Google -Coping with Change

OR“Are You There Google? It’s Me, Margaret”

Evan Lacivita

SEO (Search Engine Optimizer)

• Google, and how it changes

• How those changes can affect you

• What you can do about it

What am I talking about?

• Because it’s Google

• Because it’s your Business

• Because it will keep changing

Why is this important?

Search Market Share

GoogleThe Others

65.4%

Data provided by ComScore

What are some major Google changes?

Google Places

Google Local Result: The 7 Pack

Google Local Result: The 2 Pack

Google Local Result: The Hybrid

Google Maps: The Place Page

20% of Google Searches Are Local(40% on Mobile)

- Marissa Mayer of Google

• Create a Google Places listing

• Claim your listing

• Fill out your listing completely

• Encourage reviews on your listing

What Should You Do?

Panda

Wait, Panda?

• Update to Google’s algorithm (Feb 2011)

• “Low Quality” sites drop in the rankings

• Affects entire site, not just the page

• Looks at site’s content, load speed, design, etc.

What’s Panda?

Intended to hit spam sites that were crowding

the rankings, it dramatically altered the results

page and profoundly affected the internet.

It has been improved and updated regularly,

and will continue to be updated.

• Original, high quality content for entire site

• Cater to the user’s needs

• Cut out shallow pages, remove excess

• Ensure entire site functions, loads quickly

What Should You Do?

Watch out for:

Future PandasGoogle is likely to further refine the way it evaluates backlinks

Ensure you have relevant backlinks from high quality sites

Google +

What is it?

Google’s Social Media platform

ProfilesFriendsUpdatesSharing+1s (similar to likes)

It’s like facebook, but it’s Google

• Launched June 28, 2011 as invitation-only

• Reached 10 million users in 16 days

• Opened to the public Sept 20, 2011

• 62 million users as of Dec 27, 2011

Google+ Facts

• Free pages for businesses

• +1’s are currently visible in search results

• Increased integration with Google is likely

• Estimated to reach 400 million users in 2012 (lofty)

So What?

Google+ Business Page

• Make a Google+ account

• Create a business page

• Monitor it, keep it updated as necessary

• Don’t Panic

What Should You Do?

Google – Ever Changing

Google wants to deliver their users the best results.

Be the best result.

What Should You Do?

Questions?

Evan LacivitaBurst Marketing