The effects of the November 2003 changes to Google
Between November 2003 and January 2004 saw a significant change in the way Google ranked its search results. Many web sites and companies which had previously ranked highly could no longer be seen in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), and previously low ranking sites saw their rankings move up.
Google has led the way in improving its search results through the research and development of its page ranking algorithms. Google's objective has been to provide the public with the most relevant search results for their topic. Their late 2003/early 2004 revisions have shown significant changes, causing a shake up in the top search results.
SEO Engineers, who work with web site owners in achieving high search engine rankings, have to adapt their methods to suit the changes that Google have made. The new algorithms have made it more difficult to engineer pages that will rank highly. Web sites can no longer simply be "optimised" to appear at the top of Google SERPs. SEO Engineers now have to create web sites that deserve to rank highly; which requires working with their clients to create pages that will naturally attract web traffic and progress to the top.
Why have some of the top sites been dropped?
Web sites which had been engineered to fool the Search Engines (SEs) into achieving high SERPs rankings, have suffered significantly in the recent Google updates. That does not mean that they have been penalised for their methods, it simply means that they have been moved down to where they belong.
Most sites used honourable methods of achieving high SERPs, yet they too have suffered. SERPs ranking is a relative measure, and many previously low ranking sites have seen their SERPs ranking increase, hence moving other sites down the relative ladder.
Those web sites which did not see much movement in their high SERPs ranking largely composed of sites which had made their way to the top using legitimate methods over the long term to establish their web presence. Sites with suitable content, high popularity and abundant resources were exactly what the SEs wanted in their search results, and as such these sites have not seen much movement.
How to continue
The recent changes have shown how achieving a high SERPs ranking by fooling SEs is a short sighted solution. Such methods result in a constant battle between the SEs and the SEO Engineers, requiring constant work and development on both sides. Staying ahead will require updating the pages to suit any revisions that the SE makes in their algorithms. This is a costly procedure. Search engines will constantly change their algorithms to deliver better results and to contest with unprincipled SEO methods.
A long term method of competing is to create superior quality and resource filled web sites, which will naturally rank highly. The ultimate aim of SEs is to produce quality search results, which display relevant web sites. Adhere to the SEs principle and your web site will always rank high, regardless of how the algorithms change.
Internet marketing does not have to be restricted to SEO engineering. There are plentiful methods of increasing traffic through your web sites; your SEO consultant should be able to offer advice.
Search Engine Optimisation and spamming
SEO can utilise numerous techniques, some of which are considered spamming. Creating quality articles and resources to achieve a high SERPs ranking is an SEO method which does not involve spamming. Adding lots of hidden keywords to your page, say using white text on a white background, is spamming. Many unprincipled methods have been used in the past, and experience has shown that they will eventually fail.
SE's are constantly updating their algorithms to combat spamming, and they are gradually getting better at it. Web pages using obvious spamming techniques are already seeing their SERPs rankings dropped. As a web master, business owner, or SEO engineer we should consider moving forwards in fair and just ways.
Does this mean the end of the Search Engine Optimisation?
Most certainly not! Ultimately it will mean the end of search engine spamming, and sites will no longer be able to get to the top of search engines unless they belong there. Of course the SEO engineer can create a site that genuinely does belong at the top. Old fast track tricks will fail to work, but genuine methods of creating a popular high ranking site will continue to work. Hence the engineer's methods will change, but the role and requirements will not.
Search engine specialists will always be required, as they have the expertise to act as the middle man between the search engines and web site owners. The specialist's aim should be to adhere to the requirements of both the web site owner and the search engine. By striking this medium both parties are able to progress over the long term.
Old methods are still required
Previous methods of achieving high rankings required optimising pages with the correct keywords, in the correct places, at the correct density and prominence. The idea was to create a page that fitted the SE's algorithm exactly. We have discussed how this method alone will no longer work.
Google now requires a quality site, with suitable content to get to the top. However, the SE will need to know which search terms to list your site under, i.e. where to categorise your site. The method falls back onto the old algorithm of picking out keywords from your site. As such web pages will continue to require moderate optimisation to ensure that the keywords appear in the correct places. Until Google finds an alternative algorithm for categorising web sites, these expertise will continue to be one of the footings of achieving high SERPs rankings.
The other Search Engines
Google has led the way with eliminating web sites that do not deserve high rankings. It will be years before the other search engines follow suit. Old SEO methods can continue to be used in order to achieve high rankings with Yahoo, MSN, and AOL, which make up the bulk of search engine usage after Google.
