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The Most Important Google Updates You Should Know About – Part 1

Last Updated on Aug 19, 2013 by Jenna Scaglione

SEODid you know that every year Google makes 500+ changes to its algorithm?

It’s as if every time we blink, Google is releasing another update causing webmasters to scuffle about hoping their websites are compliant and bracing themselves for the worst.

But, if you want to do well in the search engine and optimize your Ecommerce website properly, you must stay abreast of these changes…and know the best practices for incorporating these strategies into your currently functioning website.

What updates are important to know?

Well, anytime Google speaks, it’s best to listen, but unfortunately, the search engine is often vague which doesn’t help many webmasters who are looking for answers.

To help you navigate through these changes, below is an explanation of one of the most important Google updates for Ecommerce store owners:

Remember Google Panda?

Nearly every Ecommerce store that understands SEO will remember the impact Panda had on the Ecommerce industy. In fact, many store owners were wondering if Panda was created just to hit Ecommerce websites.

Google Panda addressed low-quality content, thin content and duplication. The nature of Ecommerce sites is to include more images and less content than an informational website, but the algorithm wasn’t sophisticated enough to know the difference between webspam and an image-rich Ecommerce site, 100% of the time. Also, many webmasters duplicate product manufacturer descriptions on their site which could have triggered some spam filters as well.

To recover from Panda or stay outside of its targeting range, think about the user experience of your website. Google’s algorithm is focused on ranking sites with the best user experience towards the top of the search results pages.

Here are some pointers…

  • Create unique, well-written product descriptions. Resist the urge to copy product descriptions from the manufacturer. And if your current product descriptions are not unique, revise them accordingly. If you need some assistance with content creation, Numinix offers several packages that include content services. Or contact [email protected] for more information.
  • Fix 404 pages – There is nothing worse than giving an excited shopper a link to see a product only to be met with the dreaded 404 page. Too many 404s make for a poor user experience.
  • Broken links – If a link is no longer active, remove it.
  • Avoid duplicate product pages – Your product may be listed in more than one category which can create duplicate product pages. Rel=canonical tags will allow you to designate to Google one url as the primary one and the duplicates as versions of your primary page

Implementing these strategies and others will not only help you recover from Google Panda, but also keep you from getting hit in the future.

If you need assistance with any of these SEO strategies or more Google-compliant practices, the team at Numinix will be happy to assist you. Visit the SEO Services page or contact [email protected] for more information.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, when I will discuss more Google updates of which Ecommerce stores should be aware.

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