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Google Algorithm Updates: What they are and how to be prepared

by | May 4, 2017 | blog | 0 comments

Take Away: No need to dread the algorithm updates or scramble to adjust to updates if you monitor user behavior trends/ industry trends overall and prepare or adjust accordingly. In fact, you can leverage updates by staying educating on trends and market changes. karma digital helps educate customers on user trends long before algorithm updates occur.

My philosophy about search engine algorithm updates is that as long as you are implementing good SEO tactics and strategies, you are already in the clear! No need to dread the algorithm updates or scramble to adjust to updates. Google is all about trying to provide the best results to the right user. If you’re creating relevant, quality content, updating your site for the best user experience and keeping the user top of mind for your website, likely that will keep you at the top of search results. Most recent updates, like Fred the latest update that occurred in Spring of 2017, are all about better content and a more seamless mobile, user experience.

Stay Ahead of User Trends, Don’t Fear the Algorithm Updates

Keeping that in mind, the words “Google algorithm update” seem intimidating, but all that means is that Google Google updated how they serve  their search results. Search engines are constantly changing and improving. Google, like any business, is trying to stay the best in class. Updates are generally implemented to address changing marketplace standards, like the focus on mobile search in recent years. Following user behavior can provide insight into upcoming search trends.

User Search Behavior Trend Example: Voice Dictation

For example, voice dictation has increased exponentially in usage and therefore how people are searching in search results. Think about a time you used voice search and talked into your phone to look up something on Google. Was it longer than when you typed? Was it more specific? Was it like you were talking to someone not something? The trend I’m seeing is that search phrases from voice search are longer, meaning that websites keeping the user in mind are moving away from short keyword phrases and using what people are using.

User Search Behavior Trend Example: Mobile-First Index

Another example is  Google’s big change to a mobile-first index. Are you on your phone more and more? Look around you. At the stop light, at the grocery store, everywhere you look people are on their phones. In 2015, Huffington Post reported that young adults check their mobiles phones an average of 85 times per day. In the same year, Times reported that Americans check their mobile phones 8 billion times per day. Naturally, search engine’s are seeing the same thing you are and predicting that this trend is only going to grow. Some tech community leaders have openly come out about only using their cell phone, like Gary Vaynerchuk. Say goodbye to looking at SEO from a desktop perspective, look at your website on a phone and let me know what you think. Is it a good experience?

How to Stay Ahead of the SEO Curve

Pay attention to user behavior, or the actions of your friends and family, and know that as a business owner you can keep ahead of the curve by knowing algorithm updates will be coming to keep up with the ever evolving web and internet usage. Also, if you are following your gut, best practices and what you think is right for your website, then algorithm updates will most likely benefit your site, not penalize it.

Monika Choudhary

Web Developer

Monika is competent professional with 10+ Years of Experience in the Website Design and Development. She is having a great expertise in developing responsive e-commerce, real estate, social networking, jobs portals, classified, corporate based websites & her expertise includes WordPress, Woocommerce, Magento, Shopify, Codeigniter, CakePHP, Laravel. She is detail oriented, driven worker who enjoys fixing code and creating something beautiful websites from scratch. Quality Work & On time delivery is always her aim. Always trying to achieve client satisfaction level, she will not only work with you to develop an amazing website with high coding standards, she will also ensure it engages with your potentials to drive more conversions and leads.

"What does karma mean to you?"

"To me, Karma is the result of a person's actions and I believe that what happens to a person, happens because they caused it with their actions. Doing things with a good intention is what matters to me the most and that is what I always remember when working for my clients. I have realized that in this industry where there is a lot of competition around, I am working for my clients with a good heart and a positive vibe. That's what keeps me going."

"Who is your dream client and why?

"My dream client would be a company or an organization who passionately wants to build a strong online presence in the digital world. The one that’s easy to work with and that inspires you and makes work not feel like work is the dream client for me. I would love to guide them from the initial stage to build up their recognition through clean and advanced coding on the web."

Leighton Hendrick

Digital Marketing

+20 years of marketing, public relations, communications, advertising and internal and outside sales experience.

Extensive experience in developing and managing all levels of product and offering campaigns including marketing collateral, Web site content, SEO, paid media and social, inside sales call campaigns, sell sheets and management of campaign success metrics.

Demonstrated success in launching new products and corporate brands, developing demand generation programs, and creating internal and external communication pieces.

Exceptional collaborator with the ability to build relationships with trade media and manage large-scale corporate initiatives and events.

Proven ability to create and manage lead generation and call campaigns that result in the successful conversion of new and unique clients. Creator and Editor-In-Chief of IT Compliance Magazine, a quarterly publication with over 2,500 international C-Level readers.

Cassie Boca

Founder, CEO

Cassie taught herself SEO in 2006 when she was working at a small business that needed to increase visibility but didn’t have any budget. She understands the financial challenges startups and small business have in that they have to wear every hat and prioritize what they work on based on what will have the largest impact to the business. There are never enough hours in the day, but consistently Cassie found her time spent increasing rankings in organic search, ensuring locations and contact info was accurate online, building positive reviews, and spreading positive news about the companies she worked at.

In the last 10+ years, Cassie has seen it all, but always comes back to her passion for helping inspirational companies grow. As a consumer, she tries to limit her purchases to companies she believes in (ok, she still goes to Target… she’s a human) because as consumers we have the ability to help companies succeed. If we all purchased from companies that aligned with our personal beliefs, not only would companies step up but we’d see a shift in the brands that we interact with daily. She calls this being a “conscious consumer”… sometimes we think she made that phrase up, but the more time we spend with her the more we find ourselves buying only from companies we know the founders or love their mission.

Enough business talk, Cassie is passionate about connecting with like-minded people, traveling and is a pretty badass skier. She loves to chase winter seeking powder fields, and on a powder day you may even get a FaceTime call from a chairlift or the backcountry.

What does karma mean to you?

To me, karma is the intention behind our actions. Good karma, to me, means doing things with good intent, a pure heart, and positive energy. When starting a company, it was critical that I start it with good karma. In writing our mission statement you’ll see that our mission has the intent of helping consumers find companies they are proud to wear their logo or recommend to a friend…what I call being a conscious consumer. When I realized my intent behind starting this company was coming from a place of wanting to increase visibility of companies putting good into this world, I knew we had to include karma in the name.

Who is your dream client and why?

My dream client isn’t a company any of us have heard of. I’d love to hear from a young startup doing something inspirational, I mean, my passion is for increasing visibility so it’s not much of a challenge if a company comes to me and they are already hugely successful.

If I had to pick a company that already exists, it would be Charity Water. Their mission and vision inspire me so much, I had all of my wedding guests make a donation there instead of buying us gifts. But again, Charity Water has great visibility already so I’d love to find a company that isn’t there yet where I feel we can change the trajectory of their company through the work we do.