Google historically does a core algorithm update multiple times a year, last year was no different. However, between May and December of 2020 there weren’t too many big changes. The biggest change came when Google did their December 2020 update. Google does updates for a reason, they want to make the experience for the end user better. So to that end, they update the algorithm in hopes to give the audience what they want when they want it.
While I truly believe no website is perfect, and we can all do more to “optimise” our efforts, there are some key things that we should continue to focus on. More importantly, we need to focus on them for good reasons. The user experience is driving the changes Google makes. Think agrees that we want to make our customers happy. Google has a heck of a lot of customers to make happy and they want to weed out the bad results and focus on honing in on the ones that really matter to users.
Keys to improve SEO results with the Google December 2020 Update
- Creating content was always important, but now Google is looking for it to be written in “copy-writing style.” One of my favorite people to follow Mr. Neil Patel wrote the article and it is spot on. The takeaway is that your articles need to be addressing current trends and solve problems for your audience. Think of how to SOLVE a problem that people are searching for. An example would be “how to wash a cloth face masks.” The point is that if you are going to create content do so in a way that is informative and is relative to today. Here is a full list from their developer blog that outlines exactly what they are looking for from content CLICK HERE.
- Create more links to other sites from your own content. That includes linking to things on your own website that talk about similar topics. For instance, link to your sources, link to like articles, find definitions of terms and link to those so your audience can gain access to content that will enrich their knowledge. Use backlinks that make sense for your content. Read more on link building on my blog HERE.
- Focus on your metadata. Make sure that your site is continuing to be inclusive for all. That means make sure that all of your images have alt tags and your meta tags are identified and optimized on the back end of each of your web pages. Need more tips on being inclusive to hearing and sight impaired users? Check out my blog on this topic HERE (see how I did that backlink to existing content on my site to help my audience gain more knowledge of what I am talking about?)
- Make your website Responsive. More often than not the biggest thing that kills a website is when it is still using an outdated template. Old templated don’t respond to the media it is being viewed on. For instance if you are looking at a website on your laptop does it look the same on your cell phone? If that answer is yes, you probably need to update your website so that it is the most responsive for the end user experience.
- Website speed is important. Google rewards websites that load quickly. Part of updating your site needs to include having a strategy to make your pages load quickly. There are some easy things that you can do like making sure that your images are optimized. More importantly, and there are tools that help you do that for free. Try TINYpng.com (see the useful link to something I am talking about on another website? Google likes when you do this.)
What is Google’s Goal for Core Updates?
The bottom line is that Google is a search engine, and they have been refining their algorithm for more than 20 years. Their goal is simply to make their search engine the best of any search engine in helping their users find what they want, when the want it. So the more specific you can get with your website in defining your customer, defining your user experience, and driving traffic to your website for the right reasons, the better.
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