Google Panda updates with Eric Enge at Search Engine Marketing New England

It seems like we are constantly trying to understand search engine algorithms, only to learn that algorithms are always changing and there is always something to be learned.  Fun, right?  One of these search engine algorithm changes occurred on February 23, 2011, when Google created Panda; yet another search algorithm change (cue hitting your head on the keyboard, now).

What is Panda?  Panda measures content quality and user experience to provide the user with the best search results. Panda also identifies pages that are relevant for a query, but lack significant content for viewers (aka “content farms”).

What has Panda done, thus far?  Eric Enge, president of Stone Temple Consulting, answers this question by going into the changes Panda brought about, what this means for users and publishers, and future predictions for Google at June’s Search Engine Marketing New England event.

Panda update aftermath

• Total number of Panda recoveries: Zero
• Panda recovery requires traditional marketing expertise
• Panda is a fundamental shift for Google — it’s not going away
• Panda will expand, Google trying to push it down to lower traffic levels

Panda recovery prescription

• Establish authority
• Offer a unique point of view
• Provide new info/data
• Bring in user-generated content
• Kill weak pages
• Add unique tools and video

Post-Panda Search Engine Optimization

• Is about promotion — through links and social
• Should focus on generating authority
• Search engines are looking to see if you have anything new to say (not rehashed content)
• Content should cater to users NOT search marketing tactics
• Ad density: In many cases search engines can measure this: Don’t go overboard
• Low AdSense click-through rate can bring a page down overall with Google
• Google’s Webmaster Guidelines can help your page rank

Zappos case study

• A bad review with intelligible sentences sells more than a good review that’s well-written
• Zappos spends millions to edit user-generated content
  • Errors affect conversion
• “Simple” writing doesn’t mean dumbed-down
• Everybody’s stupid when they’re impatient ← LOVE THIS

Google Analytics

• 59% of all websites have Google Analytics
• Google Analytics time on-site = from the time you arrived at the last page you viewed
• Bounce rate in Google Analytics = only looked at 1 page

Eric Enge’s expertise keeps everyone updated on Panda, perhaps Google’s most significant algorithm change.  Don’t be overwhelmed by all the search engine algorithms out there: Stay briefed, embrace input, and work on creating great and UNIQUE content.

Eric Enge is the president of Stone Temple Consulting.  He also writes for the Stone Temple blog, Search Engine Watch, Search Engine Land, and is a co-author of The Art of SEO, published by O’Reilly Media.

Thanks for the input for this post @diannahuff, @stonetemple