News for the Hospitality Executive |
May 15, 2013 When Google rolled out its Panda algorithm update in February 2011, it upended search engine results pages (SERPs) in a major way, affecting 12 percent of all results. The algorithm adjustment essentially penalized low-quality sites and rewarded sites with engaging, high-quality content. Since the initial rollout of Panda, the search engine giant has introduced a number of updates and changes – as of late April 2013, the company has produced 25 Panda updates and a host of other updates, dubbed Penguin. Because Google is always changing its algorithms in minor ways, the threat of another Penguin or Panda update might not seem like much to worry about. But Google is currently busy preparing a major Penguin update that will have a major impact on SERPs, according to SearchEngineWatch. The Impending Penguin Update: What is It? The second coming of Google Penguin – Penguin 2.0 – will address bad link-building and linking practices, penalizing sites that use unsavory techniques to help improve visibility within the SERPs. Google’s team will evaluate a huge amount of data to learn more about “bad” – or non-organic – links, combing through the mountains of data on the Internet to locate the spots where bad links live. Once Google locates these suspicious links, it will devalue them and remove their PageRank, thus negating whatever positive impact they had on search results. The links that stand out to Google as bad either come from locations on the Internet that Google deems untrustworthy or in places with high “link velocity” – the rate at which a site acquires inbound links. What Does This Mean for Hoteliers? Hoteliers should exercise caution in their link acquisition strategies and adopt a policy of quality over quantity. In the pre-Penguin landscape, search engines rewarded the pursuit of large quantities of less-than-relevant links. Post-Penguin 1.0 – and especially in the lead-up to Penguin 2.0 – it behooves hoteliers and digital marketers to be more selective about the inbound links they choose to pursue. The days of search engine optimization (SEO) as the Wild West are long gone. Google values websites that provide relevant information about in-demand topics and provide added value for Internet users. Conversely, search engines punish sites that chase after large numbers of links with little regard for quality or context. Given these facts, it is important that hoteliers take care in assembling a link building action plan. What Should Hoteliers Do? The best thing hoteliers can do to prepare for Google Penguin 2.0 is to construct a quality inbound linking strategy. Adopting link building best practices will not only safeguard the hotel website from being punished by Google’s algorithm updates, it will strengthen the site’s link portfolio and boost its SEO value. The best way to attract quality inbound links is through the creation of quality content. Ideally, the hotel website is a collection of linkable assets. A linkable asset is defined as a piece of content that will generate inbound links through its uniqueness, relevance and informative nature. This doesn’t mean hoteliers must resort to gimmicks such as viral content creation to stand out online. In fact, several rather straightforward ways to attract links exist:
It is much easier to be proactive than reactive when it comes to SEO – rebuilding lost rankings can take a considerable amount of time and effort. Work with a digital marketing partner that can recommend proper preparations for important algorithm updates to keep your site from being penalized. Sample Link Audit & Action Plan To prepare for Penguin 2.0, hoteliers should request comprehensive link audit and tailored action plan for removing any potentially harmful links.
Asher Fusco is a Senior Copy + SEO Specialist at HeBS Digital, the hospitality industry’s leading full-service digital technology and marketing firm, based in New York City. |
Editorial Contact: Mariana Mechoso Safer HeBS Digital Phone: 212-752-8186 Email: [email protected] Web: www.hebsdigital.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/hebsdigital Twitter: twitter.com/HeBS_NYC LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/hospitality-ebusiness-strategies |
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