Google’s Freshness Update and what you can do about it
Google has been springing changes on us this year more than in the past years put together. Starting with Panda and ending with the more recent Freshness Update, many sites move through SERPs like bouncy balls. This update is designed to give visitors fresher content when they search for certain keywords related to timing (events, news, etc.). The best thing is that, as with any Google update, you can do something about it and insure your organic traffic is still flowing as before.
Here are some tips I found useful for dealing with Google change:
Research your competition
You’ve probably been doing this already but following rankings and new comers. This time, I suggest you investigate everyone of your main keyword to see if there are any fresh results that slipped in your SERPs. Look for blog posts, press releases, social media or social news links. If you see any of these links in your result pages, then your keyword is considered time-sensitive and you should take some measure to bring in some freshness to your site. Which brings me to the next bullet point…
Add freshness to your site
Freshness is a thing which most websites need once every so often. To add freshness to your content, consider starting a company blog once you have a clear content strategy or a press release center. Moreover, participate in online conversations to bring some new visitors to your site and keep an eye on rising keywords in your niche. Get some testimonial or review section in place to encourage user participation. These will tell Google there’s activity on your site and give it a good post in rankings and traffic. You can even develop some fresh content to get a spike in traffic on trending keywords. Just make sure to monitor these keywords on a regular basis.
Build your social presence
Social media is not a must for all brands, but it’s a nice-to-have all around. With Google’s Freshness update, social media channels can serve as a platform where you can easily add new content to. You can insert links back to your site, bring in some new visitors and engage in meaningful conversations. Integrate social profiles and streams into your site to increase interactivity and reader engagement.
Stay on top of trends
Use the Freshness update to your advantage! Blog about key events around your company, news in your niche or publish updates about the various products or services you offer. Get your keyword skills going and research trending keywords (Google Trends is just one of the tools you can make use of) to include in your content strategy. You will be rewarded with some nice organic traffic and possibly more customers in the end.
Surely, if you’re a seasoned marketer, you may be familiar with all of these tactics. But it’s never too late to put them into perspective in a new context. Now it’s your turn – tell us what are you doing to add freshness to your site?
Bogdan is a seasoned online marketer, working for Nobelcom.com, one of the leading phone card providers online.
