The Constant Evolution of SEO

Why You Can't Rest on Your Optimized Laurels

Learning SEO is important, but as with anything else, you're never done learning about it. Google's algorithms don't stay the same for very long; what was good yesterday will be considered spam tomorrow. The only way to make sure your site stays in Google's good graces is to pay attention to the search engine's never-ending stream of algorithm updates.

This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

It may seem like Google makes constant changes just to exercise a certain puppet-master-like power -- while we all dance on strings -- but there is actually a very valid reason for the constant updates, and the truth is, it's the people who build and optimize websites who are often to blame.   Google's updates are mostly efforts to out-maneuver spammers, who take SEO best practices and abuse them until they become spam tactics. For example, an SEO best practice of Yore was to submit links to directories, thereby boosting a site's rank. But people abused it. They submitted links to every directory they could find, whether it was relevant to their site or not. People spammed directories by dropping irrelevant links into them. As a result, Google dropped directories from its guidelines, and many sites were forced to disavow such links in order to prevent penalties.

Which SEO Best Practices will Become the New Spam?

The only way to know which way the spam tide will turn (sorry for the unpleasant image...I'm imagining large slabs of ham loaf washing up on the shore) is to keep your ear to the ground and pay close attention to the updates. For a lot of our clients, the buzz leading up to an algorithm change provokes a lot of anxiety. That's why it's important to work closely with someone who understands SEO and has seen changes like these come and go. If you don't have a seasoned veteran on your staff, consider hiring an SEO firm. Find one that understands your industry and can help you navigate the specific challenges your site will face as SEO continues to evolve. Photo credit: kevin dooley / Hampton Patio / CC BY