SEO Tips for Google's New ‘Penguin’ Algorithm

To beat web "spam," Google continues to change the rules and algorithms on how consumers find websites and products through its search engine. With the latest algorithm debuting on April 24, "Google Penguin," many online retailers are scratching their heads as they find their website traffic has slowed or come to a complete stop. Unfortunately, their poor page ranking in Google is the result of being penalized for search engine optimization practices in use for over the past 10 years.

However, before we go any further, let's look at the main purpose of search engines. They exist to search the text found on website homepages, product pages, etc. as opposed to graphics and images embedded on a site. Written content lets the search engine "spiders" know what your website is all about. Based on keywords used in the text, they decipher if your website is about scented candles, handmade woven rugs or if you're in the pharmaceutical industry. If the content is written clearly and is of high quality, consumers will be able to find your site and products when they search via applicable keywords.

With the new Google algorithms in place, large and small businesses alike are affected. As the clear leader in online searches — according to Todd Bailey, search engine expert and vice president of marketing at WebiMax, Google has 66 percent of the market share for the online search industry — when Google makes a change it's a big deal. Webmasters, SEO experts and businesses have been using tactics such as paid links, content article spinning and keyword stuffing for years. These tactics are now viewed as search engine "tricks," designed to increase the page ranking of a website. Many online retailers are now feeling the sting of lost sales from these practices.

What if you didn't resort to any of these SEO techniques and your web traffic has still come to a crawl? It could be the result of low quality or "duplicate" content on your site. Since all online retailers sell product, you must create original product descriptions and not copy/paste a stock description from a manufacturer's site. Google views this practice as duplicate content and may lower page rankings on your site. On the other hand, sites that have high-quality content, including proper grammar and spelling, and useful, clear information, are rewarded. Retailers who have copied manufacturer product descriptions to use as their own should rewrite those descriptions or risk losing business.

So what are the best ways to comply with the new Google Penguin algorithm? To achieve top search results, provide quality, original, relevant content written for consumers, not search engines. Here are a few tips that will keep online retailers out of hot water:

• Don't shortcut your website by copying vendor or manufacturer product descriptions. For example, if you sell a turquoise bracelet on your site, don't use the designer's description; write an appealing description and keep content unique.
• Keyword stuffing is finally on its way out! One SEO best practice involved writing 500-word articles and linking them to content on your site or distributing them throughout the web. There was only one problem: these articles provided no valuable information to the consumer and merely repeated a keyword (e.g., sofa) over and over throughout the article. You would often find keywords used 25 times or more in a single article — that's one in every 20 words for a 500-word article. Ouch! This tactic was also used for website content. Remember, you're writing to appeal to consumers. Your tone should be natural and conversational, not shoving a keyword down their throat.
• Produce quality content that will be posted to the web via reliable, highly valued sources. Writing articles for news outlets and trade journals, creating timely press releases on your business achievements or new product launches, and guest posting on relevant industry blogs ensure quality content and higher page rankings.
• Monitor your site statistics! If you're still being hit hard by the Google Penguin algorithm and have improved the quality of the content on your site, you can submit your site to Google for reconsideration on lowering your page ranking. Instructions are available at http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35843

Tips on Creating Original, Quality Web Content and Product Descriptions
I can't stress enough the importance of writing naturally and conversationally when creating your web content, sales materials and product descriptions. Here are some quick tips and ideas that will help you create fresh material consumers will enjoy reading and ultimately lead them to purchase your products:

• When you're writing product descriptions, appeal to the consumer's sense of touch, sight, taste, hearing and smell. Online shoppers don't have the luxury of handling the merchandise, tasting your award-winning cinnamon rolls or hearing your harbor wind chimes, but with quality product descriptions you can create the experience for them. For example, this description engages the consumer's sense of sight and taste:

Bite-sized pieces of luscious fruit cake smothered in creamy milk chocolate is an alluring temptation around the holidays or any occasion. Not to be confused with your plain jane fruit cake, this cake is loaded with cherries, candied pineapple, walnuts, pecans and raisins. Add 100-proof bourbon, premium dark rum and 84-proof brandy to this mixture and you have a treat no one can resist!

• If you have several similar products and are looking for original ways to describe them, try evoking emotions such as happiness, pride, frustration, curiosity or love to change each description up a little. If describing a line of swimsuits, the following three descriptions promote the same item but use varying emotions of confidence, pride and curiosity to get the job done:

1. Our slimming swimsuit design will have you looking and feeling 10 pounds lighter.

2. The slimming design on our swimsuit line will make you the envy of the beach.

3. Slip on one of our new slimming swimsuits to see for yourself.

• Use verbs (i.e., action words) in your content. They engage consumers and prompt them into action. Verbs such as deliver, achieve, celebrate, discover, entice, organize, eliminate, taste and unveil are powerful motivators and will give your copy rich character.

If increasing your page ranking isn't enough incentive to clean up your content and product descriptions, consider the following: Following a strong Black Friday, U.S. online retail sales for last year's Cyber Monday amounted to $1.25 billion, up 22 percent from 2010, according to comScore. Clean up your website to get a piece of this pie! For more information on Google's web quality guidelines, view the specifications for web design and content, technical details, and quality here.

All in all, are the new algorithms a good thing? I say a resounding yes! Write content as if you're engaging in a conversation with consumers. Quality content builds rapport, is good PR and just makes sense. Bottom line: Sell your products to humans, not search engines.

Denise McGill is a freelance copywriter. Visit her website for more information on giving your business the competitive edge. Also, check out her e-store to order her "DIY" e-book to product descriptions.