What’s this about?
I’m pleased Google has knocked content pruning on its head.
It doesn’t work for lifting Panda algorithmic filtering due to low quality content.
Instead, you should be working on improving your content quality.
I’ve always been against removing content. Glad to know I was right.
Read more in this extract from TWIS SEO News & Updates 27th October 2017.
#SEO #SEONews #GooglePanda #Content #ContentStrategy #GooglePenalties
Google Says Pruning Content Doesn’t Work For Panda
Key Issues Summary:
- At last, Google has come right out and said that the (wrong) SEO tactic of pruning content for Panda doesn’t work.
- This is as I have long advised clients (and discussed heatedly with fellow SEOs).
- Instead, Gary Illyes essentially reiterated what he said in 2015 that improving the quality of the content and adding higher quality content is the answer.
Key Actions To Take:
- Stop pruning content. That includes low-quality content, low-traffic content and low-converting content.
- Instead, improve the quality of existing content by making it more relevant to the user’s query and more aligned with its competitive keyword set.
- Make it more relevant with more text (or often less), better quality headings, better quality media signposting, and better quality linking, internal and external.
- Make it more aligned to the competitive set by analysing the type and quality of content which Google already views as hyper-relevant by looking at search results for the keywords.
- Become a topic expert by dealing with subjects in the right depth and then structuring your content and your website so that you are viewed as an authority.
- Click here to contact me to discuss ways to seriously improve your content and avoid or get out of the Panda filter.
Insights & Discussion:
The Great Google Panda emerged from its lair in 2011 to decimate websites which were stuffed full of low-quality content. Initially it effectively worked as a site-wide filter before developing into acting more on a page level (but still with site-wide effects).
Since then some SEOs have advocated pruning low quality content with very big shears, or machetes and 301 redirecting, 404ing or even 410ing that rubbish content as a means to escape the Panda’s jaws. That was wrong then, and it is wrong now.
Google uses trust and quality metrics in its evaluation of pages. These metrics can be hard to shift once set and removing pages does not change things much. Google’s Panda algorithm in in the trust and quality area of its set of tools.
It should also be noted that Google algorithms, despite what some SEOs claim, operate on a forgiving scale. You have to be really quite aggressively following a particular strategy to get entrapped by one. But, like many traps, once you are in there, it can be tricky to get out of.
Think about it: Google wants to show content to users. If you have gone far enough in your gaming of the algorithm that you have triggered the Panda algorithm filter, why would Google instantly re-adjust its metrics if you simply remove or redirect low-quality content. All that shows is you are continuing to game the algorithm.
So, build good quality content. Make it relevant, be an expert and gain authority. That way you have a lot less to worry about than a big hairy Panda chasing you.
More Information:
The State of SEO Mid-2017 Released
TL;DR
- Pruning content doesn’t change a Google panda penalty, so stop it.
- Improve your content instead.
- Make it more relevant, better structure, better signposting.
- Become a topic expert and make your content authoritative.
- Read The State of SEO in mid-2017.
- Read about how Google’s Mobile First Index is not Mobile Friendly.
- Finally, get your content ranking well on Google by starting to understand Find Crawl Index.
Thanks for reading. If you would like to discuss what these changes mean for your web property, or would like to know how to implement them, please feel free to contact me.
