
With the introduction of Caffeine, Google’s new web indexing system, traditional SEO (search engine optimization) as we know it is being transformed. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on how a business responds to this change and how its online presence is currently being optimized against its competition.
Many SEO professionals are being challenged by Caffeine as they now have to reassess what they know and how it affects their clients. New Google algorithms have created some surprises for people who are used to conventional SEO practices; they are learning that previous techniques are either no longer working or not as effective as they used to be.
One of the big changes is that older domain names will be prioritized over those that are recently registered. Another is that the load time of a website is now taken into account as well. Sites that load faster will be indexed before slower ones, creating a situation wherein Flash-based websites and those with unnecessary content or large images may fall behind their competitors. Load time is also dependent on the physical location of a site’s host, how overloaded the server is, and how fast the data center is, so all of these factors are now more significant than ever.
The amount of activity on a website has also become a huge factor in its organic or non-paid ranking. Sites that are updated regularly will always outrank dormant ones, as search engines believe that more active sites are more relevant. A blog is an excellent tool for increasing organic ranking since it can provide more activity and pertinent information.
Amid all these changes, backlinks or inbound links still remain as one of the most significant and reliable methods of maintaining a higher ranking. Another standard that should not be neglected is SEM (search engine marketing), such as Google AdWords. SEM can help a newbie gain more visibility with minimal investment if carried out properly, as well as improve an already established website’s ranking.
In the online world, the quest for better site rankings becomes increasingly challenging as search engine algorithms change. Thus, the importance of a business keeping pace with the dynamism of online marketing in order to stay relevant cannot be emphasized enough.