A couple of days ago, Google rolled out a spam update.
If that sounds familiar, it should. Google has already done so three other times this year.
Whenever Google takes such an action, many business owners get concerned: “does this mean that I could be flagged without knowing it? Google isn’t going to see me as spam, are they?”
The truth is that this is very unlikely to happen.
However, it can happen.
As Google lays out, (and the Danny Star team remind folks) there are steps you can take to ensure that you’ll not just avoid the spam filter, but Google will raise your site and content up in their rankings.
Best Practices for Spam (and Everything Else)
The “Basic Principles” on this site are something that every business owner and marketer should read.
If you follow these four, it doesn’t mean that your site will absolutely be a great success. But, if you follow these four, you’ll never go wrong. You’ll always have a chance to have a website that people want to read, want to buy something from.
Google lists “Don’t deceive your users” as the second basic principle, but we believe it should be near the top.
“Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines” is also pretty great.
“Avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings.” If it feels like a “trick,” it probably is. Does it feel like a “shortcut,” or as if you’re cheating someone? If so, then it’s probably a trick.
Lastly, “think about what makes your website unique, valuable, or engaging.”
If you follow those, you’ll always have a website that you can build your SEO out from.
In specific regards to spam, Google added that you should monitor your site “for hacking and removed hacked content as soon as it appears” while also “preventing and removing user-generated spam on your site.”
Google is willing to help, but they have a fairly firm stance that your site security is your responsibility. They treat sites that have been hacked and become spam the same as any other spam site.
For more ways to keep your business safe and flourishing, schedule a consultation with Danny Star at (213) 457-3250.
