and ‘keyword stuffing’ are being pushed down Google rankings, making way for more legitimately intended content.

While this may be a bugbear for some, it is a boom for those businesses that are effectively trying to improve rankings with more consistent and newsworthy material. Gone are the days where a low-budget SEO-driven article would get you a legitimate ranking. Now, only well written, high quality content will get you noticed.

Here are three simple tips to keep your releases Google-friendly:

• Keep your web links to a minimum: These are big red flags that suggest over optimisation. For each press release, only include 1-3 web site links

• Avoid re-purposing old content: Even online, old news is no news. Make sure any new material – whether it is press releases, thought leaderships or white papers – is 100% original

• Diversify your sources: Always keep in mind the audience of your release, and tailor it to meet their needs. This may mean several versions of the same release, but it will mean more successful coverage, and therefore a better search ranking.

Anyone with a robust PR strategy and a reputable PR agency will recognise that the Penguin is not a villain, but an ally. So embrace it and remember, the good guy always wins.