SEO is always changing, social media is always evolving, and the internet is never the same as it was a second ago. Paving the way is Google, verifiably the most popular site in the world, in constantly updating its infrastructure and layout. Fortunately, the tech giant has never been one to hide anything from its massive, permanently loyal user base, and as the internet continues to evolve Google makes a point to keep everyone updated and informed. Over the last week or two, Google has unveiled a series of its latest updates—so what do they mean for you?
Penguin 1.1
By now, you’ve no doubt learned of the Penguin update, Google’s newest weapon against Black Hat SEO practices. We now have the first companion update—what does it include exactly? Not much we didn’t know already. This particular update will affect less than 0.1% of all English language searches—but is significant in being the first full-fledged launch of algorithmic changes. Be sure you’re keeping good SEO practices (avoiding overoptimization with too unnatural use of keywords, spammy content, and bad backlinks), and you’ll have nothing to worry about.
Revamped Webmaster Tools
This month has brought several new changes to Google’s Webmaster Tools. We now have access to a new dashboard, with the newest and most significant messages in the center of the page, with complementary status charts to help streamline your experience (not that Google’s ever been overly complicated).
Google Plus Local
“Google Places” (including overall content, reviews, and photos) has now been fully integrated into Google +, Google’s delve into the social media game. It will be seen as a very small change for most users, but this is likely the first of a long-term strategy for Google to integrate everything into Google + as it slowly begins to dominate the world.
Going Forward
Even though competitors like Bing are worth acknowledgement, there’s no sign Google’s command of the internet is anywhere near an end. As it continues to develop, you can expect to see more Google services integrated and streamlined, and more updates to constantly improve availability and quality of content on the web. Staying up-to-date is essential for any business, especially one interested in preserving or creating an online presence—so consider reaching out for some advice from the pros.
