New Requirements for High Search Engine Rannkings

With Search Engines having been in the game for quite some time now, marketers have developed new requirements for high search engine rankings. This is known as Google Panda. Google Panda is a change to Google's search results ranking algorithm which was released for the first time in February of 2011.. The change aimed to lower the rank of "low-quality sites" or "thin sites", and return higher-quality sites near the top of the search results.

Good Content 

The Penguin update fights against spam incessantly, and the key to high search engine rankings post Penguin is good content. Google now rewards websites that provide regular, high-quality, useful, and targeted content to its readers.

In order to achieve high rankings, your website will also need to show signs of growth. This is easily achieved with content that is validated by social proof.

Social Proof

Social media now play a critical role in your website’s search engine rankings. Google wants your content to be engaging enough that it gets disseminated across social media platforms. The Penguin update shows an increased reliance on social signals to gauge active curation of good content, and going forward, there is an imperative need for all webmasters to produce high-quality content that gets shared across social platforms.

Author Rank

Author Rank works on an entirely different concept from Google’s Authorship. While Authorship may no longer play a part in ranking factors, Author Rank continues to carry heavy weight in ranking algorithms.

The idea behind Author Rank is that it shows whether a person is or isn’t an authority on a subject matter. The main takeaway is that if your name or website is frequently referred to in a particular area of specialization, Google will determine that your website carries more authority over the rest of the other websites in the same niche, and reward you with higher search engine rankings.

Internal Link

With Google’s Penguin update, link spam is no longer an effective way to boost search engine ranking. Over-optimization of keywords and meta-descriptions also cripple your website’s chances of ranking well.

In relation to good content, an increased importance is placed on internal links within your content. The internal links need to point to other pages within your website that are equally rich in content.

HTTPS a new ranking factor

Apart from website loading speeds and mobile-optimization, HTTPS is now the newest ranking signal in Google’s algorithm. The Penguin update brings with it an increased focus on security; encrypted connections lead to better surfing experiences for Google’s end users, and since April 2014, Google has implemented secure search for all clicks to its paid advertisements. Copyright