Google is the master. Period. We can’t avoid it. If you want to benefit from organic search, the SEO formula is simple – listen to what Google wants you to do and do it! (And don’t do as they do)
It happened again this week. A representative from the web department brushed off an alert in Google Search Console and an increase in errors as inconsequential. As their consultant, I’m asked to defend, numerically, why they need to fix those problems. Understanding that the development involved is very intensive and there’s a high cost to correcting the issues, here’s my response:
Because Google said so.
Why does the conversation have to go any further than that? I wish I knew the latest algorithm and could magically calculate the changes on the site, the competition, and the popularity of the content and come up with finite calculations to provide a cost-benefit analysis. I don’t know the algorithm. I can’t provide that evidence. All I can tell you is:
Because Google said so.
It’s called search engine optimization (SEO). Optimization is an ongoing process whereby I monitor all of Google’s information, evaluate your site to their standards, and provide you with an audit and priority list to correct. Every day, Google provides more insight into how they want you to present content to attract search ranking.
We can prioritize based on some of the findings by other SEO leaders across the web and through experience with our clients. But within that list, I can’t tell you what the independent impact of each change will do to your rankings overall. If you have someone telling you that they know… they’re lying.
A recent example is advertorial content. This week, Google reminded everyone that compensating someone for publishing your content with a followed link violates their terms of service.
I’m not going to argue with a client about the process they took to get that content or the nuance of whether it was blogger outreach that happened to have a link in it but wasn’t compensated for the link… just the content. I know that they’re ranking well, and that ranking is driving lots of business. But I’m still advising them to stop.
Because Google said so.
If you don’t rank well and you’re not reacting to messages from Google about your site, errors listed in Webmasters, or paying for advertorial content, stop it.
Because Google said so.
