Google has changed its search engine ranking algorithm to help fight with spam and make the results of users’ searches more organic and relevant to their query. The latest global 24th update of Google Panda algorithm was introduced in late January this year and affected 1.2% of the English-language queries. This generated much talk in the professional web optimization circles, so PM Digital has studied the new changes and released a report titled “30 Ways to Move Beyond Traditional Link Building,” which outlines the strategies to improve today’s SEO performance in the re-shaped world of Google search.
Photo: A title page of M Digital’s “30 Ways to Move Beyond Traditional Link Building” report
The new study looks through the previous updates, pictures the link-building landscape in 2012 and tells how to adjust to the new rules by focusing on off-page activities. The guidelines focus on link building and content making, which should be created based on Language/Location and Freshness/News (this is strongly recommended). The changes, introduced with the new versions of Google algorithm, usually affect the large portions of queries (some sites even can’t recover after that), that’s why knowing basic tactics that will help the site survive or not to lose traffic is essential. The guidelines, outlined in the report, focus on such important points as fixing bad and broken links, engaging influencers, focusing on coupons and promotions, creating image galleries and micro-sites, and managing social media profiles properly to name but a few. View the full report here.
“Traditional link building activity focused on the number of incoming links and anchor text occurrence will not influence organic rankings in 2013 as it has in the past. Even planning to build ‘quality’ incoming links regardless of quantity fails to direct us in a way that’s productive,” reads the study. “If we understand quality link building to be the overall process of building off-page signals of relevance, location, freshness, media and social activity from trusted sources in a way that will impact organic rankings, we have earned our pass into the tactical world with an understanding that ‘link building’ may or may not produce a link.”