Can You Survive Google's Jagger Update?
Craig Broadbent
Google recently carried out a major update on its ranking
algorithm, dubbed "Jagger" by the SEO community. Many
webmasters have been left scratching their heads, wondering why
their websites are no longer appearing for search terms they
previously ranked well for and gained traffic from. So what can
you do in the aftermath of "Jagger", and how can you safeguard
yourself from future updates?
First, a little bit of history. What is a Google algorithm
update?
Google, like all search engines, has an algorithm that is used
to determine the order of their search engine results pages
(SERPs). This algorithm is made up of over 100 factors used to
determine the ranking of a page. The reason Google needs to
continually update this algorithm is to combat unscrupulous
search engine optimizers who figure out factors of the
algorithm and then try to exploit them in order to gain high
rankings. This exploitation usually results in poor quality, or
"spammy" pages, which are irrelevant to the user and therefore
not results that Google wants to provide.
Historically, there have been a series of code-named algorithm
updates that have resulted in large drops in traffic for sites,
such as Florida, Gladys, and Bourbon. These updates have seen
seemingly fine websites take a hammering and Jagger has been no
different. So what happened?
It's still too early to ascertain exactly what has happened, as
the update is still in progress and will take a little longer to
settle. Webmasters that are feeling the pinch have complained
that they are losing business specifically due to the loss of
traffic from Google rankings. So remember this – Google
provides your search results for free and they don't owe you
anything! Relying solely on free Google traffic to keep your
business afloat is a misguided strategy at best.
Think of the other search engines that can provide quality
traffic. With some effort MSN and Yahoo! can both send targeted
visitors to your site, with MSN in particular being easier to
optimize for competitive terms and statistically proven to send
converting traffic to your site. Ask Jeeves has emerged as the
4th most popular search engine and is also worth keeping an eye
on.
Look for websites relevant to yours that you could advertise
on. Many websites get much of their converting traffic directly
from well placed links on other sites, and if your profits from
these sales are larger than the cost of advertising then it
will definitely be a worthwhile investment. Think of sites that
complement yours rather than those that provide similar services
when looking for these opportunities.
Consider a Pay-Per-Click campaign. Some people turn their nose
up at having to pay for traffic, but consider the ROI of your
campaign rather than the initial cost. If you can strike the
right balance between your cost per click and conversion rate
then this method can turn out to be highly profitable. With
PPC, you're not at the mercy of algorithm updates. And think of
the manpower costs associated with optimization for organic
results before considering them "free".
The Jagger update has been ongoing since mid-October and is
still being finalized, so it is still too early to speculate
about what has been targeted and why. But the lessons of Jagger
are as clear as the Florida update back in November 2003. Don't
put all of your eggs in the Google basket!
About The Author: Craig Broadbent is Search Engine Optimisation
Executive for UK-based internet marketing company, WebEvents
Ltd. Clients of WebEvents benefit from a range of services
designed to maximize ROI from internet marketing activities. To
find out more, visit
http://www.webeventseurope.com
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