This much uproar hasn’t been seen since Google Mayday. Is your SEO company presenting you with a laundry list of reasons your traffic is declining? If so, the latest Google algorithm changes are likely to have opened a can of whoop ass on your site, leaving your SEO company embarrassed and stuttering. If it’s awful, your SEO company may require YOU to open a can of whoop ass on them. Perhaps it’s time to hire someone who takes a more holistic approach to SEO. How to find the Top Rated SEO Agency?
What exactly happened?
Part of the blame can be attributed to putting too many eggs in one basket. The rest of the responsibility is attributed to laziness. Nevertheless, Google’s recent algorithm changes have affected many sites, shedding a bright new light on which SEO companies are slackers and which are delivering on their promises of a multi-pronged approach to SEO.
Content farms are being devalued.
Content farms have been severely harmed. Google knows that the first few pages of their SERPS for many of the most competitive niches in internet marketing are filled with keyword-stuffed fluff, much of it posted on several of the top article directories. If Google is to remain the number one search engine (which, let’s face it, can’t last forever…ask former Altavista executives…), they must keep the cream rising to the top and prevent sites from ‘gaming’ the system.
What’s the issue with using article directories?
E uses them, Every SEO company uses them, and SEO hacks are out there. The main issue is that this is ALL some SEO companies do for backlink building and they don’t take the time to do it correctly.
Because of recent algorithm changes, links from these sites are now worth less than previously. Furthermore, many web searchers use toolbars that filter out known content farms from search engine results.
Some article directories have no editorial standards at all. Others have inconsistencies (approval depends on who is editing your article that day). Sites have been slapped due to the latest changes, and the fallout hasn’t been pretty. As a result, some directories are scrambling to reclaim their position.
If your traffic and page one rankings have dropped, it’s a sign that your SEO company needs to be fired. Why give them another chance to cost you time, orders, and money if they aren’t keeping their promises? Would they continue to optimize your website if you did not pay for their SEO services?
Companies that worked with SEO specialists who took a holistic approach were not as hard hit. However, search engine marketing strategists with genuine expertise in SEO and internet marketing anticipated this day. So they began diversifying their clients’ strategies so that article marketing was not the only source of backlinks.
Should You Stop Using Article Marketing?
No, you should not give up on article marketing entirely. But first and foremost, you must ensure that your articles are of high enough quality that search engines will recognize them as such, that article directories with decent page rank (but not a God-like complex like some directories!) will accept them, that other sites will want to syndicate your articles, and that people reading them will find them interesting enough to share them with others via social media and click the link in the report. Aside from article directories, you’ll need a strategic link-building strategy that considers various factors.
Read Also: Work at home Opportunities – What to Consider
