Are You Reeling From A Google Update?

Have your rankings plummeted? Is your site traffic down? Do you feel lost and confused over all of the recent Google updates? Trust me when I say, you are not alone.

In an article written by Jennifer Van Iderstyne called ‘The 5 Stages of Google Update Grief,’ the five stages of loss, introduced by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and typically taught in psychology, is applied to the plethora of changes brought on by Google’s updates.

Many businesses are feeling the effects of Google’s recent updates and penalties. These have caused many businesses rankings, traffic and referrals to decline rapidly in recent weeks and ensued a lot of panic.

Are you in denial over the Google updates?

Just as the adage goes, admitting you a have a problem, is the first step of recovery. But just admitting that you have a problem with your rankings and traffic, won’t actually fix the problem.

Sometimes it is hard to admit that there is a problem, and just easier to deny it. Because let’s face it, it’s ten times easier to ignore a problem than have to scramble to fix it. So, if you were sucker-punched by Google’s updates, it’s time to pick yourself up off the floor and face the reality of needing to increase SEO tactics to drive traffic and help your ranking.

A great place to start if you are suffering after Google’s updates such as “Pigeon,” is to work on things like backlinks, social media and on-page optimization to create stronger Organic SEO signals.

Don’t get mad, be glad for the updates!

Instead of being angry at Google for the updates, calm down and realize that there is some good that comes from the madness. For instance, the Google “Pigeon” update has actually increased many local companies’ website referrals, leads and business from the change in the local search algorithm. The change also improves Google’s distance and location ranking parameters. Therefore, it is a good excuse for businesses to focus on organic SEO to boost their rankings if it wasn’t a positive change for them. In other words, turn negative energy into something positive!

My rankings are so bad, why even bother with anything else?

It may seem like the end of the world that your rankings are lower or that you may not be showing up in the Google pack any longer. But, don’t give up! The following will help you overcome the problems caused by Google updates like “Pigeon”:

• Ensure that your business’s listing details are correct and consistent across directories on the web.
• Get reviews for your business.
• Find the directories that appear for relevant search queries and ensure that your business is listed on each of them, to increase the odds of your business being found.
• If your industry keywords are no longer resulting in the local 7-pack, focus on organic SEO to make sure that you are appearing in the organic results.
• If your local ranking drops as a result of the update, you probably need to develop stronger Organic SEO signals – on-page optimization, backlinks, etc. – to supplement your local optimization.
• It is key for businesses to be as informative and helpful as possible with the information that they provide on their websites. Keep online info such as business hours, pricing, business type, etc. up to date to ensure traffic and referrals, and finally, encourage reviews from your customers.
• Work on backlinks, social media and on-page optimization to gain stronger organic SEO signals.
• Update or add HTTPS certificates to your websites, as Google recently recommended.

It’s all going to be okay!

Coming to terms with your rankings and traffic being low may take a while, but when you have a stable mindset, you can pick up the pieces and move forward.

So if worst comes to worst, start over on your SEO or keywords, build new and relevant links and really increase your SEO tactics to increase business. Your business may not show up as often on Local searches as before, but the relevancy of your exposure may increase as those finding your business are even more qualified than before.

If you need some help in jump-starting or optimizing any of your digital marketing strategies, call us today for a free evaluation and see what we can do for you!

Sources
Cabe, K. (2014, August 6). What the Google "Pigeon" Update Means for your Business. Retrieved from Utah SEO Pros: https://utahseopros.com/google-pigeon-updates-means-business/

Iderstyne, J. V. (2014, August 14). The 5 Stages of Google Update Grief. Retrieved from Search Engine Watch: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2288682/The-5-Stages-of-Google-Update-Grief

Rudolph, K. (2014, August 18). Google Pigeon Update Ruffles a Few Feathers. Retrieved from Xcite Media Group, LLC: http://xcitemediagroup.com/google-pigeon-update-ruffles-feathers