Are you relying on Google for all your traffic?
Have you experienced a drop in rankings, traffic and sales?
What marketing alternatives are there to Google?
What steps have you taken to prevent your site from suffering future search algorithm updates?
Many online marketers experienced a sudden drop in rankings, traffic and sales following the latest search algorithim changes from Google. Two of the major factors that contributed to these changes were websites spamming the search engines with thin content and spammy links.
Let’s dig deeper into the Penguin and Panda algorithim updates and see how they affected websites:
Google Penguin
This code name refers to a Google algorithm update announced on April 24, 2012 which affected websites that used keyword stuffing, cloaking, and unnatural links.
Google Panda (also named Farmer Update)
This code name refers to a Google algorithm update announced on February 2011 which lowered the rankings of sites containing low quality content and rewarded sites with high quality content (ie higher rankings).
Placing all your eggs in one basket (the Google basket) is a recipe for future disappointment. Google doesn’t care about your rankings or whether you’re making any money. They are in the business for themselves and want to remain the leading search engine for providing the most relevant search results.
Here are some alternative marketing strategies to Google:
Create Quality Content
I mentioned this first because it’s the reason the web was created. People will always be searching for valuable information on the web so if you help solve their problems by creating the content they want you’ll always get a receptive audience.
List Building
Building a list of subscribers interested in your niche will safe guard you from other forms of marketing you have no control over ie search engines and social media sites. Once you’ve built a large list you have the ability to generate immediate sales because you’ve established a relationship with the people on your list.
Re-purpose your content into video, audio, reports
Not everyone prefers to read their content in textual form. Some prefer to watch videos, listen to a podcast while exercising or download a PDF file to read later on. The more ways you re-purpose your content the more people you’ll reach.
Guest Blogging
Getting your content in front of other peoples traffic is a great way to get yourself established. For instance if you publish your content on a popular blog that receives thousands of visitors each day you’ll also receive some of that traffic plus gain high quality backlinks.
Video Marketing
Even though YouTube is owned by Google it’s much easier to gain high rankings with YouTube videos than textual content in the search engines. Convert your content into a video then upload it to YouTube and other video sharing websites.
Social Media Marketing
Network with others in your niche by sharing your content on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. Make sure you always redirect visitors back to your main website or blog because it’s a web property you control unlike social media sites which you have no control over.
Don’t dismiss Google completely but continue to optimize any content you create because Google will still generate a large amount of your traffic.
Resources
What Counts As A High Quality Site
Google Penguin – what it was, what it wasn’t, and what you need to do now
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