On August 1, 2018, Google rolled out its third algorithm update for the year which many SEO professionals consider to be the biggest one since Penguin in 2012. In the lines that follow, we have summed up what we already know.
What Is the Algorithm All About?
Google says this is a broad, global, and core update, however, based on data collected so far, there seems to be a clear focus on health and medical sites, thus, its nickname — the Medic Update. The algorithm also greatly affects Your Money Your Life (YMYL) sites. What are those? YMYL refers to pages that can potentially impact your current or future well-being (physical, safety, financial, legal, etc.) — namely travel, gambling, food and drink, home goods, finance and other similar sites.
Key Pointers to Look out For
- Mobile first-indexing — Sadly, for all those websites that do not yet have a mobile version, have a separate mobile site or are not responsive, the time to face the music has come. While many have complained about not ranking for their brand name since the update rolled out, their ranking drops coincide with not having mobile versions of their websites. Just some food for thought here.
- Page speed — Google has long had site speed on its radar, and although speed has always been a ranking factor, this algorithm is now making it crucial for good results. While we may have seen top ranking sites with poor site speed, this may no longer be the case. Web designers now need to build sites with speed in mind. Compressing images below 100kb and code where possible, as well as including browser caching are several ways to ensure you have a speedier site.
- Content — It appears this algorithm update is focused on content being more authoritative, sites being more user-friendly, and page loading being faster across all devices and screens. At its center, however, is content, good quality content that is. Hint: 411 Locals can take over your SEO strategy, including content.
What Google Says
In a nutshell, Google says there is “no fix” for sites that are not performing as well as they did prior to the update rollout, and that everyone needs to stay focused on building great content. Google also said, “As with any update, there are sites that may note drops or gains. There is nothing wrong with pages now performing less well.” They continue by saying, Instead, it’s that changes to our systems are now able to benefit pages that were previously under-rewarded.”
It may seem that SEO has been made harder than ever before with this new update. Is it time to contact a professional SEO company to help you get the ranking you deserve? You decide. We will be here, ready to help.
Stay tuned for our next topic!